Elsa and Anna meet & greet: how long did you wait in line?

[aristocatz]

My friend took her DD to meet Elsa and Anna last week and she waited in line for 4 hours.

Just wondering how long you waited in line?

Anyone on here lucky enough to wait for less than 30 minutes?

 

[DMD2000]

Today started at Epcot Main Entrance at 8:10 am by myself. Gates opened at 8:45. Ran/jogged to Norway along with 5 other guys. Got there and the line was already 25 deep, most coming from asherkaus breakfast. Wife and kids came at park opening 9:00. Greeting started at 9:00 am. We saw Anna/Elsa at 10:00 and was out the door at 10:15. Keep in mind this is a low crowd day. A father and daughter about 7yo was at the gate with me. She could not run that fast. They went right to Norway and ended up being about 45 minutes behind us in line. Anna and Elsa take their time talking to the kids. This is why the line wait is long. Went back after lunch and the CM said the wait was 3 hrs. Only way to reduce wait times is to due the early breakfast or have a runner

 

[karly05]

Monday 2/10, lower crowd day, A & E started meeting at 9 am. I was at the front gate of Epcot, some ways back in line from the turnstiles. Gates opened a little early (I think around 8:50?), I hoofed it as well as a short, out of shape, middle-aged lady can, joined the line in Norway around 9:05, and met A & E around 10:40. I don't think I would have tried it if they hadn't started till 11 am, but I'm so glad I got to meet them, they were great.

 

[aristocatz]

Geez, how the heck does the very first person in line do it??? I feel like they deserve an award for achieving the impossible!

 

[snoopy5386]

Geez, how the heck does the very first person in line do it??? I feel like they deserve an award for achieving the impossible!

Makes a breakfast ressie in Norway and then skips it and pays a cancellation fee to be first in line.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

Makes a breakfast ressie in Norway and then skips it and pays a cancellation fee to be first in line.

exactly - we were there in late January - when they started meeting at 11 am and only met for 30 /40 minutes then took a break until the next hour. We were about 20 people back at the turnstiles - DH 'hoofed it' back to Norway to get in line - he got into the 11:00 set. DD and I went a rode a couple of rides and joined him (intended for him to go ride TT while we waited but he decided to stay with us )

We got in to meet them about 11:20.

I met the first guy in line in the Norway bakery -they had an 8 am ADR at Akershus - his family went in but he didn't - he just got directly in line.

 

[Texas Crude]

So when you get in line, do they give you a ticket with a time on it? How does it all work, mechanically, so you know when the rest of your party should come back and join you?

Do you tell them how many people you are saving a spot for? How early in the process do you get your "meeting time"?

 

[Texas Crude]

Do they give you a ticket with your meeting time on it when you get in line? I am trying to understand the mechanics of the line better, so I can plan accordingly.

When you get in line, do you tell them how many people you are saving a place for? How does the rest of your party know when to come back and meet you? Is there a limit to how many people you can save a spot for?

 

[GeneralTso]

Exactly like mentioned above.

Early breakfast reservations at Akershus---family goes, dad left table early and got in line. Was one of first few people in line. No tickets, just people waiting.
Once the rest of the family finished breakfast they joined dad. Bam. Just like that.

 

[CassieF]

I waited 20 minutes at disneyland on their second or third day out, before the movie came out.

 

[Capo]

Seems like the early Akershus breakfast approach is the only viable one. Unless you are HUGE Frozen fans, it may be best to just wait until your next trip and hope the popularity dies down by then.

 

[stephwtx]

I have been watching the Ask house reservation site for our week in May. Seems everyone has the same idea nothing popping up for a family of 4 until around 11. Not very helpful!! : (

 

[susanh]

Are you given a pager or paper ticket to come back? I just can't imaging kids waiting in line for 3 hours. Really?

 

[Lizzybean]

I can see this will be a "daddy" job. I'm hoping they have something better worked out by June...

 

[Missyrose]

Are you given a pager or paper ticket to come back? I just can't imaging kids waiting in line for 3 hours. Really?

No paper tickets but the CMs will encourage families to only have one person wait in line while the rest of the family does other things. The area of the M&G line isn't very big.

 

[km3jones]

Feb 9 Gates opened at 8:50. DD12 took off and made it back by 8:54. The rest of us made it by 8:58. We were about 6th family in line. DD said only one gate person beat her, the rest were already in line. Anna and Elsa doors opened about 9:03. We were done at 9:16.

 

[triana00]

I was second in line on Monday. Got to the park at 740 with a breakfast reservation for two (they do check the list before letting you in to the park). I didn't go to breakfast. My baby and I sat and waited until they built the queue line and stood there until 9. My husband and daughter were at the gates when they opened at 850. I had to let a few people meet in front of us until they made it back. We were out by 915. So about an hour and a half wait, even for the front of the line.

By 9 the line was impressively long.

Keep watching reservations. I got mine the Friday before when there had been nothing

 

[triana00]

Feb 9 Gates opened at 8:50. DD12 took off and made it back by 8:54. The rest of us made it by 8:58. We were about 6th family in line. DD said only one gate person beat her, the rest were already in line. Anna and Elsa doors opened about 9:03. We were done at 9:16.

That's impressive! On Monday by the time the first runners made it back the queue was more than half full!!

 

[serene56]

Do they give you a ticket with your meeting time on it when you get in line? I am trying to understand the mechanics of the line better, so I can plan accordingly.

When you get in line, do you tell them how many people you are saving a place for? How does the rest of your party know when to come back and meet you? Is there a limit to how many people you can save a spot for?

no timed ticket. Someone will have to wait in the line. THe CM will tell you the time your meet is. You tell your family to meet you at least 20-30 minutes before your meet time.

The CM will ask you how many in your party and she will add it to the clicker.
There was 2 of us-- saving for a total of 6.

 

[Sundancer UK]

Oh wow, I had no idea it would be so difficult. I had assumed it would be similar to the Rapunzel and Flynn M&G I ran for back in 2011, but I hadn't factored Akershus breakfast guests in to it!
Not sure what to do now, we've used all our ADRs and it will be too late to find a May breakfast now I'm sure. I just read snippets of this thread out to my husband who thinks it would put a downer on our vacation, so I'm not sure we will do it, but we won't be able to go back when popularity dwindles a little as this vacation is our last chance.