Tips about Characters, Magic Kingdom and Souvenirs

MAGIC KINGDOM - My family and I never knew about the "pre-show" done at the Magic Kingdom a few minutes prior to opening. We were anxiously waiting for the gates to open when we were surprised to see the Mayor of Main Street greeting everyone and tons of characters arriving via the Disney Railroad, including the Mouse himself who did a countdown and even had a lucky family sprinkle "Pixie Dust" on everyone! The best part, however, was when the gates did open we were right in front of the train station entrance when ALL of the characters came out, including Mickey and Minnie. We got some great photos and lots of autographs within our first 10 minutes in the park! It was a wonderful way to start our Magical Day! - Carol Holland

MAGIC KINGDOM - We found that one of the best times to meet characters is before the park opens. We had EARLY breakfast reservations at the Crystal Palace (before the Magic Kingdom opened). It was a pain to fight through the lines at the gates to get in for our reservation, but it was worth it. We found most of the characters were beginning to come out and we were able to visit with tons of them while we waited to be seated. We got family and individual pictures with Mickey and Minnie TOGETHER, and that's next to impossible. It was the highlight of our trip! - Suzanne Kadinger

MAGIC KINGDOM - The girls and I bought some glow in the dark nail polish and painted our nails and a glow stick and painted our faces. It was fun to glow in Haunted Mansion and on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. - Beth Ratliff

ALL PARKS - My husband and I pass the time waiting in lines by playing handheld Yahtzee. We take turns setting a score for one another to beat and keep track of who is ahead in wins. When one of us is 10 games ahead, the other person owes the winner a favor. We've been doing this for several vacations and it still helps to pass the time. Next time we plan to get a similar game for our kids. - Pam Lau

ALL PARKS - We all LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing the kids in costume (Belle, Cinderella, etc.). We try to make a big deal about it when we see them dressed up and, truthfully, it is fun seeing them think they have fooled the adults into believing they really *are* the characters they are portraying. If your child is a sticker collector, bring a special book for all the awesome stickers they can get at each of the parks and hotels. Most places have their own special stickers that they give the kids. In the Magic Kingdom there are at least 6 different ones the kids can get (and there are probably many more. The kids all love getting stickers, but by the end of the night most stickers have gotten wet or wrinkled up. Ask the Cast Member for an extra one for the child's book. Chances are they will be *more* than happy to give an extra one, just for the sticker book or for your scrapbook! - Tip from a Magical Magic Kingdom Cast Member

ALL PARKS - For those who have little ones who don't like the "line ride" at the beginning of most attractions or for those who hate waiting in queues themselves, spotting Hidden Mickey's is a wonderful diversion. We made small index card booklets listing all "confirmed" Hidden Mickey's in each park, organized by lands and attractions. They fit easily in a pocket or daypack and can be decorated with character stickers. We took the one for the park(s) we were in each day and looked for HM's in line or checked to see where we could find them once on the ride. An added benefit was getting to meet the numerous other guests who asked what we were reading and pointing at. This decreased the frustration of line-waiting even more. I think we made many other HM fans and also took the opportunity to mention ALL EARS® to them. Hopefully we helped (in a small way) your goal of making the 25,000 subscriber mark! - Gavin Adams

EDITOR'S NOTE:: To learn more about Hidden Mickey's, go to: http://allears.net/btp/hiddenm.htm

When my daughter was smaller and she really enjoyed reading Golden Books, we would bring them to Disney World with us and instead of having the characters sign an autograph book, we had them sign the front page of the book about themselves. We have Pocahontas, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Snow White, Cruella DeVil, Alice, Pooh, Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy... the list goes on and on. They always personalized it and wrote a little note to her rather than just signing their names. These are "forever" souvenirs that can even be passed onto her kids. The books with the special messages and signatures are a real keepsake from our trips to Disney. - Janet Sherby

We secured one of those D-ring keychain clips to the stroller handle with a Velcro strap. It was a handy place to hang all of our souvenir shopping bags that we would accumulate! - Jackie Beering

I was a lucky kid -- visited Disney three times before graduating high school... One of my favorite souvenirs from Disney is my sterling silver Doc charm. My sisters and I got silver charm bracelets while in elementary school, and whenever there was an "event" or trip we'd get a silver charm to commemorate it. I've since married and have three daughters of my own. The girls each have a silver charm bracelet and plan on adding another character charm for each of our visits to Disney. Who knows? Maybe someday we'll be adding charms to their daughters' bracelets! - Suzanne Vallillo

We just got back from Walt Disney World. What a week! After spending a lot of time waiting in autograph signing lines, we actually received a compliment from one of the characters -- Cinderella, I think. We had tied the pens on curling ribbon (another "must have" to tie around knapsacks and rental stroller handles, etc.) and attached them to the spiral wire of the autograph books. We were always ready when our turn came up and were never without a pen! Thanks so much for your other tips. It made our trip a lot less stressful since we were so prepared! - Leslie Sacks

Make sure you get doubles of pictures taken with characters. That way on your next trip to the "World", you can have the character autograph his or her picture with you in it! - Mmmgong

Just call 1-407-363-6200 -- WDW Merchandise Guest Services! You can order just about anything they sell at WDW! Holly

During our trip to WDW, we did several character meals. At first we would only use our cameras to take pictures after the characters signed the autograph books and were posing with the kids. But after the second meal we started snapping away as soon as the characters approached our table. We are so glad we did this because we captured a very funny sequence of events while at the Villains Dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian.

These candid shots tell a funny story, showing the playful interaction between my sons and the characters. After that, we started snapping away at all of the character meals, and now that we're back, we see that the candid shots usually gave us better pictures than the posed ones! So my tip is start taking pictures as soon as the characters approach your table and start interacting with your children. Of course you want the posed pictures, but the candid ones just might end up being your favorite memories of the meals! -Theresa Brown

(Editor's note: This is a great tip for character meet and greets in the parks also!)

A tip regarding preschoolers and autograph books: I highly recommend the use of autograph books, due to the fact that some young children don't like the idea of just going up to the characters to stand next to them for a photo. If they have a purpose, such as to get an autograph, the kids (at least my three) will walk up to a character, no problem. One big suggestion is to have a bunch of character stickers, either with you or back at the hotel. That way the preschoolers who can't read can identify the signatures -- plus what preschooler doesn't like putting stickers on anything? - Melanie comments

The characters love getting little gifts when greeting the children (pictures, etc.). Just make sure to write your name and address on the back. My daughter recently shared a picture of herself dressed up as a mermaid with Ariel, about a week later she received a nice thank you card from Ariel. It was a nice way for her to have part of the magic follow her home. I love the ALL EARS® newsletters, keep them coming. - SondraB in Fla.