"Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Orange. Enjoy the ride as
we share our favorite places to meet Disney characters.”
we share our favorite places to meet Disney characters.”
Characters are a huge part of a Walt Disney World vacation, especially if you have kids in tow; but as anyone who has been to WDW can tell you, meeting characters at the parks isn't always as easy and pleasurable as it appears in commercials.
Character meeting spots are all over WDW, but they are often found at the end of long line in the sun; but that doesn't mean we don't enjoy hanging out with characters! It just means that we are selective; and today we are letting you in on where we like to meet up with the Disney characters.
World Showcase-You can almost always find Disney characters outside the country pavilions from where their stories take place. For example, you can meet with Mulan at China, Snow White at Germany, Mary Poppins and Alice in the United Kingdom, and more! Tip: There are signs posted where the characters will be and at what time; and guests often begin lining up before this scheduled times so be there early! While there are lines to meet these characters, they are usually shorter and much more bearable than at other parks. Tip: Try to visit the characters when World Showcase first opens for shorter lines.
Akershus Storybook Dining-Character Meals are a great way to meet characters because you're not out in the heat, you don't have to wait in line, you can see several in one visit, and you have the characters to yourself for a few minutes all while you enjoy a yummy meal. One of our favorite character meals is Akershus Storybook Dining at Epcot's Norway pavilion. At this restaurant, you dine in a Norwegian castle setting while a variety of Disney princesses come by to visit; and the character interaction is excellent! Even though a Norwegian menu sounds a little intimidating, it's actually delicious; and many of the dishes are close to American fare, just with a few Norwegian influences. Also, in addition to the menu, you can enjoy a buffet offering meats, cheeses, breads, fruit, and more! This makes this restaurant a great value, on top of being an excellent character meal; and is a perfect alternative to Cinderella's Royal Table.
Animal Kingdom-This park offers characters that you might not see elsewhere, such as Flik from A Bug's Life, King Louie and Baloo from Jungle Book, Jiminy Cricket, Pocahontas, and Rafiki from The Lion King! Animal Kingdom is a big place, but we tend to find these guys just inside the entrance at Animal Kingdom or on the paths between Asia and Africa.
Character meeting spots are all over WDW, but they are often found at the end of long line in the sun; but that doesn't mean we don't enjoy hanging out with characters! It just means that we are selective; and today we are letting you in on where we like to meet up with the Disney characters.
World Showcase-You can almost always find Disney characters outside the country pavilions from where their stories take place. For example, you can meet with Mulan at China, Snow White at Germany, Mary Poppins and Alice in the United Kingdom, and more! Tip: There are signs posted where the characters will be and at what time; and guests often begin lining up before this scheduled times so be there early! While there are lines to meet these characters, they are usually shorter and much more bearable than at other parks. Tip: Try to visit the characters when World Showcase first opens for shorter lines.
Akershus Storybook Dining-Character Meals are a great way to meet characters because you're not out in the heat, you don't have to wait in line, you can see several in one visit, and you have the characters to yourself for a few minutes all while you enjoy a yummy meal. One of our favorite character meals is Akershus Storybook Dining at Epcot's Norway pavilion. At this restaurant, you dine in a Norwegian castle setting while a variety of Disney princesses come by to visit; and the character interaction is excellent! Even though a Norwegian menu sounds a little intimidating, it's actually delicious; and many of the dishes are close to American fare, just with a few Norwegian influences. Also, in addition to the menu, you can enjoy a buffet offering meats, cheeses, breads, fruit, and more! This makes this restaurant a great value, on top of being an excellent character meal; and is a perfect alternative to Cinderella's Royal Table.
Animal Kingdom-This park offers characters that you might not see elsewhere, such as Flik from A Bug's Life, King Louie and Baloo from Jungle Book, Jiminy Cricket, Pocahontas, and Rafiki from The Lion King! Animal Kingdom is a big place, but we tend to find these guys just inside the entrance at Animal Kingdom or on the paths between Asia and Africa.
Crystal Palace-Another one of our favorite character spots is
the Crystal Palace, located inside the Magic Kingdom between Main Street U.S.A. and Adventureland. This restaurant offers American fare in a beautiful, white and glass Victorian style restaurant featuring visits from Winnie the Pooh and gang! What's really great about this restaurant is that it opens early, before the parks does, so you can enjoy an early breakfast and then be in the park before everyone else; and in our experience, there seem to be a lot of characters out and about when the gates first open for the day!
Rope Drop-As we've already said, we have found an abundance of characters at the start of the day, as opposed to later on. For example, we have found princesses and the Fairy Godmother in Fantasyland, Toy Story characters in Frontierland, and even Country Bears wandering around Splash Mountain soon after rope drop! If you are going to wait in line for characters, this time of day may be best due to cool temperatures and short lines!
Pixar Place-The Pixar themed section of Hollywood Studios, home of the popular Toy Story Midway Mania, is crowded almost all of the time; but this is where you can find the Green Army men roaming about! Since we are big fans and we probably won't find them anywhere else, this spot is on our list; and because they come through this area so often, we usually have a good chance of getting a photo with them!
Magic of Disney Animation-This Hollywood Studios attraction features a short show explaining the animation process before taking guests into a large open area offering a replica of Walt's office, posters for upcoming Disney films, interactive game stations, an art class, and lastly several character meet n' greet areas! In the past, we have encountered Sorcerer Mickey, the Incredibles, and usually a Disney character promoting one of Disney's latest films, such as the gang from Up or Winnie the Pooh. Why is it one of our favorite spots? Because it offers several different characters in one location with seating, air conditioning, and tolerable crowds. I have even seen people curl up one of the plush benches and catch a few winks, much better than standing outside in the sun, right?
So these are some of our favorite places to meet Disney characters! What are some of yours?
the Crystal Palace, located inside the Magic Kingdom between Main Street U.S.A. and Adventureland. This restaurant offers American fare in a beautiful, white and glass Victorian style restaurant featuring visits from Winnie the Pooh and gang! What's really great about this restaurant is that it opens early, before the parks does, so you can enjoy an early breakfast and then be in the park before everyone else; and in our experience, there seem to be a lot of characters out and about when the gates first open for the day!
Rope Drop-As we've already said, we have found an abundance of characters at the start of the day, as opposed to later on. For example, we have found princesses and the Fairy Godmother in Fantasyland, Toy Story characters in Frontierland, and even Country Bears wandering around Splash Mountain soon after rope drop! If you are going to wait in line for characters, this time of day may be best due to cool temperatures and short lines!
Pixar Place-The Pixar themed section of Hollywood Studios, home of the popular Toy Story Midway Mania, is crowded almost all of the time; but this is where you can find the Green Army men roaming about! Since we are big fans and we probably won't find them anywhere else, this spot is on our list; and because they come through this area so often, we usually have a good chance of getting a photo with them!
Magic of Disney Animation-This Hollywood Studios attraction features a short show explaining the animation process before taking guests into a large open area offering a replica of Walt's office, posters for upcoming Disney films, interactive game stations, an art class, and lastly several character meet n' greet areas! In the past, we have encountered Sorcerer Mickey, the Incredibles, and usually a Disney character promoting one of Disney's latest films, such as the gang from Up or Winnie the Pooh. Why is it one of our favorite spots? Because it offers several different characters in one location with seating, air conditioning, and tolerable crowds. I have even seen people curl up one of the plush benches and catch a few winks, much better than standing outside in the sun, right?
So these are some of our favorite places to meet Disney characters! What are some of yours?
"Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop
is Your Highway in the Sky ."
Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail Loop should you happen to have to
make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ A Glass Slipper Vacation (you're here)
2nd Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky
3rd Stop ~ Focused on the Magic
4th Stop ~ Heidi’s Head
Final Stop ~ Disney on Wheels
is Your Highway in the Sky ."
Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail Loop should you happen to have to
make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ A Glass Slipper Vacation (you're here)
2nd Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky
3rd Stop ~ Focused on the Magic
4th Stop ~ Heidi’s Head
Final Stop ~ Disney on Wheels
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