Most of us have a favorite character. We have discussed strategies for seeing characters in general but sometimes the best general strategy is not the best strategy for a specific character. We asked the Parenting Panel: Who are your favorite characters and where do you find them at the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort? Read on to find answers from both coasts:
Chris, also known as GusMan, is always planning his next family trip to WDW and loves to help others plan their trips as well through sharing his experiences. Chris writes:
When I think about my first trip to Walt Disney World as a kid, all I wanted to do is to see Mickey. I don’t think anything else mattered except seeing the Big Cheese himself. Mickey always was and probably always will be my favorite character. I realized this when I returned as an adult: Again, the first thing I wanted to do was to see Mickey.
Over the past several trips, I still make seeing Mickey a priority, but a new twist started to become apparent. While the main mouse is well known for his red shorts, yellow shoes and bow tie, I noticed that he has a bigger wardrobe than once thought. Between seeing him near Mission: Space dressed up as an astronaut, to seeing him in farmer garb at Epcot's Garden Grill, or even in beach garb at Disney's Beach Club Resort's Cape May Cafe during breakfast—this is a mouse that can dress for every occasion. It brings up a good point that the characters do have different outfits to go along with their surroundings. Even the most classic character becomes sought after once he or she changes clothes.
My wife’s favorite character is Minnie and, much like me, she loves to see her in her favorite outfits. From Minnie in her traditional red and white polka-dot outfit at the Character Spot to her safari garb at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park, if my wife sees her in a new outfit, it is considered time for a picture break. However, I think the best encounter with Minnie was at the character meet for Disney Visa cardholders. While this event happens daily in Innoventions West, and the characters do change on a regular basis, this one time my wife lucked out and had what seemed to be a three-minute conversation about her dress, shopping and makeup. Sure, this seemed somewhat silly for a moment, but the interaction was so genuine between the two of them it could not be beat.
My daughter’s favorite character is Goofy. From her backward-running Goofy watch, to the antenna topper on her car, she almost never passes up a photo-op with him. Like my wife, she tends to seek out Goofy in his different outfits. But I think that her favorite place to see him is at Chef Mickey’s at Disney's Contemporary Resort because of his chef’s outfit. However, I will say that I do think that her best experience meeting Goofy happened at Disney's Hollywood Studios during a rainy day. We got to see Goofy at the animation studio and, like usual, my daughter was dressed up in her best Goofy shirt and hat. When Goofy saw her, he got down on his knee and proposed to my daughter. The PhotoPass photographer was great and caught many great shots of this happy moment. It really made her day and we still laugh about that. It somewhat shows that sometimes the best character interaction happens when you least expect it.
My son, who seems to have a different favorite character every trip, does have a consistent favorite in Pluto. I think this is somewhat neat because Pluto is one of those minor characters that somewhat gets overshadowed by Mickey and the rest of the major characters. However, this is another example of where the Disney Character meet has come through. While the characters are subject to change, Pluto has been there every time. And because the meet is somewhat private and not all that rushed, the interaction between my son and Pluto has always created great memories and a huge smile on his face.
While my family and I tend to like the more well-known characters, there was a time where we would stop for a picture and autograph with any character in our path. There was even a time where we got autographs from characters that we did not know or did not recognize at first. But it did not matter, because we were meeting these people who have a place among the Disney family. We also had our time seeking out all the Princess characters and it took us more than three years to find Daisy—on the Disney Wonder of all places. In essence, while we have our favorite places to meet our favorite characters, sometimes the quest of finding them is half the fun.
MousePlanet columnist Chris Barry his wife Diane, 11-year-old Samantha, and twin 8-year-olds, Casey and Alex, live on Long Island and are all major Disney and Walt Disney World fans. Chris writes:
It’s hard to beat the experience of seeing your child interact with the Disney characters, especially when they’re young. Those characters are real to them in every way. They completely believe and buy into the whole thing and it’s really magic to watch. As with everything else involved with a trip to Walt Disney World, a little knowledge and some planning can go a long way towards maximizing that magic character time.
Gone are the days where Mickey and his pals are wandering the parks and you could genuinely “run into” them at random. It’s easy to figure out where and when your child’s favorites (or yours, for that matter) are available in the parks and in the restaurants. Check the Times Guide, check the websites before you go. You can even ask the “character wranglers” in the parks and they can help you.
As far as my family goes, the twin 8-year-olds have always had a particular preference. Each one has had a stuffed animal that they have slept with since they were infants. You know exactly what I mean, the ones that are practically worn through and impossible to get clean anymore. One has Pooh and one has Goofy. So they have always preferred meeting those respective characters. Pooh has always been easy. We always start our first morning off at Walt Disney World with breakfast at The Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom. Casey has always gotten to meet that silly old bear on his first morning. So, I’d have to say that this Magic Kingdom restaurant is the best place to meet Pooh.
Alex and Goofy, on the other hand, is not always such a guarantee. Goofy can be found at Chef Mickey’s, the Cape May Cafe and also at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom, but we don’t always book those restaurants. As a matter of fact, Alex complained while we were planning our upcoming trip that, “We always eat with Pooh and never with Goofy and that’s not fair.” He was right, so we have a breakfast at Tusker House booked this time around. Otherwise, the line for Goofy in the Epcot Character Spot is usually pretty long. Once we got lucky and met Goofy and Max back by The Barnstormer in Toontown, but that’s not too common. Probably the best place to meet Goofy is the Greeting Trails in Camp Minnie Mickey at Animal Kingdom. He usually has his own gazebo/hut sort of thing. He has a different outfit than his usual vest/shirt/pants combo and our interactions there have always been fun.
My daughter has gone through her phases with characters. She was way into the princesses when she was younger and that was always a priority. We’ve met them everywhere, in Cinderella’s Castle, in the Magic Kingdom Town Square (not too common lately) in Norway’s Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, in Toontown and pretty much wherever and whenever we could find them back then. Now, at 12, the princesses aren’t too high on her list anymore. Now her goal, considering how often she’s been there, is to take a picture with a rare character, one that you just don’t get to see that often. For example, last summer we spotted Marie from The Aristocats in The Magic Kingdom, certainly not too typical. Over the years she’s met some atypical characters like Uncle Scrooge in Animal Kingdom, Launchpad McQuack in Magic Kingdom and even Clarice, Chip and Dale’s “love interest” at Disney's Hollywood Studios. This goal is hit or miss though, which makes it all the more exciting when you actually do find one.
My wife’s favorite character is Tinker Bell. However, being the purist that she is, she doesn’t buy into the “life size” Tink. Tinker Bell is supposed to be tiny and she’s not giving into this new fangled grown-up Tink business. I’m all with her on this one, but considering she reminds me of Tink given the blonde locks and that fierce attitude, I would love a picture of the two of them together. Maybe this summer we can drag her in to meet the Fairies wherever they’ve moved them to.
I’m easy to please when it comes to characters. I like them all really, but if I had to choose one, it would be Sorcerer Mickey at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The line is usually long in the Animation Building to meet him, but, to me, it’s the most iconic image of Mickey and that’s the one that I want my picture with. I’m also a sucker for Br'er Rabbit, but I’ve never been able to find him, and Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear, while pretty cool, just don’t cut it with me. I need the rabbit, but apparently my best shot to get a picture of him is in Disneyland Paris, but that’s not happening anytime soon ….hmmmmm …or is it? Sounds like a quest to me, doesn’t it?
Sivje Parish and her husband live in Northern California with their daughters India, 18 and Ahnalin, 5. They visit Disneyland frequently. Sijve writes:
My children love meeting all the characters when we visit Disneyland. But Alice is their favorite, with the Mad Hatter close behind. We have found that we have been able to meet them several times right in Fantasyland. They often walk around the classic rides during the day. They also both love Mary Poppins and Bert, and have seen them several times in Fantasyland and on Main Street, U.S.A.
Ahnalin and big sister India love Alice and the Mad Hatter. Photo by Sivje Parish.We don’t really have an actual strategy for meeting characters, but I have learned a few tricks over the years that have been helpful to us.
While the Princess Fantasy Faire does provide a free place to visit with the princesses, we have never wanted to wait in the long line for just a short visit. We budget for the Princess meal at Ariel’s Grotto at Disney California Adventure Park and look forward to our princess time as a major highlight of our Disney trip. The encounters with the princesses are more relaxed and we are not standing in the hot sun waiting for them. And the food is good, too. So, for us, the added expense was worth it.
We also enjoy playing with the characters at Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel and at Storyteller's Cafe at Disney's Grand Californian Resort and Spa. In Goofy’s Kitchen, my girls have even gotten to dance with Minnie! Ahnalin’s first encounter with a Disney character was Chip at Storyteller's when she was just 16 months old. She was shy but he was so gentle. It was very relaxed and fun.
The best places to see the classic characters are in Mickey’s Toontown and in the square at the entrance to Main Street, U.S.A. In the mornings, right after opening, there are usually several of the classic characters right around the flagpole and on the sidewalk in front of the Disney Gallery. We have gotten many autographs and photos there. And for us, the best place to see Mickey is at his studio in Toontown. There is a bit of a wait sometimes, but it is cool and he really makes each guest feel special.
We found out that we can always ask at Town Hall on Main Street and the cast member will know if and when a certain character will be in the park for meetings. You can also ask at Guest Relations and at the Sunshine Station in Disney California Adventure. When Ahnalin was younger, she really wanted to meet Mulan. So we asked at Guest Services when she would be in the park. They told us the approximate time and place and we were able to see when she arrived and got in line quickly for time with her.
Both of my girls really wanted to meet Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. There is a special place to meet them in Fantasyland, between Pinocchio’s Daring Journey and the Village Haus restaurant. The line does get long, so it is best to get in line as soon as you get to the park. But make sure you ask Flynn to see the tiara—he has it in his satchel!
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