Character Autographs

While visiting characters and obtaining autographs is a highlight of a Disney Parks vacation, my favorite place to visit characters is on a Disney cruise. The lines are typically short and we can meet characters throughout the day when we have an extra few minutes between activities or meals. Disney Cruise Line conveniently lists the characters and their meet and greet times on the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. For example, if Daisy is your favorite character, you can quickly locate all the times that Daisy will be available for hugs and autographs throughout the length of your cruise. You can "favorite" the activity within the Navigator app and you will receive a reminder 15 minutes before the start of the activity. This way, you will never miss a chance to see Daisy. You can meet characters in their casual clothes, their formal wear, their pirate outfits and even their favorite swim wear, depending on the time of day.

Another benefit of meeting characters on a Disney Cruise is the ease of having them sign a variety of items. While carrying around an autograph book is fairly convenient at the parks, it is not as easy to carry around a photo mat for example. On the cruise ship, it is easy to place these things in a bag and keep the bag with you for any surprise (or scheduled) character interactions. Over the past couple of years, we have had characters sign a photo mat (my favorite), a water bottle, a pillow case, and of course, the standard autograph book.

Pro Tips:

• Bring clickable sharpies. It makes things a little easier for the characters as they don't have to fumble with pen caps.

• Have your items ready to sign. The lines move fast and you don't want to be the person who holds up the entire line because you don't have your autograph book open to the correct page.

• If the Navigator app says Daisy will be on deck 3, midship from 6:00pm-6:15pm, make sure you are in line by 5:45. If you wait until 6pm, chances are the line will be long and you may not make it to the front of the line before she has to leave.

• Our family likes to look at the Navigator and find a time when many characters are available back to back. We try to be towards the front of the line for the first character and then immediately get back in line in time to see the next character. We can typically see many characters in a row utilizing this process as the characters are typically rotated approximately every 15 minutes.

• Thirty (30) days prior to your cruise, you are able to book "The Royal Gathering". This is an opportunity to schedule a time to meet some of your favorite Disney Princesses all at one time. It is always a fun surprise to see which princesses arrive at The Royal Gathering. Note: while this is included at no extra charge, the number of time slots for this special gathering is limited and they go quickly. You will want to book this opportunity at midnight (9:00 PST) 30 days before your sailing in order to secure your spot.

Character greetings create forever memories. Whoever you choose to meet, you can be sure it will be a magical experience for your family.