Meeting Characters on a Disney Cruise

If you are anything like our family, we love to meet Disney characters when we visit the parks!  Did you know you can also meet a wide assortment of characters on a Disney Cruise?  Below are some of the many different ways you can meet and experience (because everything is an experience with Disney!) some of your favorite characters while sailing the high seas!

Morgan and her family meeting Daisy Duck.

Traditional Meet and Greets:
 
I call these traditional because they are more like what you would experience when meeting a character in the parks.  You stand in line, meet the character, get their autograph, and snap a picture!  However, Disney Cruise Line does it a little differently than the parks, and I actually like this difference better!  In you Personal Navigator, the onboard itinerary, or on your DCL app, all of the character meet and greet times will be listed.  You will also notice how long the character will be in that particular location for the greet.  For example, Pirate Mickey might be meeting by the staircase at 6:00 pm for 15 minutes.  Do not worry!  As long as you are in that line by 6:15, you get to meet Pirate Mickey!
 
Tip: The lines for the characters get progressively longer as the cruise goes on and are extremely long by the last day!  See the characters early in the cruise if you can!
 
Ticketed Events:
 
On the DCL there are certain character meet and greets that require a ticket.  Again, do not worry!  The tickets are free!  They are more like fastpasses than tickets.  It just helps keep the lines at manageable lengths for the cast members.  The two biggest ticket greets are the Frozen Meet and Greet and the Princess Meet and Greet.  The Frozen Meet and Greet lets you meet both Anna and Elsa together along with Olaf!  They have a pretty backdrop set up behind them and the pictures turn out really cute!  On our cruise this greet was located in Animator’s Palate.  The Princess Meet and Greet includes the four big princesses: Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Belle.   As always, Disney does not guarantee any one princess to be present.  For example, Snow  White was not available during our greet time.
 
Tip: The very first thing once on the ship should be to go get in line for these tickets if you want them!  It will be long, but they do sell out!

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Kid’s Club:
 
I am sure your kids will love the Kid’s Club.  Throughout the cruise they will offer special activities that are led by one of the beloved Disney characters!  My daughter was so excited because she got to play a game with one of the green army men from Toy Story!  Again, check your Personal Navigator or app for these event times.
 
Dance Parties:
 
There will be several different dance parties offered throughout your cruise.  One of our family’s  favorite was the Pirate and Princess Dance Party that featured, you guessed it, Sofia and Jake!  Your kids can dance along with the characters, but do not expect autographs or posed pictures!
 
Special Ceremonies or Parties:
 
Throughout the cruise there might be special “parties” that you can attend.  On every cruise there will be a “See Ya Real Soon” Party where all the major characters come out and say good bye to everyone.  After the stage presentation the characters scatter around the ship and you can go get one more picture and hug before the end of the cruise!  They are only out about 15 minutes, but I think we were able to meet about 4 characters in that time!  This is a great way to get that one last character you missed!
 
“Surprise” Meet and Greets:
 
One of my favorite meet and greets was a surprise, or rather unpublished, greet with Belle in her blue dress.  We were in line to meet another character when my husband spotted Belle skipping up by the elevators!  I ran my daughter upstairs and she got to meet Belle and get her autograph with only one other person in line!  We saw her walking around a couple more times throughout the cruise, so keep your eyes open! 
 
Character Meals:
 
This particular category is getting harder and harder.  Character breakfasts used to be offered quite frequently on the Disney Magic and Wonder, but recently they have not been as frequent.  It appears now these are becoming a ticketed event.  No problem!  Just grab your tickets when you get your princess and Frozen tickets!  
The Disney Fantasy also offers what is called the “Royal Court Royal Tea, “ which is a tea with the princesses.  This can booked for an additional charge so ask your Agent if you are interested in this event for current pricing and availability.
 
Enjoy your Disney Cruise!  May your autograph books be full!

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About the Author

Morgan Scully, Travel Advisor
Morgan is passionate about all things Disney. From an early age she loved taking in the magic of Disney World, but its when she became a mom and she saw life through her daughter's eyes that she truly understood how amazing a Disney vacation can be for a family. Morgan is well versed in all things Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line. She also serves as Whitney World Travel's Military Vacation Specialists-- helping the brave men and women who serve our country and their families get the most out of their vacations. Morgan is a graduate of Texas A&M University.