I think the TP should have options for ALL M&G characters. Why doesn’t it? I’m finding that the TP app is missing quite a lot of activities…
Anyway, my question is if anyone has any strategy for meeting non-FP characters, such as Merida & Jasmine at MK?
I have checked out the times that they are at each spot. Do they usually take a break every 30-45 minutes? Then have a new M&G line open up again? I know I’ve seen some people say that the CM will not allow more than a certain # of people in line at a time.
My daughter all of a sudden wants to meet Merida. I had about an hour around 1230 after lunch, when we will be in her area. Is this a crazy idea to just plan on walking by around this time & getting in line?
I believe Jasmine is at Cinderella’s Royal Table right?
Check out Kenny The Pirate. He keeps his website up to date with all of the character greeting locations, even ones that WDW a does not publish. He also says how long characters meet for at each location, when to meet them for the shortest wait and also tops for better character interaction.
As for walking up to Merida at 12:30, it depends, you may get to join the line and wait. You may also be cut off from line depending on how many people are in front of you. She is pretty popular so her line can get long fast. If she is a must do I would schedule her earlier in the day or be prepared to wait for awhile at 12:30. If she is a nice to see if possible character, sure, stop by when you have a break and check out how long the line is.
A few years ago when Rapunzel was meeting were Merida is now the line for the next meet time ( a few hours later) was forming when the first meet was still going on so we skipped it. We saw Merida last visit but went to her first meet and had about a 20 minute wait by getting there before she opened for the day.
Really though check out Kenny. He updates his stuff every week and knows the current traffic flow for m&g really well.
I saw Merida last visit in October. She had a steady line. I ended up running to her first on my last day and waited about 20 minutes. She is a lot of fun and worth doing. But expect a line.
Check Kenny he may have some great tips on how to see her and definitely on many others including some hard to get ones.
We tried to see Merida last week. We just happened upon her, but she is our family favorite, and the line didn’t appear too long, so we waited. After 1/2 hour of not moving at all (apparently they let in groups at a time, so we had waited that long and the group that was in when we got there was still in, or perhaps Merida took a break and we didn’t notice), the kids were so antsy so we left. I do wish we could have seen her. I would suggest that you go first thing. I was telling my husband that if you want to meet certain characters, you need to then choose them for your first thing over a headliner ride, because their wait can be just as long later on. It is one of the many Disney conundrums!
Unlike rides and shows, non-headline character M&Gs would impossible to include in the current TP “matrix” - unlike headliners, they don’t run at consistent hours, have breaks, and are less predictable. Since WDW doesn’t have “Wait Time” signs for these characters, it is impossible to estimate with any precision how long you would wait at what time (which is a bedrock of the data needed to accurately include M&Gs into plans).
Jasmine may or may not be at CRT, depending on the day. I believe she and Aladdin turn up near the Magic Carpets during semi-set hours.
Mid-day is a very busy time to be in a popular lineup for anything, but if you have an hour there’s a good chance you’ll be okay. When possible, best bet is to find out where/when the character will be and get in line 10-20 minutes before startup, depending on the popularity of the character (Chip & Dale, Buzz in MK, 5-10 min is fine; Princesses need more time.)
I’ve had the best luck meeting Jasmine and Aladdin back in Morocco at Epcot, as they tend to be hidden back in there and not immediately obvious if you are walking by.
Honestly, I think I am just going to focus on avoiding these M&G’s. They sound SO complicated, as you have to time it just right, wait in the heat, then risk disappointment (if you get cut off). I’d almost prefer to just depend on the character meals & fast pass M&G… then at our next trip, try for these others.
I treat M&Gs as an extra bit of magic… if I happen to be walking by and someone is there I want to say hi to, I check with the character handler to see if I’d be able to get in line and see the character before s/he needs to go on break. If they say yes, I get in line. If they say no, I head on and wave as I go by. Planning is only a requirement for that one or two OMG MUST HAVE!!! characters for my family.
So I found time in my schedule to meet Merida on our last day… My kiddo told me yesterday that meeting Merida was actually on her top 5 things to do at Disney… AH!
The last day is actual extra morning hours at MK, so my plan is to do some rides, then line up in Merida’s M&G line at 9:00 AM. Do you think I need to be there prior to 9? Do you think an hour is long enough to allocate for?
I would get in line at 8:45 at the latest. This should put you near the front of the line. I think an hour would be plenty, probably less. I have never travelled in summer crowds though.
You should be able to do a ride or two first though with EMH.
Use Kenny the Pirate for determining when the M&Gs will happen. Then make sure you are in line at least 15 minutes before that set. On your TP insert a meal at the closet restaurant to your M&G for whatever KtP says. I usually allow 30 minutes in my TP for each M&G and some that I know will be longer I had an hour. We are a big character family so M&Gs are a must for us. As for Merida - she meets from 9:15 to 2pm then 3:45 to 6pm. She will have breaks every half hour or so at least. I recommend getting in line at 12:30 and hoping its not too long. You’ll have at least a half hour wait. Good luck. Ktp info on her.
