How important is it for you/your family to meet characters??

[freepixie]

Poll coming...

I've been reading more and more posts lately about people hunting for characters, and have found many fansites posting their pics with the characters. I was just curious, how important is it to you to get all those character shots?

For me, I love the characters but it is not my main priority when visiting WDW.

Just curious to see what everyone thinks

 

[DisneyLover75]

I wouldn't say it's my main priority.. for example, I will NOT wait in hours-long lines in Toontown for meet and greets, but I will try to visit and have pictures with as many as we can.

I book alot of character meals for that very reason. Then if there are character meet and greets in the parks and we happen upon them, I'm always happy to take the opportunity, IF the line isn't outrageous.

I voted that they were "very" important to us.

 

[mcvixen]

Not very important at all. Actually, it's always been a bit of a mystery to me, the hunt for the characters.

I'm curious to see if DD (5) will be interested or not. She still won't go anywhere *near* the Santa's in the mall.

Also, she's very very perceptive. She figured out at age 4 that the mall Santas all look different, and I was forced to confess that they are just real people, dressed up to be "helpers", because "the real Santa is just too busy to be at all the different malls before Christmas".

Now DD is already solemnly assuring me that the princesses at WDW "aren't the REAL princesses, mummy. The REAL ONES were from a LONG time ago!".

Oh dear!

 

[luvsgrumpy]

We were just talking about it tonight, or rather I was talking to DD8 (DS12 and DS14 are a bit beyond that - except they love Mickey and a couple of other classics). Anyway, we decided that if we come upon some, great, but we won't be spending lots of time waiting in lines or hunting them down. Unless of course we hear that Grumpy is somewhere-I would definately wait for him! We did that a couple of years ago when she was just 4. According to her, she DOES still want to see Pixie Hollow since she's never gotten to see Tink up close. We are doing Chef Mickey's and the Princess Bkf at Askerhaus so that will really help out! We did CRT the other year, partly (at least as far as I was concerned), so she would get the chance to meet a bunch of princesses at one time.

 

[bethclayton]

it's always been a bit of a mystery to me, too.

we have only been twice but have done at least ten character meals total, plus met characters at the parks. my kids are very outgoing and adventurous- not at all afraid of the characters- but they are just not THAT into it. they were 4 & 6 on our first trip, and almost-6 and 7 on our second trip, but both times... not that interested. they always were really polite and smiled and got autographs and photos, but honestly, i know my kids and they were pretty under-whelmed.

this time we are only doing the lilo and stitch breakfast, for dd's 9th birthday, at her request. dh and i were secretly hoping that would be her choice, since it's our favorite, too. but all they have talked about is the food! they also opted out of even taking autograph books this year. they're just not that into it.

we'll be skipping any lines to meet anyone, although i confess i am a photo junkie and will make them get a picture with any character we come across that does not have a wait.

 

[Joanna71985]

Very important to me. I enjoy meeting the characters, and I have created a website with all the different characters I have met (the link is in my sig below).

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

it depends on the kids. i went last trip figuring that the character meals would do it...nope. surprisingly, it was my BROTHER who was more into it! "QUICK while you were on the ride you missed "x" and "x" and "x". " he surprised me that trip. LOL anyway there were some that the kids wanted to meet and some they said "no" i think because of the line ups. LOLOL

NOW: If it was Cruella the kids know that we will wait, even if i have to all day.

we didn't get to see her last trip. we are going back so that i can meet cruella. LOLOL

 

[ilandrazdsw]

It was our DD3 and DS5 first trip to WDW. Rather than stand in lines for meet n greets we had the D-DDP and had the majorty of the meals character style! This saved time in the parks for rides and still gave them the chance to meet the friends. Character meals also kept the occupied during the meals. DS was over the character thing after the first few days (of 9), but DD LOVED all of them and couldn't get enough.

 

[ChrisMouse]

My DD (6),...is OBSESSED with characters. She would be totally fine with spending the entire trip searching for characters. And once she has found them, she wants to find them again, in different outfits.

I take joy in her love for the characters, though, because I know it won't be long before the magic of WDW changes for her. It's always magic...but for the littlest kids, it's a *special* magic, you know?

I hope this isn't our last year for that special magic.

 

[tndisneyfan]

I voted not at all important. DS is too old for them. We did like to get the mian characters when he was young.

 

[mommytocalliesue]

Before we had a child...it was not important!

We just took DD for her first trip. She's 2 1/2 so we made sure to hit the characters she knew....like Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Pooh, etc...We ran into Rafiki, etc...so she got her picture...but we didn't search them out!

 

[MeetingMickeyin2006]

It's definitely not a do or die for us. We're doing a couple of character meals, and that will probably fill our character quota just fine!

 

[bennyb98]

I have my "must see" list of about five characters (thankfully all common at WDW) and after I have meet them I can relax and the rest is just like gravy to me but I love meeting all characters.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

We pretty much spend most of our time looking for characters! Of course, I got a character website which helps justify it! The thrill of the chase can be very fun, and we love finding those rare ones that make nice photo ops.

When I travel with my nephew, we tend to do the most character-hunting. My nephew is special needs (born with a rare skull deformity), and the characters are just wonderful to him. He gets teased and stared at so much in his normal life, but at Disney, the characters treat him like a prince. He loves having the characters to interact with, without having to worry about how people react to him. He feels very safe with characters. He is also the same way with mascots at the minor league baseball teams he goes to see.

I can't thank enough the CMs who are "friends" with the characters, since they bring my nephew so much happiness.

 

[swald91]

Not so much now, our kids are 12 & 8 & really don't have that much interest in it-although sometimes when I look at them you still see a bit of excitement in their eyes!!! When they were younger-yes! But I wouldn't wait in lines for long.

 

[TeacupDemon]

If it's just me, I really don't care about the characters. However, we took our 3 year old for the first time in June, and he loved to "pet them gently", as he put it. I'm guessing that as long as my kids are young, we'll be making stops for the characters.

 

[Tbelle1976]

I am one who likes to see as many characters as possible. I do make ADR's for alot of character meals, and try to get a variety of characters with the meals that we choose.

Although I like to see as many as possible, I won't stand in a long line for 30 minutes to see one. I'd rather be doing other things with my time in the park, however I do keep a close eye out for them!

 

[caroline1851]

My son wanted to meet as many characters as possible and get autographs, so when we went it was a priority.

 

[scrappystamper1]

My kids could take it or leave it bit my husband and I love it. I also want to find them in different outfits. (space mickey, chef mickey, tux mickey, safari mickey you get the picture..) I scrapbook and usually make paper piecings for each charatcer to sign. so after all the hard work, I want to find that character. The boys complain at first, but then it becomes a quest to see how many we can find. They like to see the reaction from the characters to what I have made for them to sign. They get into it more if they are not trying to act cool for their friends.

Janet

 

[WrightFamily06]

I voted not so important . It hasn't been that important for us to meet characters in the past because our children are still little and it's hard for them to wait in those long lines . Our method was to book lots of character meals to make up for not waiting in the lines at the park but if we stumbled upon a little line we would def. jump right in . This year though I def. want to try and do more character lines at the park & less character meals .