Meet and greet process

[jenc842]

hi! Got my family the princess meet and greet tickets when I checked in online today. Question - is there still a line even at the ticketed time, and what exactly happens - does each person get their own meet and pictures time? OR is it just every
ticket holder mingles as a group? I ask because I have an active toddler in my hands and she didn't do well with waiting for just Mickey last time.

Also, I booked everyone tickets including little baby and grandparents ... are tickets hard to get? Thinking about releasing those 3 to another family if it's just for photo time (really only doing it for the older daughter )

 

[cmph]

Unless you have the very first time slot and get there early enough to beat out the others in your slot - you will have a line to stand in. It's not going to be crazy long though. Someone will check your tix when you get in line, and if you're too early they'll probably direct you to wait to the side. For the princess one, your longest wait will be to get to the first princess (not long, probably 10min ish from my experience and observations), and then your group will have alone time to chat/take photos. Then you'll probably have to wait a minute or two to get to the next princess, and so on.

You won't be grouped with strangers who share your time slot, though, if that's your question? Just your own family group.

How hard they are to get will sort of depend on the cruise (how long it is, how many kids are on board), as far as I have read. I didn't have any problem getting them for our 7 day. I would ask the grandparents if they definitely want to do it. I booked the Frozen one for my parents, daughter, and me, and even after standing in the 10min line with us - my dad didn't get in the photos. Waste of a ticket! Then my mom thought the Frozen meet was cute but boring and decided to skip out on the princess one - another waste of a ticket! I felt badly that tickets were totally wasted but I had cleared it with them in advance and they wanted me to get them the tickets. I guess they just didn't realize it was literally a brief meeting with a few photos. If the grandparents are big Disney fans or just want lots of photos with their grandkids, then you may find they really, really want to be a part of it.

 

[msmama]

The frozen one is in a restaurant and only people with tickets are allowed into the restaurant. So if grandparents want to see your daughter meet the princesses they will need a ticket.

Princesses are in a more open area so they will be able to see from further away if they want.

 

[Jenn M]

Just to add in one more question for this one, who are the princesses typically? I know they change from time to time, but who are the usual ones? How many do you meet? Thanks!

 

[MunFam]

Just to add in one more question for this one, who are the princesses typically? I know they change from time to time, but who are the usual ones? How many do you meet? Thanks!

In 2015, we met Rapunzel, Tiana and Cinderella. Those were the 3 princesses they had roaming the ship, too. We REALLY wanted Belle, but she was not on that sailing.

Adding: We were on the very first "Frozen Cruise" in 2015. The M&G was in AP and with tickets, it took us about 45 minutes to circle all the way around the restaurant before it was our turn to meet Olaf. A few days later, we had tickets to meet Anna and Elsa and it took another 45 minutes or so (we got there early for that one, to try and shorten the wait time). It may have improved by now, since we were the very first M&Gs in the history of DCL.

 

[Sytrace]

Just to add in one more question for this one, who are the princesses typically? I know they change from time to time, but who are the usual ones? How many do you meet? Thanks!

I have seen Cinderella, Tiana, Ariel and Belle. My daughter is not interested in princesses, but they are in the Atrium at the staircase and I recall seeing them.

 

[DIS_Ag]

Most we've waited was about 10 minutes for frozen or princesses. We had a Marvel great last summer that took a little longer for some reason.

Last year we met Repunzel, Belle, and Cinderella. In 2013 it was Snow White, Belle, Tiana, Cinderella, and Aurora.

 

[cmph]

Just to add in one more question for this one, who are the princesses typically? I know they change from time to time, but who are the usual ones? How many do you meet? Thanks!

We sailed over New Year's (as in just a month and a half ago) and it was Cinderella, Tiana, Belle, and Ariel. Our Frozen meet had Olaf, Anna, and Elsa all together. My daughter was tickled to see that it was clearly the same ladies portraying the characters throughout the cruise. She noticed in an advertisement recently that it was "our" Cinderella.

 

[samily]

On the Magic last month we had Belle, Rapunzel, Tiana, and Cinderella.

 

[cheapster316]

On the Dream in February we had belle, snow white, Rapunzel and Cinderella.
We had tickets for both. While eating breakfast the boys decided not to go. I looked for a family of 2 to give them to and could find none, so 2 tickets were wasted.
I felt bad while at guest services I heard a mom practically begging for princess tickets and was told they had no extras.

 

[1lilspark]

Dream September 2016:
Cinderella, Snow, Rapunzel and Belle at ticket meet + the sisters at Frozen Meet
Cinderella and Rapunzel had a few meets on their own and the two of them + Snow were arbitrary Sea You Real Soon

 

[Drusilla99]

On the wonder in July we had Cinderella, Ariel, Tiana & Belle. For the Frozen m&g it was Olaf & Elsa. ☺

 

[dektolia]

On the Fantasy last week it was Tiana, Ariel, Belle and Cinderella for the princesses and Anna & Elsa for the Frozen one.

 

[jenc842]

Thanks everyone ! Good info to know. I'll just keep tickets for my daughter and I , so I hope other kids can use up the other tickets

 

[PurplePencil]

Just to note: If you miss the princesses, especially on the longer cruise there is a 2nd princess gathering that is not as busy

 

[peaches0313]

So you get the princess meet and greet tickets when checking in online/ Ie..booking excursions?! New to cruising!

 

[Jenn M]

So you get the princess meet and greet tickets when checking in online/ Ie..booking excursions?! New to cruising!

Yes! When you do your online check in, you can also book the special meet and greets. These are different than the regular meets and greets. They will have characters out everyday for you to meet, but you will have to stand in line with no guarantees. They only meet for 30 minutes, and then they leave. Then a new character will take their place.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I agree that even if your parents don't want to be in the picture they may want to come along to watch the process. The princesses talk with your children for a little bit. It was priceless to hear!

As for the lines, this is definitely the best bang for your waiting "buck." One line to see multiple characters and because you have set times, you know the line in front of you won't be too bad. So if your child doesn't like lines, this is one you don't want to miss.

Also, of course no one wants to "waste" a ticket, but if you do have some no shows in your group, tell the check-in people that those people won't be coming. When we were there, we heard some people without tickets come up, not at the beginning, or towards the end, but maybe a half hour into the process, and they asked if they could get in, and they were told there had been a number of cancellations already, so they were allowed in. No guarantees, but at least by telling the CMs that you have a certain number of tickets that will go unused, it gives them a chance to let someone else in.