One of the highlights of any Disney trip is getting character autographs! It’s a fun way to interact with characters and they provide great souvenirs for your trip. And don’t think this activity is saved just for the kiddos—I’ve been known a time or two to get autographs for myself to highlight special moments.
How to Get Character Autographs
Character Meet & Greets
All four parks have plenty of character meet & greet opportunities for guests. These meet & greets are held in certain areas at various times throughout the day. Information on the specific characters, where to find them, and when can be found in the My Disney Experience App.
Open the app and click the Location icon at the bottom of your screen. From the drop-down menu at the top, select Characters, then select the Show List link to the right of that. When you click on a character, it will display where the meet & greet is as well as the times the character will be available.
Note that meet & greets can have long waits at times. It’s also possible that while you’re waiting in line, that particular character may need to take a quick break. These breaks are only a couple of minutes long, so no need to leave the line—just stay in place and the character will return shortly. There are also a few meet & greets that have Lightning Lanes available if you have purchased Genie+ for that day. These include:
Magic Kingdom
- Ariel at her Grotto
- Cinderella and a visiting princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Mickey at Town Square Theater
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
Character Meals
Another way to get character autographs is at character meals. During the meal, characters pass throughout the room stopping to take photos and give autographs at each table. This method obviously has a cost associated with it (cost of the meal) but alleviates waiting in line.
There are character meals throughout the parks, as well as at various resorts. Each restaurant will specify which meals the characters are available. Some include characters at breakfast only, some at dinner only, and some at all meals. This article provides helpful information on the various meals and characters. Below is a graphic also showing this information. Characters, meals and times are subject to change.
Special Events
Special Events in the parks also provide great opportunities for getting character autographs! These are typically separate-ticketed events so there is an additional cost involved. There may also be characters at these events that are harder to find in the parks. Examples include all seven dwarfs at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, as well as Jack Skellington and Sally. Because these characters aren’t normally in the parks, they usually have long lines—it’s best to get in line either at the very beginning of the special event or towards the end of the event.
What to Autograph
When seeking out character autographs, always make sure to be prepared! There are SO MANY options when it comes to items to be autographed. Some ideas include:
- Autograph book—these can be purchased throughout Walt Disney World or bring your own. They can be store bought or handmade.
- Index cards—some have opted to just bring index cards that will later be included in scrapbooks.
- Picture books—books such as The Junior Encyclopedia of Animated Characters offer a unique space for autographs! And offers an opportunity for a challenge as you try to fill the book with all the autographs!
- Race bibs—ok, runners—this one’s for you! If you participate in any of the runDisney events, have the character associated with the race sign your bib.
- Frying pans—yes—you read that right! Frying pans—or another unique artifact specifically tied to a character that’s easy to autograph. I heard a story of a guest who brought along a frying pan and a metallic pen to have Rapunzel autograph! Bottom line—get creative!
Also—be sure to come prepared with a writing instrument. Wider markers, like Sharpies, are good to bring along as they are easier for the characters to grip. Speaking of writing, it’s also important to note that some characters won’t be able to provide autographs. Examples include Olaf, Baymax, Star Wars characters, King Louie, and Mike and Sully from Monster’s Inc. You can still get a photo with them, though!
Autographs are such a great way to interact with characters, bring home unique souvenirs, create a challenge, and overall provide another spark of magic to kids and adults alike. Be sure to make them a part of your next trip! I’m happy to help you plan your next magical Disney vacation–or any destination–for your family, you and your friends, or maybe just a solo trip! Contact me through email at paige@themagicforless.com, or through Facebook.
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