Seeing the Princesses

[1princessesmom]

Hi, We will be on the Jan. 22 Eastern cruise with our 4 yo DD who absolutely loves the Disney Princesses. We are anxious to see them on board. I recently heard that there is a LONG line to meet/greet/photograph the Princesses, and that you must get there up to an hour ahead of the scheduled time because they cut the line off once it gets too long. As much as we would love to see the princesses, I'm afraid our 1 1/2 year old DS would not tolerate waiting in line very long. Anybody know how long the wait usually is and how accessible the princesses are? Thanks!

 

[mrsltg]

I think that an hour is a little longer than needed, though 20-30 minutes ahead of time is not out of question. We lined up for Cindy 30 minutes early and were still a ways back on the line, Snow White and Belle about 20 minutes ahead of time. The big draw is the Mouse himself, and I waited for him for quite awhile (save one time when I lucked into a short line because he was coming out behind another character and people didn't realize where he'd be).

After a couple of long lines (our dd is 3.5), we started breaking up and one of us kept dd happy by walking around while the other waited in line. It saved us a lot of headaches.

Erin

 

[Hollyster2]

Someone just posted that Aurora was on their cruise! She wasn't on the Western route we went on last year. Probably because she was warned about my uncontrollable tendency to jump up and down in her royal presence. I would love to see her on the West Coast Cruise!

 

[clh2]

You can check the atrium every day - they post times of the character greetings every day. On our 4-night cruise - there were 2 major princess gatherings - one was a photo op/autograph session. The other was an autograph session only.

If my memory serves me correctly - the following were on board with us: Snow White, Mulan, Princess Aurora, plain Belle, Fancy Belle, Cinderella (sometimes with Prince Charming) Wendy Darling, Alice and the Queen of Hearts. I'm sure I've forgotten some.

At the princess greetings with the photo ops - the girls go from the 1st princess, to the second to the next etc. it is not a free for all. So while you may be there 20 or 30 minutes in advance - if you are further back in line - it still may take an hour or so before you get to the first princess. The princess's were fabulous - they spent time talking to each guest - the interaction was fabulous! The photographers will take their pics - and by all means - you can take yours too! There are even CM's to hold the autograph books and pens so they aren't messing up the pictures.

If your DD is bringing a princess dress - this is certainly the time to wear it.

For my DD - this was a great event - although she was 9 at the time - so she actually waited in line while we sat in the chairs in the atrium.

Don't let your 1/2 YO DS keep you from doing this.

By all means - have 1 parent stand in line while the other one finds something to humor the kids with.

 

[jenlovesdisney]

This is not sounding good for me! I will be traveling alone with my son and daughter who are 5 and 3. I know my daughter will want to see the princesses and we will have to go. I guess I can send my son into the clubs at that point. Oh, but the waiting! I am so impatient!

 

[fcrouch]

we were on a full to capacity western cruise this summer -
what we did was this - I showed up about 15 minutes before the princesses were to appear - usually I was first or second in line - and then my wife showed up (with 4 year old daughter) about 2 minutes before the princesses were to appear - they were always on time. Now, if you don't have a parent to tag team, them I'd still do the show up early - and wait at that time - you can chat with others who are there early, and there'd be some room for your child to run aroud or look out the windows - and the nice people in line behind you would surely let you out of line (and save your place) for you to retrieve your daughter - and I think it would be easier to wait early before the princesses arrive - I think the long waits were for those who didn't arrive until after the characters appeared. (And your son will probably love the clubs and never want to leave). We felt that if we wanted to give our daughter the experiences on the ship she would not get elsewhere - so if that meant she spent lots of time in the club or visiting characters - and not with us - so be it - the trip was for her - now my wife had no complaints about spending time at the adult pook reading novels and having rum drinks. The characters also come to the clubs and you can come and take pictures there, too.

 

[jenlovesdisney]

Thanks for the info. We will be early for sure!

 

[TLHB70]

This is our first Disney cruise. We plan to go on the November 7-11, 4 day cruise. I thought that we get a character meal.....a breakfast. (?) The travel agent said that he had been on the cruise three times and that the princesses are usually at that meal and they greet each child at the table. We have done WDW numerous times and always done the character breakfast at Cinderella's castle so that my daughters could meet and greet the princesses. I was under the assumption that this meal would be the same thing. It is not? Oh no!!!!!! What will the character meal be on board? What is it like?

 

[princess Snow]

There is no character breakfast on the 3 and 4 day cruises. The event the other posters wrote about is the Princess Gathering which happens on Nassau morning. This is the photo and autograph session which allows you to see all the princesses at the same time. Each princess also has individual photo and autograph sessions throughout the cruise (check the schedule in the atrium). On the sea day is the All Star Autograph session (no posed photos) which features the princesses along with others like Peter Pan and Wendy.

 

[TLHB70]

Thank you for that information. I have been telling my daughters that they will have a character meal. I am so glad that you warned me that we will not so that it doesn't spoil the trip. I will now let them know that there in no character meal.
I wonder why the travel agent told me that there is?!?!?! I will have to talk to him about that! (It was not Disney directly. It is a travel agent in our home town.)

 

[mamalle]

thanks for all the info. Im sure we will be spending alot of our time waiting in line to meet all dd's royal friends. she cannot wait. all she talks about is spending her bday with the princesses. you should of seen her last week talking to cinderella at 1900 park fare when she talked about it. priceless!

 

[leahvonleah]

how does the princess meet and greet work on the 7 day cruises? does it seem to be less crowded, since we have more time-or is it the same as the 3/4 day cruises?