- It was the original “Storytime With Belle” Fairytale Garden, which the Disney Imagineers has totally re-vamped and relocated to the “New” Fantasyland that opened in recent months. See Nick the Devo’s great review and wonderful pictures of Maurice’s cottage and “Enchanted Tales With Belle” here.
- Up until Spring 2012, it was also Rapunzel’s Meet and Greet, see Disney Diva’s article here on meeting Rapunzel which has tips that would apply to meeting Merida at this location. Disney Diva even provides a Map for you, circling the location.
To meet Rapunzel, she is available at the Town Square Theeatre Storybook Princess Meet and Greet. Fastpasses are available. There are “rumours”, with the building of the new Rapunzel Tower in Fantasyland, “Punzie” will have a new meet and greet there.
On our last vacation to Walt Disney World, Merida was the “must-see” Princess on our list.
Merida’s Meet and Greet has been transformed into a grand royal room and courtyard of a Scottish Castle, similar to what you experience when watching the movie.
When you enter the courtyard, the large round table (like the one from Rapunzel’s Meet and Greet) is still there for children waiting in the line to color pictures from the movie. There is also a really cool archery practice, where children, while queuing up to meet Merida, get to practice aiming their skills at the target. You will also notice various artifacts as seen in the movie, I especially liked the famous tapestry of the Royal Family embroidered on it.
Merida was wonderful to meet. With her strength of character and boldness, yet soft approach to all the little princesses and prince(s) waiting to greet. her. She was about to give my daughter a warm hug until my daughter stopped her because she had her marker, so excitedly in her hand, for Merida to sign her autograph book.
We were definitely pleased to meet Merida and if you are a fan of BRAVE you will be too.
Here are some tips to meeting this courageous, Scottish Princess:
- Lines can be very long! I’ve heard about an hour or longer during peak season. Your best bet is to go right when Magic Kingdom opens. If you are staying on Disney Property, get to Magic Kingdom during morning Extra Magic Hours. Have one person from your family/group stand in line for the Meet and Greet while the others and kids enjoy the rides in Fantastyland. Have the whole party come back right when then Meet and Greet Opens!! This way, your family will get to experience many rides with little wait times and then see Merida right when she arrives. (Disney Diva mentions this tip on her article about meeting Rapunzel when Rapunzel was at this location. Our family did this exact touring plan when we met Rapunel and it worked well!!)
- If you are not staying on Disney Property, go to Magic Kingdom when there is NO Extra Magic Hours in the morning and head straight to Merida’s Meet and Greet.
- If there is a Special Ticketed Event happening, like Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Guests with advanced ticket purchases can enter the park at 4:00pm. On our last trip, as soon as our family entered the park at 4:00 for the Halloween party, we headed first to see Merida. The wait time was only about 20 – 30 minutes!! With the coloring activities as well as the shot at archery lessons, time sailed by and soon we were able to meet Merida.
- Heading to Disneyland? D’land Diva mentions that wait times for Merida is about an hour! So if Princess Merida is on your must see list, again, go there first thing in the morning.
