Disneyland and California Adventure are magical places, but what makes them even more special are the characters who come to life and interact with you. Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters can be seen around both parks. There is something extra spectacular about being at the Happiest Place on Earth and seeing your favorite characters. Guests of all ages will enjoy special moments with their favorite Disney Pals.
All day long, characters can be found wandering around the parks as well as in designated areas for photo ops. Check out the Disneyland app to see the times and places where the characters will be through the day.
To find where characters will be on the app follow these steps:
Open your Disneyland app on your smartphone.
Go to the pin drop.
From the drop down menu at the top of the map, select characters.
This will show you on the map where the characters will be.
If you select “show list” on the right side of the page, you will see
all of the characters for both parks.
Clicking on a character will tell you when and where that
character will be during that day.
Make sure to check out the times and make a plan of when you would like to see your favorite characters. The lines for the characters can get long and each one is only out for a short amount of time. Try to get to the area a few minutes before the character is scheduled so you can get in line. There will usually be a cast member telling people where to line up for the meeting. One of the characters whose line has been filling up before she has arrived is Mirabel from Encanto. She is a very popular character, so if you are wanting to meet her, plan to hang out in the area she will be for a while before her scheduled time.
At some of the set meetings with the characters, a Disney Photographer will be there to take your photo with them. This is a really fun way to remember your trip. With purchasing the Disney PhotoPass you will gain access to these character photos. Also, you usually will be able to take a photo with your own phone or camera. I have had the cast member that is with the character take my photo with my own device.
Other characters don’t have designated times and places and will just be walking around the parks. The characters will stop, talk, play and take photos with you as they are walking. Sometimes you will even see characters riding rides. Mary Poppins and Bert have been seen riding King Arthur’s Carousel in Fantasyland on many occasions. Two of my favorite characters to see walking around are Alice and The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. They are very funny and playful. These two will joke around and chat with you. Sometimes The Mad Hatter even will pull out cloth tea cups and have a little pretend tea party with you. They always make me smile and laugh when I see them.
Another thing you can do with the characters is get their autograph. At the shops around Disneyland and California Adventure and at The World of Disney at Downtown Disney, you are able to purchase autograph books. They have many different designs to choose from. I have a couple from when I was a child with the princesses on them. They also have some with Mickey and ones with other characters. When you meet a character, you can have them sign a page in your book. This is a great memento for all ages. As with most activities at Disneyland, adults are more than welcome to use the autograph books as well as kiddos. With the autograph book, you will be able to remember which characters you met on this trip.
All of the character meeting experiences that we have talked about so far are free around the park, apart from having to pay for the professional photos taken by Disney Photographers. The next experience we are going to talk about are Character Dinings. At various restaurant locations, both in the parks and at the hotels, Character Dinings are offered. The restaurants in the Disneyland Resort with Character Dinings are Plaza Inn, Storytellers Cafe, Napa Rose, and Goofy’s Kitchen. At these special experiences you get to eat a meal and meet characters. At most of the Character Dinings, the price is fixed. Meaning you pay the same for each person no matter what you eat. During these magical dining experiences, the characters will be walking around to all the tables to interact with you. When the characters come over to your table, you will be able to chat with them, take photos, and get autographs. These dining experiences are a great way for you to meet a lot of your favorite characters in one place.
As you can see, there are many different ways for you to fulfill your wish of meeting your favorite characters. Following these tips will help you find your favorite Disney Pals and have the best experience meeting them.
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