Meeting a character in Walt Disney World is a highlight for many guests while visiting the parks. And while most would be happy meeting one or two characters, if you are one of the few who want to take on a character challenge, there is a way to meet more than two dozen characters in a day. Though the following plan will require patience, desire, and money, if it’s your dream to see as many characters at Walt Disney World as possible, here’s a great way to do it.
For this plan, we will concentrate on the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom area. That will include the park and three deluxe resorts on the monorail loop. Also we will assume no special party is taking place at night.
Good morning characters
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One of the easiest ways to meet numerous characters in a short amount of time is through character meals. There are numerous to choose from depending on your tastes. However, you definitely want to keep in mind which characters will be at the meal and which ones you are planning on meeting later. You may love Winnie the Pooh, but meeting him twice means you could miss out on meeting someone else. You want to maximize your character count. We recommend starting with ‘Ohana Best Friends Breakfast at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort because you will get to meet two of the harder to find characters: Lilo and Stitch. Your family will also meet Pluto and the big man himself Mickey Mouse!
Get your FastPass+ reservations for the hardest-to-meet characters
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If you listen to anything we say please let it be this piece of advice. You need to acquire two specific Fast Passes or you will be in store for some very long lines to meet some very pretty princesses. Luckily each of these Fast Passes will allow you to meet two ladies. The two Fast Passes are as follows; Meet Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall and Meet Cinderella and Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall. Your third character Fast Pass is your choice. Since you have already met Mickey that leaves Fast Passes for Ariel or Tinkerbell. We recommend Meet Ariel at Her Grotto because it tends to be a longer line. Tinkerbell at Town Square Theater is consistently only a 20-minute wait.
More character meals for lunch
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Just like we mentioned earlier, meal times are the perfect time to multi-task. You can feed your hungry family and still add some characters to your conquered list. The Crystal Palace restaurant is our suggestion for lunch, as you can meet Hundred Acre Woods pals Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet.
Don’t Skip the Classics
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When parents think about character meet-and-greets they tend to think of their children’s heroes first. Anna and Elsa are amazing, but so are Donald Duck and Daisy. They are equally as important. Pete’s Silly Sideshow offers the perfect solution to this. There you will meet Donald, Daisy, Minnie and Goofy. The lines are never crazy and are well organized. You either get in the line to meet the ladies or the line to meet the gentlemen. When you are done with one group, you line up for the next. You get to meet four characters in one area, and that’s a fantastic deal.
A final character meal
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You might be full from breakfast and lunch, but you are a character champion and are prepared for your third character meal of the day. Everyone has to eat somewhere. For this we recommend stepping outside the park and heading over to the Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa to 1900 Park Fare. Here your family will get to meet Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella, and the Fairy Godmother. You will also get to speak with Cinderella again and ask any question you forgot to ask her earlier. Fantastic food, and classic great characters, what more could your family ask for? Well, maybe the Fairy Godmother to make your bill disappear.
Filling in the gaps
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Now that we have covered the basic game plan, let’s talk about where you can meet some other characters in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Many of the characters can be seen in numerous spots, but some have a pretty consistent home. For example right beside the Mad Tea Party is a character meet and greet spot. If you get in line right after the park opens you will met the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts and/or Alice herself. One or two arrive at 9:20 am to sign autographs and take photos. This area is actually fantastic to find different Disney Characters. Once you have finished with Alice, turn around and start walking towards the bridge that leads to the castle. On your right, you will find Merida in her own exciting area. You can even learn to shoot a bow and arrow there. If you walk further into Fantasy Land you can meet Peter Pan next to Peter Pan’s Flight and Gaston next to his tavern. Just keep your eyes open for familiar faces.
There are many other places to meet characters in the park. You can meet Belle at Enchanted Tales with Belle. Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen near the Heritage House beside the Hall of Presidents. Also Buzz next to the exit of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Whether you follow our ultimate guide or casually meet who you bump into, make sure to take the time to at least meet a few of your old friends. They are excited you came to see them.
What’s you’re favorite strategy for meeting characters at Walt Disney World?
