What to know about character meet and greets

[kniquy]

Our next trip will have a bit of a focus on character meet and greets for DD who has never been to WDW. I am wondering what your best tips are on getting this accomplished - Probably top princesses will be - Anna, Elsa, Belle, Jasmine, Ariel and probably Cinderella and Snow White too.

I see that there are time frames for meet and greet - so for example Anna and Elsa at the Royal Sommerhus from 9am to 9pm. I am not sure if FP are available for all meets, but we want to use FP for of rides we want to do in each park.

SO i need to learn the ins and outs of these meets -
are there typically busier times?
are they really there from 9am to 9pm or are they there and then leave for a breaks? are there standard break times (ex don't go at noon because they always are at lunch)?
I'm guessing but are photopass photographers at each meet and greet?

I'm not sure what else i should be asking, but appreciate any advice guidance on this new adventure for the family.

Edit -- Just wanted to include that we will be traveling 4/14-4/21 - no near a major holiday, but it is during many of the states school vacations.

 

[pitpat]

best tip is subscribe to Kenny the Pirate's Character Site. He knows his stuff and will save you time.

 

[magical-me]

Cinderella's Royal Table is a nice way to see the princesses. You get a picture with Cinderella when you enter and then they whisk you away to the dining area. Last time i went we saw Snow White, Aurora, Jasmine, and Ariel. They were all so nice! I was able to get last minute reservations at like 9pm so we were able to see the fireworks from the castle.

There's also another Character meal with Belle in Epcot, but i can't spell the place.

We waited.... 5 minutes to see Anna and Elsa in Norway. It was mid-day. I don't think the wait time ever went over 20 minutes the last time I was there. And that was just like 2 weeks ago xD.

 

[TwinkleKS]

Check out Kenny the Pirate's site as the PP said.

As with everything it depends on the time of year when you are there. If it is a busier time of year, then the lines will be longer for meet and greet just like with everything else. As another PP said, the easiest is to do character meals then you just wait while you eat. I believe Anna and Else are the only ones on your list you can't see at a character meal.

 

[SureAsLiz]

• are there typically busier times?

Yes, and it generally fluctuates with park levels. So mid-day has longer lines than early or late.
Fairy Tale Hall (Rapunzel/Tiana, Cinderella/Elena) is available from park open to close. The princesses meet continuously. There is often a very short line early in the morning, and no line at/after fireworks. Mid-day can fluctuate anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes, but seems to average close to 40 right now.
Some indoor meets will have FP+, but not all (Anna and Elsa do not)

• are they really there from 9am to 9pm or are they there and then leave for a breaks? are there standard break times (ex don't go at noon because they always are at lunch)?

If a character is listed with a continuous time, then yes, they meet for the whole time. Character with sets (all outdoor characters) will generally meet for 30-45 minutes at a time with a 15-20 minute break. Many outdoor meets are done between 4 and 6pm (some earlier) so you will need to plan that into your day.

• I'm guessing but are photopass photographers at each meet and greet?

Mary Poppins and Tarzan do not have photopass. Neither do character meals outside of the main greeting characters. All other regular characters should have photopass barring any problems (sometimes things go wrong, but it's very rare).


With the characters you have listed, a princess meal either at CRT or Akershus would be a great option to get 4-5 princesses in one go.
Some characters will hang out in more than one park (Jasmine will be in Magic Kingdom with Aladdin or in Morocco/Epcot by herself, Ariel meets with her fin in Fantasyland but sometimes gets her land legs for character meals).
For outdoor characters, it's generally best to jump in line before their set begins if possible - once they are out the line will build fast and you may be cut off from that set.