There are a lot of things I love about Disney Cruise Line, from the excellent food to the fun shows to the unique theming. One thing I’ve really enjoyed on Disney Cruise Line is how easy it is to meet characters. I only sometimes meet characters at the theme parks because, for the most part, we’re not willing to wait long enough or plan ahead enough for most characters. But, on a Disney Cruise, it’s often so easy to meet most characters that we tend to do a lot more of it. Here are 5 tips for how to easily meet lots of characters on Disney Cruise Line!
Check the Navigator: All the events for each day of your cruise are shown on the daily Navigator, which you can grab at y
our ship’s Guest Services desk – including characters, where they’ll meet, and how long they’ll be there. This allows you to plan all the activities for your day, and plan out which characters you’d like to meet.
Use the Navigator App: All of the schedule information that you’ll find in the paper Navigator is available in the free Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, which anyone can use at no extra cost with the ship’s WiFi. An extra perk of using the app to plan out which characters you’d like to meet is that you can bookmark character meets, and then view your own schedule of bookmarked activities. The app will also send you a notification reminder when an event you’ve bookmarked is about to start.
Make Reservations: There are a few character meets that require reservations in order to participate – for instance, a Princess Gathering meet with 3 Disney Princesses. Special seasonal events such as Star Wars Day at Sea and Marvel Day at Sea also offer advance reservations for some characters. Reservations for these can be made online ahead of time, or there may be some limited availability after you board the ship. These reserved meets only make up a small portion of the characters available to meet on board, so if you don’t get a reservation, there will still be lots of opportunities – but if you’d like to meet any of the characters that offer reservations, it’s best to make them as soon as possible.
Arrive Early: Waits for most characters typically aren’t overly long, but characters are only out for a limited amount of time, and guests are quick to line up once the character is out and meeting guests. The best way to cut down on any additional wait time is to arrive 10-15 minutes before they start meeting, and you’ll often be one of the first few people to meet them once they appear.
Costume Changes: You’ll see many of the same characters listed multiple times throughout the cruise, especially Mickey and friends, but one of our favorite things is that they all wear different costumes for different nights! You’ll see them in formal wear on formal night, in their pirate gear on pirate night, and in a variety of other costumes to reflect the destinations you’re visiting, or other events going on during your cruise. Keep checking back for photos with your favorites in different outfits.
Find out how the FREE services of a Disney World travel agent can make planning your Disney vacation simple and STRESS FREE!
I’m Elizabeth, and I’m a planner, a vacation enthusiast, and quite the nerd. Even better, I’m dedicated to helping you plan an unforgettable vacation without all the stress. I like to say that I specialize in nerd travel – to me, being a nerd has always meant being unashamedly passionate about the stories I love. This is why I love planning for my favorite destinations – these are places that can take you right into the world of your imagination and make it real. If you’re just a grown-up kid like me, you’ll love these destinations, too. Whether you’re imagining fairytale castles or adventures with wizards and dragons, I can help you make it happen! I’m putting all that I’ve learned about vacation planning and my nerdy love of fantasy to work for you, so that you can write your amazing vacation story. Visit my blog NerdTravelPro.com to learn more about how you can get help planning your next adventure, and come visit me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for even more vacation fun and tips. Contact me at elizabeth@theaffordablemouse.com to start planning.
Want to know when Disney announces special savings and deals? Sign Up to Learn About the Latest Disney Promotions!
Wondering about vacations beyond the “world of Disney”? Receive alerts on the latest travel deals for Universal Orlando Resort, Sandals/Beaches and select cruise lines!
