Least crowded places to visit characters in the parks?

[flyingenie]

My daughter is at the age where she'd still like to meet characters, but doesn't *have to* meet Mickey in all 4 parks, etc. I'm wondering where/which parks typically have the shortest lines/least crowds to visit the main characters (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto) and princesses? Are there certain characters where the only opportunity to meet them is in a certain park (and which ones/park)?

Not including character dining or random meet and greets at hotels. And I know that lines are short if you meet them first thing in the morning/get a LL, but that's not our priority.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Best bet is a character meal.

Short lines still exist, but they are hit or miss. In he old days, character greets were sometimes surprises, and those often had short lines. Now most are announced in advance in MDE, so people start lining up before they even start.

Donald seems especially hard character to greet. Whenever he is out (regular character greet), there's a long line.

We had good luck seeing Mickey in MK on our most recent visit. Posted wait said 30min, but we looked at the line and it looked very short. It was only 10min. Mickey's interaction was great. After we saw him, Mary Poppins had a short wait also. That was about 3pm.

If you get G+, passes are an option for some greets. We were able to do the Outpost one day that way in AK.

If you have a Disney Visa, that one can be hit or miss in Epcot. It can be hard to time it when it is open. Also the characters in the post-ride area of Imagination sometimes have short lines. We only did the HS one once, but that was also not a long wait when we did it. (2019)

We don't tend to wait for too many these days, but we also saw Olaf in HS with a very short wait. That was maybe 2019, but I have since seen short waits listed on MDE. It seems to me late morning is a good time to see Olaf.

We didn't see the Frozen sisters this last trip, but we did walk right up to the...I'm not sure what to call it, but there's a small area post-character greet area where you can get magic shots. (By the Sommerhaus) Nobody was there, so the CM took a bunch of special shots for us.

We've also had good luck with some characters at Universal.

 

[Boopuff]

Do you have the Disney visa? They have a meet/greet just for cardholders at Epcot. Lines always short for the "fab 5" Also character dining is amazing for character meeting.

 

[flyingenie]

Do you have the Disney visa? They have a meet/greet just for cardholders at Epcot. Lines always short for the "fab 5" Also character dining is amazing for character meeting.

No Disney Visa, and not planning on Table service meals (ie character dining) this trip But yeah, character meals are great for that!

 

[flyingenie]

Best bet is a character meal.

Short lines still exist, but they are hit or miss. In he old days, character greets were sometimes surprises, and those often had short lines. Now most are announced in advance in MDE, so people start lining up before they even start.

Donald seems especially hard character to greet. Whenever he is out (regular character greet), there's a long line.

We had good luck seeing Mickey in MK on our most recent visit. Posted wait said 30min, but we looked at the line and it looked very short. It was only 10min. Mickey's interaction was great. After we saw him, Mary Poppins had a short wait also. That was about 3pm.

If you get G+, passes are an option for some greets. We were able to do the Outpost one day that way in AK.

If you have a Disney Visa, that one can be hit or miss in Epcot. It can be hard to time it when it is open. Also the characters in the post-ride area of Imagination sometimes have short lines. We only did the HS one once, but that was also not a long wait when we did it. (2019)

We don't tend to wait for too many these days, but we also saw Olaf in HS with a very short wait. That was maybe 2019, but I have since seen short waits listed on MDE. It seems to me late morning is a good time to see Olaf.

We didn't see the Frozen sisters this last trip, but we did walk right up to the...I'm not sure what to call it, but there's a small area post-character greet area where you can get magic shots. (By the Sommerhaus) Nobody was there, so the CM took a bunch of special shots for us.

We've also had good luck with some characters at Universal.

Thanks for all the detail! Wow, crazy short wait for Mickey at MK! Guess I will just have to stalk the MDE app. Who's usually in the post ride area of Imagination?

 

[_19disnA]

Character meals are you best chance to see them. At a place like Chef Mickey's they circulate to every table and would imagine most are like that. At the parks can only recall seeing characters randomly appear. If they show some kind of schedule on MDE now would probably be your best chance to find them.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Thanks for all the detail! Wow, crazy short wait for Mickey at MK! Guess I will just have to stalk the MDE app. Who's usually in the post ride area of Imagination?

It varies over time. Currently it is Joy and Vanellope, but that could change.

We tend to only see characters if there is a short wait, and we still manage to see a few each visit.

Another place we have sometimes found characters w/short waits is over by Dinosaur, but the most recent was pre-pandemic.

 

[JodyK]

Depends on time of year of course but the Mickey meet in Epcot tends to get shorter lines because it is somewhat hidden in the Pixar Short Film Festival building.

 

[flyingenie]

Depends on time of year of course but the Mickey meet in Epcot tends to get shorter lines because it is somewhat hidden in the Pixar Short Film Festival building.

Yes, I'd heard that/seen a reel about this on instagram! Though I've realized that it doesn't get you Minnie in combination unlike some of the other meet and greets (like at HS and AK from what I read?) so you're lining up for that other one anyway and will get Mickey there! I definitely will check it out though, if it's super short then why not!?

 

[MinnierellaMama]

In our experience, the Mickey/Minnie at HS isn’t too bad a wait bc I think most people go to Olaf. There’s also a Disney Junior character meet at HS which isn’t a horrible wait either (maybe 20 min the last time we went). Epcot is a good one to hit Anna/Elsa — the wait times drop throughout the day so just keep an eye when you’re over in the world showcase. Also my girls have met Aurora and Belle near the France pavilion — they are outside at various times throughout the day. At MK the circus sideshow meet (daisy and Minnie) isn’t terrible as long as you try around 3pm when most young families are taking a resort break. Plus that is air conditioned!

 

[JodyK]

Yes, I'd heard that/seen a reel about this on instagram! Though I've realized that it doesn't get you Minnie in combination unlike some of the other meet and greets (like at HS and AK from what I read?) so you're lining up for that other one anyway and will get Mickey there! I definitely will check it out though, if it's super short then why not!?

Yes it is just Mickey and not Mickey and Minnie but the line is usually short and it is inside in AC so I think it is always worth popping in and checking out the line. It is also the only place you can currently meet Classic Mickey at Disney World, not sure if that is important but it is a unique mickey.

You will get Mickey and Minnie with one line at HS and AK so that may be more advantageous. Note at HS the one line gets you Mickey and Minnie, but they aren't together it is two individual photos. The one at AK is Mickey and Minnie together at the same time.

Also, I don't think it was mentioned here, but the character spot in Pete's Silly Sideshow is also reopened in Magic Kingdom back by Dumbo and the Barnstormer so that could be an option for Donald, Goofy, Daisy, and Minnie. Two separate lines one for Donald and Goofy and one for Daisy and Minnie. These lines are also inside though out of the heat which is nice and these indoor character meets tend to move more quickly because they swap out the characters quickly unlike the ones in the parks where the characters needs to walk backstage to swap which can take time. They post the wait times out front so you could check it out when you are in the area.

In our experience, the Mickey/Minnie at HS isn’t too bad a wait bc I think most people go to Olaf. There’s also a Disney Junior character meet at HS which isn’t a horrible wait either (maybe 20 min the last time we went). Epcot is a good one to hit Anna/Elsa — the wait times drop throughout the day so just keep an eye when you’re over in the world showcase. Also my girls have met Aurora and Belle near the France pavilion — they are outside at various times throughout the day. At MK the circus sideshow meet (daisy and Minnie) isn’t terrible as long as you try around 3pm when most young families are taking a resort break. Plus that is air conditioned!

They've broken up the Mickey and Minnie and Olaf lines so you enter at two different points at HS. So I think it is unlikely to get that surprise shorter line anymore.

 

[MinnierellaMama]

Yes it is just Mickey and not Mickey and Minnie but the line is usually short and it is inside in AC so I think it is always worth popping in and checking out the line. It is also the only place you can currently meet Classic Mickey at Disney World, not sure if that is important but it is a unique mickey.

You will get Mickey and Minnie with one line at HS and AK so that may be more advantageous. Note at HS the one line gets you Mickey and Minnie, but they aren't together it is two individual photos. The one at AK is Mickey and Minnie together at the same time.

Also, I don't think it was mentioned here, but the character spot in Pete's Silly Sideshow is also reopened in Magic Kingdom back by Dumbo and the Barnstormer so that could be an option for Donald, Goofy, Daisy, and Minnie. Two separate lines one for Donald and Goofy and one for Daisy and Minnie. These lines are also inside though out of the heat which is nice and these indoor character meets tend to move more quickly because they swap out the characters quickly unlike the ones in the parks where the characters needs to walk backstage to swap which can take time. They post the wait times out front so you could check it out when you are in the area.




They've broken up the Mickey and Minnie and Olaf lines so you enter at two different points at HS. So I think it is unlikely to get that surprise shorter line anymore.

We went last March and it was separate and only waited 20 min for Mickey/Minnie — so I think like anything, watching MDE and catching it at the right time is the key!

 

[livih99]

I haven't been since 2017 so this may not still be the case but world showcase was always a good way to meet characters, especially the princesses. If you're already going around world showcase, most countries have meets that usually had fairly short lines. We also lucked into a non scheduled/informal meet with Winnie the Pooh, Stitch, Mickey and at least one other character

 

[Davey Jones II]

You can get a G+ reservation to meet Mickey and Minnie at the MK.

 

[JodyK]

I think it has gone back to just Mickey at MK and not Mickey and Minnie? Those were the latest reports I saw but maybe someone else can confirm?

You can Genie+ for M&M at AK, though.

 

[Sabrina Carter]

We enjoyed the character dining at Tucker House and that wasn't even our main objective. It was the only reservation (besides Tiffin's) that we could get. It was awesome and worth our money. We saw all the main characters.

 

[bluedolphin32]

I think it has gone back to just Mickey at MK and not Mickey and Minnie? Those were the latest reports I saw but maybe someone else can confirm?

Yes. This is why the lines are much shorter now. We went in the fall when it was Mickey and Minnie together and the lines were nuts. That was the first LL to disappear at MK every day while they were together.