Characters

Who doesn't love Disney characters? Unfortunately while we were living in Florida my family and I paid little attention to them. We always figured that getting pictures with the characters would be something that we would do "someday soon" but that day didn't come. Of course on Star Wars Weekends we would wait in line for pictures but the lines were long and it was easy to get cranky. The pictures with the Star Wars characters were worth the wait.

Star Wars Weekends 2012

On our recent visit back to Florida we found ourselves in the parks for longer periods of time than we would take while we lived there, so my daughter and I decided that we would make character photos a priority. I don't care if I'm {mumble mumble} years old, there is nothing like standing next to a beloved favorite and getting a one of a kind photo. We had a blast.

A great place to meet classic Disney characters

My favorite place for the pictures was at Epcot. The Epcot Character Spot is brilliant. Located near Innovations West, I've probably walked past it 50 times in the past. It's indoors, which is welcome any time of year. You stand in line at the beginning, we were there not too long after the park opened and the wait was only a few minutes. Once you get close to the characters you meet them quickly so there's really only one line that you need to stand in. The day that we were there we got to meet Mickey, Pluto, Minnie, Donald and Goofy. We had a blast.

Goofy

Epcot is also the only place at the moment where you can meet Duffy. I know that he's just a marketing tool but he's also pretty darn cute. Along World Showcase you can meet various princesses and other face characters such as Mary Poppins.

Duffy is adorable!

Have your camera ready when approaching the characters, it makes the line move faster. If you are into autographs (they're not just for kids!) have the book open on the correct page and also make sure that you have a large pen because it's easier for the characters to hold. Disney's PhotoPass is available with most characters so if that's an easier way to get the perfect shot take advantage of the service. If, like me, you have no intention of buying the pictures you can tell the photographer and he or she won't take it. The photographer or the character assistant will also be happy to snap the shot for you if you'd like so that everyone can get in the picture.

One of my all time favorites

Remember that there are character greetings all over the place. If the line is short take a minute of two and get that perfect shot. You just might end up with a new profile picture for Facebook!

There was no line! This was at the Magic Kingdom.

Wait Time Apps Part Two

I need to tell you how impressed I am with Disney Mobile Magic! It's totally different when you're inside the parks. I do wish that the information was available anywhere on Disney property, but that's not the case. As soon as you enter a park a new world of information is available to you. You can get current wait times and Fastpass times. That's great help when planning your next move. I love the fact that they list character locations and times, we got some great pictures because of that. I'm going to add some screen shots so you can see how useful it is.

Last Minute Packing

What a beautiful sight!

As I write this my family and I are getting ready to leave for Walt Disney World, we're leaving in a little over 12 hours. We don't fly because we travel with our dog, which is also why we don't stay on Disney property. We discovered that for us the easiest thing to do is to drive through the night, all three of us take turns driving while the other two sleep in the car and we trade off when the driver gets drowsy. I wouldn't recommend that to everyone but it does work for our situation.

Princess

Last minute packing is always a challenge for me. If you're flying into Orlando there are going to be several things that you will probably leave at home. If you're driving some of the decisions become more difficult.

The first thing that I will do is check to see what amenities the hotel has. I have a small coffee maker and I'll bring that with me unless there's coffee in the room. I'll also check for a hair dryer and if there isn't one I'll bring one of those. One thing that I keep packed in my suitcase is an extension cord, there are never enough plugs in a room, especially for three cell phones and two laptops. If I don't need it the cord doesn't take up much room.
 

Downtown Disney

There are things that we can get once we get there. If I forget the sunscreen we'll just head to Target. The same goes for shampoo (one bottle of hotel shampoo does not last for three people!) and other toiletries. If space is tight in the trunk we'll even buy dog food in Florida. Since we will arrive around noon and probably won't be able to get into the hotel we'll make a quick trip to the store. My husband will wait in the car with the dog with the windows open and our daughter and I will run in and pick up a few things. It's easier to buy them there than to be crowded into the car with them for 12 hours.