By Pixie Hollow Diva
What if I told you that it is possible to meet your favorite characters and NOT wait in line? You would love that right? Well here is the secret- schedule some character meals! This can be very beneficial and save you some time. You can avoid the lines and get many character greetings done and not worry about it in the parks when you go. You can gain more time in the park which means more family fun! I have included just a few that I enjoy.
My children are young, under the age of five. At such a young age, they do not understand why they need to wait in line to meet their favorite characters. They also do not have the patience, and neither do some adults! Once I had children, I was trying to think of ways to save some time here and there if I could. I realized, why waste time waiting on lines for characters when I can meet them while we eat? If you choose to do a character meal, it lets you meet your characters and also keeps your child’s attention. I will fill you in on a few of my favorites and why.
Chef Mickey’s inside the Contemporary is a great option! You can choose breakfast, brunch or dinner for this restaurant. I like this one the most, mainly due to the fact that you can meet all of your basic characters. The characters include Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy. They are dressed in their aprons and chef hats which is cute. They also start singing where the entire restaurant joins in and the kids always seem to love it! This restaurant is buffet style, which means there is always something for someone. You are able to relax and eat and the characters will come to you! They spend time with you by signing your autograph books and taking pictures.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is fun if you are looking to meet some princesses. This restaurant is located inside Epcot in the country of Norway. You will need to use a park admission for that day to enter. My suggestion is to make that your Epcot day. This restaurant offers the Princess Dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some of the princess are subject to change but can include Belle, Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel and Jasmine. While here, like most character dining, you have the option for signatures and pictures. You can read more about it in Fairy Diva’s review here.
The Grand Floridian has a great character breakfast at 1900 Park Fare- the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast. It has a great variety of food along with a variety of characters. The characters you most likely may see are Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter and Mary Poppins. It is nice because the character variety is not necessarily themed because you are seeing many different ones. They do come over to the table and interact which is always fun! Disney Diva Tip: This particular character experience is only offered for breakfast, not lunch or dinner like many other places, however they do also offer a Wonderland Tea Party (for children between the ages of 4 and 12), or you can also attend Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner.
Hollywood Studios offer Disney Junior Dining for breakfast and lunch buffets at Hollywood & Vine. While here, you can meet Jake, Doc McStuffins, Sofia, and Handy Manny. This is fun because again, they characters come up to you while you can relax and enjoy your meal. They also then do a parade with the kids which is always fun! You can eliminate waiting in line to meet these characters who do meet and greets near Disney Junior Theater. To read more about the Disney Junior Play ‘n Dine experience, click here. If you’d rather read about Hollywood & Vine’s dinner character meal option (Minnie’s Seasonal Dining Experience), you can click here.
I really enjoy character meals! You can enjoy great food while spending time with your favorite characters. By doing this you can get your character meetings over with since you would have to eat anyway. This gives you the opportunity to spend more time on rides or meeting several characters whom you may not be able to see at a restaurant.
Besides dining, there is another option to meet characters quickly without waiting in long lines. You can use a Fastpass and reserve your spot for many character greetings. Several include Tinkerbell in Magic Kingdom, Anna and Elsa in Norway, Ariel’s Grotto in Magic Kingdom and Fairy Tale Hall for certain princesses (which are subject to change). There are many others (including the “talking Mickey!”, it just depends on who your family is really hoping to meet!
What are your tips for not having to wait in line to meet characters? Let us know in the comments below.
And if you’re ready to book your next vacation, why not contact Authorized Disney Vacation Planner Patricia Payne? Her services are free to you, and she can help you with all of your travel needs (including reservations!) Click here for a free quote. Happy planning!
