Disneyland: Finding Characters for Photographs and Autographs

A favorite part of any Disneyland trip for children and adults alike is to get a photograph with a favorite character. However, if you are a first-time or infrequent visitor to Disneyland, you may not know when or where to find characters. This article will give you a few handy tips to help find characters for both photos and autographs.

Keep your camera and autograph book ready because you may just run into characters randomly while visiting the park!

Tip: Before your trip, make character autograph books for each child. This article will give you detailed instructions for creating one.

Musical Chairs with Alice and the Mad Hatter

Every afternoon, you can find Alice and the Mad Hatter interacting with guests at Coke Corner on Main Street. Other characters may stop by to participate, including the Queen of Hearts, Mary Poppins and Bert. For exact times, stop by guest services to inquire.

Main Street USA Town Square Character Interactions

One of the best places for character interactions is along Main Street, particularly in the Town Square area. When the park first opens each morning, many guests rush to get to a favorite ride and by-pass the characters in this area. If you have a little extra time, it's worth getting in line to visit characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald or Chip n' Dale. The lines move quickly, so be sure to have your camera and autograph books ready.

Tinkerbell and Friends Pixie Hollow Meet and Greet

If Tinkerbell is a must-see character for your family, then be sure to stop by Pixie Hollow, located in Fantasyland. The line here can get quite long, and wait times as long as an hour are possible, so be prepared. Arrive early in the day to avoid long waits. You can meet Tinkerbell, Silvermist, Iridessa, Fawn and Rosetta. Not all the pixies are available to you at the meet and greet, but you will be able to get a photo and autograph with at least one character.

Disneyland Character Breakfast

The only character breakfast within Disneyland is "Minnie and Friends" at the Plaza Inn. Although the breakfast will cost you extra money, your children will have personal character interaction with Minnie and her friends. You may see Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore, Fairy Godmother, Captain Hood, Chip n' Dale and a few others. Mickey does not appear at this character breakfast. The food is served buffet-style and is average quality, so you are really paying for the character interaction. Call Disney Dining at 714-781-3463 up to 60 days in advance for reservations.

Toontown: Mickey's House Meet and Greet

You can take a self-guided tour through Mickey's house in Toontown. At the end of the tour, you'll be able to meet the famous mouse himself and get a photo and autograph in his movie barn. You may meet classic Mickey, Steamboat Willie Mickey or Fantasia Mickey, depending on the day. The line to meet Mickey can get long, so be prepared to wait up to an hour. For shorter wait times, visit when Toontown first opens.

Toontown Morning Madness

The Toontown Morning Madness show is a ticketed event offered to guests who purchase Disneyland packages through Disneyland.com. However, you may be able to find extra tickets from eBay or through friends or family. Before the madness starts, you have a great opportunity to interact with the characters with very few other tourists. Read a full review here.

Pooh and Friends: Critter Country Meet and Greet

Visit with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet and others at a Hundred Acre Woods-themed meet and greet tucked away in Critter Country near the exit to Splash Mountain.

Princess Fantasy Faire

Make your little girl's dream come true by stopping at the Princess Fantasy Faire in Fantasyland. Here, you have the opportunity to meet your favorite princesses, including Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Belle and more. You may even meet a prince or two! The princesses do rotate for the meet and greet. Again, the wait times can be long for little ones, so be sure to arrive early.

The Princess Fantasy Faire does have entertainment and events throughout the day, including storytelling, crafts, face painting, princess and knighthood training and merchandise. There are fees for some activities, like face painting.