Learn from my experiences! Here are 7 mistakes not to make when meeting characters:
Not meeting a face character first – Face characters are ones that show their face in their costume. This includes the princesses, Peter Pan, Tarzan, etc. If your child is timid, meeting a face character first can help them become more comfortable and avoid meltdowns when they meet fully costumed characters (Mickey, Goofy, etc.).
Not counting the families in line – When you meet a character, the entire family goes up to greet and interact with them. Don’t worry about how many people are in the line, count the families. I avoid getting in lines that have 15 or more families.
Not looking for the Cast Member – Every character meet has a Cast Member handler. They are usually dressed in blue shirts. If you see a Cast Member standing at the end of the character line (where you would enter the line), it means the character’s line is closed. You may ask this Cast Member when the next meet and greet will take place, but they will not allow you into the line.
Not asking when the character’s next break will be – Due to the Florida heat, the characters take frequent breaks. Ask the Cast Member when their next snack break will be. These breaks can take up to 5 minutes and it can dramatically affect your wait time. Keep in mind that you could get up to the front of the line and have to wait for the character to go eat their snack. Make sure that you prepare your children for the possibility.
Not being prepared – For the meet and greet, you will need to have your autograph book opened to the page you would like signed. You will also need to have a pen/marker if possible (if you don’t, the Character Handler usually has one). You also need to have your camera ready and either your MagicBand or your MemoryMaker card ready to capture the memories.
Not making a video – Character interactions are so much fun to watch. I try to have my husband film my children while I take pictures. So many funny moments will happen while your child interacts with the character.
Not talking with your child ahead of time – Before a meet and greet, go over the basic procedure and rules with your child. Let them know that first the character will sign their autograph book and then they will pose for pictures and hugs. Remind them not to pull or tug on the character.
Learn more about planning your Walt Disney World vacation. Plus overwhelmed with all the planning? Destinations in Florida can help you plan your perfect trip.
April says
My son has special needs and is terrified of face characters. He likes Tinkerbell in movies but will NOT meet her in the parks. He is obsessed with Mickey and the gang and will see them every single time and greet them as his best friends.
Sarah says
My daughter is very uncomfortable with the face characters. She wants to see them and then freezes right up. As someone who always needs time to warm up to strangers and has a healthy dose of “stranger danger” this doesn’t surprise me at all. Costume characters…she LOOOVES them. Hugs and interactions and excitement all around.
Ashley says
I’m would say not preparing your kids for the size of these characters should be added to the list. Kids are used to seeing them on tv and then suddenly they are as big or bigger than Mom and Dad. To get our kids used to this we went to Chuck E Cheese right before to see how our kids reacted. Then we constantly reminded them that Mickey and gang would be as big as Chuck E was. Worked great. We got great pictures while my sister’s kids hid. Another not to do is not talking to the handlers. They are trained to help with nervous kids. Tell them and the characters that your child is a little nervous and the characters tone down their movements quite a bit until the child feels more comfortable.
Nicole says
I would say also remind your children to be gentle and not plow into the characters from a running start. My 4 year old at the time ran to woody and safari mickey and knocked them both over so I had to remind him to be gentle constantly.
Kristin of Couponing to Disney says
Good suggestion!