Autographs @ Disney World & Tips On How To Get Certain Characters

If you have been following this blog, or even if you have a pulse, you realize that Disney World is a magical place. It is a place where adults can feel like children and children can feel like royalty. The park just seems to be a cut above. Everything about the park and the experience involved with it is special. Part of that special experience for children often involves character interactions and autographs. Getting the characters to acknowledge them is magical for the children. The character taking time to sign is incredibly spectacular for the kids.

I was not sure my oldest son would be able to appreciate autographs yet, so we were planning on holding off on them. Boy was I wrong. We started an allowance system with him shortly before we got passes again. The 1st thing that he bought with his own $$$$ was.....a character autograph book. He loves that book and adores getting signatures. He also has/had a very specific pattern he wanted to get their signatures in Mickey Mouse, then Goofy, and so on....we try to cross a few off each time so that he can enjoy these interactions and make it a point of emphasis before we go. So I thought we wouldshare some of those tips with our readers......

Tips for autographs and where characters currently are in the parks

Aladdin

Aladdin meets @ Frontier Land in Magic Kingdom and in Morocco @ Epcot
I have never been to either meet as my children aren't that into Aladdin, but maybe someday soon. I have not seen long lines for Aladdin during any visit. I know that Aladdin meets with Abu during the Not So Scary Halloween Party and Very Merry Christmas Parties. If we do one of those, we might try to meet Aladdin.

Alice

Alice meets @ Mad Tea Party Early in the Morning
By noon Alice is gone so go in the morning to meet her. She also meets @ 1900 Park Fare Character Breakfast. Haven't meet Alice yet, but we will be doing the character breakfast in the next year and can give an update at that point.

Anna and Elsa

Meet @ The Frozen Section in the Norway Pavilion @ Epcot
Lines will be extremely long. Book Fastpass+ if available.

Army Men

Meet Outside Toy Story Mania! @ Hollywood Studios
Expect Little to No Wait!

Baloo

Meets @ Upcountry Landing @ Animal Kingdom
Expect a wait between 5-20 min. One of our favorite meet and greets

Bolt
Meets near the Great Movie Ride @ Hollywood Studios
This is a newer meet and greet, but lines aren't too bad. Not sure why Bolt is meeting of all characters, seems like a waste of a meet to me....

Baymax
Meets @ Character Spot West in Epcot
Does not Sign

Buzz Lightyear
Meets next to Buzz Lightyear Ride in Tomorrowland of Magic Kingdom
Great meet with waits typically under 20 min.
Also Meets w/ Woody Across From Toy Story Mania!
A meet that is always packed and I haven't seen less than 30 min
Note: Buzz Lightyear stamps and does not sign

Chewbacca
Meets @ Star Wars Launch Bay @ Hollywood Studios
I have typically seen wait times around 20 minutes when I have been

Chip n' Dale

Meet in all 4 parks
In Tomorrow @ MK
At Rafiki Planet Watch @ AK
Great Movie Ride @ HS
Land Pavilion @ Epcot
Also Features in Several Character Breakfasts
None of the lines are too long
I personally prefer the Animal Kingdom meet and the Magic Kingdom meet
We had no wait @ Magic Kingdom last time!

Daisy Duck
Meets in all 4 Parks
Meets @ AK Character Breakfast
Character Landing @ AK
Pete's Silly Sideshow @ MK
World Showcase Pavilion @ Epcot
Great Movie Ride CY @ HS

Doc McStuffins
Meets in Disney Jr. Courtyard @ Hollywood Studios
Lines are not long

Donald Duck
Meets in All 4 Parks
Pete's Silly Sideshow @ MK
Cretaceous Trail @ AK
Great Movie Ride @ HS
Mexico Pavilion @ Epcot
Also Meets @ Several Character Breakfasts
Some of the lines get long, but nothing too bad typically.
We prefer the Mexican Pavilion or a character breakfast.

Doug and Russell
Meet in Animal Kingdom
We don't like Up so we skip this meet and are unsure of lines.

Eeyore
Only available for meet @ Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom.
Also available @ Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Very Merry Christmas Party

Flik
Started this year meeting across from Discovery Trail in Animal Kingdom
We have yet to participate in this meet, but will at some point in the future. Lines aren't long.

Gaston
Meets near Gaston's Tavern in Magic Kingdom
Lines vary throughout the day. However, they have gotten long and we have been turned away before because they are too long.

Goofy
Meets in All 4 Parks
Dinoland USA @ AK
Pete's Silly Sideshow @ MK
Movie Ride CY @ HS
Character Spot @ Epcot
Character Spot is longest wait time, but is short early in morning. Others are not bad waits.
Also meets @ Several Character Breakfasts

Jack Skellington
Meets @ Halloween & Christmas Parties
This is one of the most popular meets @ those parties

Jake
Meets in Disney Jr. Courtyard @ Hollywood Studios
Lines are not long
Also appears @ Hollywood and Vine Character Dining

Jasmine
Jasmine meets @ Frontier Land in Magic Kingdom and in Morocco @ Epcot
I have never been to either meet as my children aren't that into Aladdin, but maybe someday soon. I have not seen long lines for Jasmine during any visit. I know that Jasmine meets with Genie during the Not So Scary Halloween Party and Very Merry Christmas Parties. If we do one of those, we might try to meet Aladdin and/or Jasmine.
Jasmine also appears at Cinderella's Royal Table Character Dining and Akershus Character Dining

Jessie
Appears w/ Woody in Frontierland in Magic Kingdom
Lines can get long best to arrive just before 10am when their 1st set starts

Jiminy Cricket
Appears @  Animal Kingdom for Earth Day

Joy and Sadness
The Inside Out characters meet @ Character Spot West near Baymax
Lines can get long, but are short early in the day

King Louie
Meets @ Upcountry Landing @ Animal Kingdom
Expect a wait between 5-20 min. One of our favorite meet and greets
King Louie does not sign autographs, but there are rumors that Baloo does sign

Kylo Ren
Meets @ Star Wars Launch Bay in Hollywood Studios
Personally not a fan of this character, but the times I have seen posted are <30 min

Lilo
Meets @ The Great Movie Ride CY in Hollywood Studios
Also Meets @ Ohana Character Breakfast
Both meets are fantastic and I'd recommend them. I would assume the HS meet is short term, but Ohana will likely stay.

Mad Hatter

Mad Hatter meets @ Mad Tea Party Early in the Morning
By noon Mad Hatter is gone so go in the morning to meet him. He also meets @ 1900 Park Fare Character Breakfast. Haven't meet Hatter yet, but we will be doing the character breakfast in the next year and can give an update at that point.

Mary Poppins
Meets @ Magic Kingdom Fireworks Viewing Plaza

Also Appears @ 1900 Park Fare Character Breakfast
Again with boys typically skip this

Max

Not a regular meet, but often seen @ Hollywood Studios in the Summer Time

Mickey Mouse
Meets @ All 4 Parks with Fastpass+ Available for most
I'd recommend getting the Fastpass for most meets. Talking MM appears only @ Magic Kingdom. However, he does not always talk. Still, I'd recommend possibly meeting him @ Magic or Epcot depending on line. Hollywood Studios is the only park that does not offer Fastpass to meet Mickey, but the line is typically pretty short. Epcot is a short wait in the morning and Goofy and Minnie are right next to him at this meet.
Also appears at many character breakfasts.

Minnie Mouse
Meets @ All 4 Parks
I'd recommend Epcot meet, but Magic Kingdom meet has a short line
Mickey and Minnie are also typically available at the Disney Visa Special Meet @ Epcot.
Character Breakfast Opportunities also available.
The most chances to meet any characters are the mouses and Pluto.
Here my son is w/ main four @ Epcot. This is where he got these 4 to sign!

Olaf
Meets in Hollywood Studios
I'd assume the lines are long, but he started meeting this summer and we haven't been

Peter Pan

Meets in Magic Kingdom by his ride
Lines are long!!!!

Piglet
Appears @ Crystal Palace Character Breakfast
Occasionally appears @ 1900 Park Fare
Occasionally Appears @ Pooh's Thotful Spot

Pluto
Meets @ All 4 Parks
Longest wait is Main Street Flagpole in Magic Kingdom. Shortest Wait is typically Dinoland  USA in Animal Kingdom with Goofy.
Also appears at just about every character breakfast.
Pro Tip: Pluto cant see past his nose and has to sign close up to his eyes. Be careful when handing him the pen/marker. He marked up a page in Jr.'s book accidently.

Pocahontas
Appears @ Discovery Island in Animal Kingdom
Typically a fairly short wait

Princesses

There are two princess character dining experiences, Cinderella's Royal Table in Magic Kingdom and Akersaus in the Norway Pavilion @ Epcot
There is also a Princess Fairytale Hall meet with Fastpass+ in Magic Kingdom

Rafiki
Jr.'s favorite person to meet thus far
Meets @ Rafiki's Planet Watch in Animal Kingdom
Meets in Frontierland in Magic Kingdom
Expect short lines in Magic Kingdom

 Hugs

 More Hugs

 w/ Rafiki

 Posing

The Autograph

Scrooge McDuck

Uncle Scrooge appears with Donald @ the Christmas Party

Stitch

Appears @ Magic Kingdom Flag Pole (Long Wait)
Appears in Great Movie Ride CY (Unknown Wait, Temp Spot)
Appears @ Ohana Character Breakfast (Great Opportunity)

Tarzan

Meets in Animal Kingdom

Tigger

Meets @ Pooh's Thotful Spot (lines can get long)
Meets @ Crystal Palace Character Dining
Meets @ 1900 Park Fare Character Dining

Tigger w/ mommy and Eli

Winnie the Pooh

Meets @ Pooh's Thotful Spot (lines can get long)
Meets @ Crystal Palace Character Dining
Meets @ 1900 Park Fare Character Dining

Eli meeting his favorite w/ mommy

Woody
Meets w/ Jessie in Frontierland @ Magic Kingdom
Meets w/ Buzz @ Hollywood Studios Across from Toy Story Mania!
Lines can get long for both meets. Especially @ Hollywood Studios. I hope they offer Fastpass+ for the HS meet soon!

More Opportunities
There are random character meets at Hollywood Studios (called Character Palooza) and Epcot (called Training Meets). Locations and times are unknown, but hopefully you can run into these. They are super neat.

-Noland

The Top 101 Disney Characters of All-Time (20-11)

The countdown is officially at the top 20 and everyone should be able to guess at least who is in the Top 10 after today. This is the crazy portion of the countdown where you can argue top 5 status for pretty much every character. It would be a failed argument, but you could argue the status. Let's do a quick recap of the first 81 of the countdown before we begin...

101-91

90-81

80-71
70-61

60-51
50-41

40-31

30-21

20. Flounder

If my mom were making this list, I think Flounder would be #2. He would be in many people's top tens, but if you averaged it out, I think he'd be right here at #20. He is the perfect person to start out the top 20 of this countdown. Flounder is not actually a Flounder though. However, he is Ariel's best friend and an awesome addition to The Little Mermaid movie.

19. Dory

When you really think about it, the most memorable character from Finding Nemo isn't Nemo, his dad, or the awesome turtle Crush. The most memorable character is the character that forgets everything. That Blue Tang that tells you to "just keep swimming." Dory is one that everyone knows and loves. It is the biggest reason that they are coming out with a Finding Dory movie in the near future. Ellen DeGeneres was perfect for this lovasble character and her fans would tell you that Dory is a top 5 character. She is a great fit for #19.

18. Rafiki

Rafiki is many people's top character from The Lion King. He also is the character star of Disney's Animal Kingdom. This guy could easily be a top 10 or even top 5 character. However, I think he is perfect here at #18 as the 4th most vital character from The Lion King. This guy is huge in the Disney Universe and I am one of the many millions that are big Rafiki fans. He is a perfect example of why this list is so tough because you would think this guy is a Top 10 character, but look at what is to come here on the countdown.

17. Daisy Duck

Daisy Duck is Donald's female companion and one of Disney's main characters. She is one of the 6 characters that is a regular on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Unfortunately for her, she is the only speaking character of that group outside the Top 10. Throughout Disney history, she just does not play as vital a role as the main 4 characters. In fact, several have Pluto ranked higher than Daisy. Now, Daisy should be ranked here at #17, but she isn't as good as the 16 characters that are about to come.

16. Sebastian

Sebastian is the most popular character from The Little Mermaid that isn't named Ariel. This crab is a beloved Disney character that is the genius behind two of the best songs of the movie. He looks out for Ariel and wants what is best for her. Sebastian also happens to be who King Triton trusts the most with his daughter. This crab is deserving of his top 20 spot.

15. Dumbo

Dumbo the flying elephant is the perfect person to start the Top 15 with. While his movie is not as popular as some other Disney classics, Dumbo is. His ride at Walt Disney World was so popular and crowded that they re-themed it with a second set of flying elephants. It also happens to be the most iconic Disney ride in my opinion. This is the ride people think about when they think of Disney World. They want to ride the Dumbo ride. That alone has to give him a huge bump in the rankings. Add in that he is one of the most beloved characters in the Disney Universe and he fits in at #15.

14. Jiminy Cricket

Jiminy Cricket is the unofficial Disney mascot. He is Pinocchio's conscience and good friend. This guy also hosted the majority of the Disney Sing-A-Long Songs. Jiminy is a top 10 worthy character and he got strong consideration for that, but just missed. In the end, he just didn't have the same appeal as the other top characters. If he were to appear in the park some more or get use in another movie soon, he could find himself back in the Top 10. For now, Disney's most important insect will have to settle for #14.

13. Woody

Woody is Andy's favorite toy from the start, at least he is until replaced by a better character to come soon. He is one of the two main characters of the series and many people would argue the best. However, more people would argue that he is #2. It is an interesting debate whether you are on Team Woody or Team Buzz. Either side can agree though that both characters belong in the Top 20.

12. Buzz Lightyear

Why is Buzz better than Woody? There are many reasons, but I will use just two. Buzz got his own cartoon and his own ride at Walt Disney World. Buzz also literally carries Woody in the movies too as pictured above. He is the coolest character from Toy Story and should be the highest from those movies on the list. Having his own cartoon and own ride are just icing on the cake. Finally, Tim Allen >>>>>>>>Tom Hanks.

11. Simba

Simba just can't wait to be king, but he'll have to wait for the Top 10 reveal, because he just missed it. Honestly, this was one of the hardest for me because I could have Simba as high as #2 because of the importance of the Lion King movie. However, eventhough he is the main character in the movie, there are two characters from that movie that have had a more lasting impact on the Disney Universe. Like I said The Lion King is all about how you want to rank them because there are so many good characters.

-Noland