While the rides at Walt Disney World get all the buzz, very often it’s meeting Buzz, or some other Disney character, that becomes the highlight of a child’s vacation. Here’s the scoop on what you need to know about meeting characters at Walt Disney World.

Characters are often much larger than children.

SPOILER ALERT – I’ll be using words like costume and mask which may dull the magic a bit for true believers. If you’re in that camp, feel free to move along now. On your way out enjoy this video of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Hot Dog Song. OK, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way …

What is exactly is a character?

Characters are the live version of animated creatures/people found in Disney films and television programs. Characters appear in the Walt Disney World parks and resorts in parades, stage shows, and in guest greeting opportunities. While a character may be just inches tall when you see him on TV, all the in-park characters are adult human size or larger (sometimes much larger).

There are two types of characters: fur characters and face characters. Fur characters are those with an oversized, non-moving mask serving as their entire head. Typically the fur characters are animals such as Mickey and Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pooh. There are a few “human” fur characters, notably Captain Hook and the Incredibles, but these are less common.

Face characters have a fully human form – they look like real people. The essence of the character is conveyed via costuming, wigs, and makeup. Face characters include all of the princesses, Peter Pan, Jack Sparrow, Mary Poppins and more.

Other than appearance, one of the key differences between face characters and fur characters is that face characters talk, while fur characters generally do not.

How can I explain to my children why the fur characters do not talk?

Check out our full post on the topic of non-talking Disney characters.

“Face” characters like princesses and the Fairy Godmother are happy to engage you in conversation.

How many characters does Disney have?

There’s no exact count of the number of characters that have appeared in the Disney World parks. Over the years, something on the order of several hundred different characters have visited Walt Disney World. On a typical day now, you’ll usually find a few dozen different characters in the parks.

Do you have a list of the characters I might be able to meet in the parks during my trip?

The characters that greet guests in the parks change with some regularity and there is no official Disney-sanctioned list of in-park characters. There are a number of unofficial/amateur/fan websites that track character appearances in the parks. Of particular note are kennythepirate.com and charactercentral.net.

OK, there’s no big list, but can you give me a general idea about which characters are usually available?

Sure. During most of 2012 and 2013, the following characters made frequent appearances in a guest greeting capacity at Walt Disney World.

• Princesses and Friends
  • Ariel (less commonly with Prince Eric)
  • Belle, Beast, Gaston
  • Cinderella, Prince Charming, Fairy Godmother, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella
  • Jasmine & Aladdin
  • Merida
  • Mulan (less commonly with Mushu)
  • Pocahantas
  • Rapunzel (less commonly with Flynn Rider)
  • Sleeping Beauty
  • Snow White (less commonly with the Evil Queen and the Seven Dwarfs)
  • Tiana & Prince Naveen
• Classic Disney Characters
  • Mickey & Minnie
  • Chip & Dale
  • Donald & Daisy
  • Goofy
  • Pluto
  • Duffy
• Pixar Characters
  • Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie, Green Army Men (less commonly with Bullseye)
  • Dug & Russell
  • Mr. & Mrs. Incredible, Frozone
  • Lightning McQueen & Mater
  • Mike Wazowski & Sulley
• Disney Junior & Disney Channel Characters
  • Agent Oso
  • Handy Manny
  • Jake
  • June
  • Phineas & Ferb
• Disney Animated Film Characters
  • Baloo, King Louie
  • Marie
  • Peter Pan, Captain Hook (less commonly with Smee and Wendy), Tinker Bell and Tink’s fairy friends
  • Lilo & Stitch
  • Rafiki
• Storybook Characters
  • Alice & the Mad Hatter (less commonly White Rabbit, Tweedledum & Tweedledee)
  • Mary Poppins
  • Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger

Are there other characters too?

There are a few human-like “fur” characters that can not talk. Captain Hook and Smee are two examples of this.

Yes. Beyond the list above, you may find additional characters greeting guests in the following circumstances:

• During runDisney events. For example, during the Princess Half Marathon you can expect to find hunky heroes such as Tarzan or Hercules that don’t typically appear in the parks at other times.
• During the 2013 Limited Time Magic promotion, there have been “Long Lost Friends” weeks where infrequently appearing characters have made brief visits to the parks.
• During Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, you may find extra villains in the parks.
• During spring Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll find Darth Vader, Stormtroopers, Chewbacca, and many other related characters in attendance.
• During holidays, you may find seasonally appropriate or non-Disney characters in the parks. Examples include Santa at Christmas and Mr. & Mrs. Bunny at Easter.

Also, there are many characters that appear in the parks only as part of parades or stage shows, but do not typically participate in guest greeting opportunities. An example of this would be Winnie the Pooh’s friend Rabbit. You’ll find Rabbit on a float during the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party parade, but probably not anywhere else.

And you may just find random characters appearing in the parks. I’ve recently gotten spur-of-the-moment photos with Pinocchio & Gepetto and the Country Bears at the Magic Kingdom and with Jiminy Cricket and Thumper at the Animal Kingdom.

I’m at Walt Disney World. How do I find out which characters I can meet right now?

When you enter the Disney parks, grab a copy of the free Times Guide. These will be located with the maps at the front of the park, as well as at the registers of some of the larger stores on property. The Times Guide will list all the characters that are regularly scheduled to be in the park each day, as well as the time and location of their appearance.

Some of the information on the Times Guide will be somewhat vague. For example, the Magic Kingdom Times Guide might say something like “Out of this World Friends” will be in Tomorrowland. This might mean alien Stitch or out-of-this-world space traveler Buzz Lightyear, or it might mean Chip & Dale wearing futuristic spacesuits. If you have questions/concerns, stop by the guest relations office at the park to inquire.

The Times Guide will give information about character greeting locations and hours.

Is there only one place to meet each character?

It depends on the character. Some are location specific, for example Tinker Bell is generally only found in one spot, but Mickey Mouse has a number of regularly scheduled greeting locations. These include: Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary resort, the Adventurer’s Outpost at the Animal Kingdom, Tusker House at the Animal Kingdom, the Character Spot at Epcot, the Garden Grill dinner at Epcot, Mickey’s Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness, the Town Square Theater in the Magic Kingdom, the ‘Ohana breakfast at the Polynesian resort, and others.

How does Mickey get to be in all those different places at once?

Um, Disney magic.

Will character XYZ from Disney’s latest theatrical release be available to meet my family?

Probably. In recent years, Disney has had the practice of having characters from the latest Disney or Pixar film in the parks to greet guests. Typically the characters from the newest film will appear in the Magic of Disney Animation pavilion at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The exception to this is when there is a new princess character. New princesses typically appear first at either Epcot or the Magic Kingdom and then end up at the Magic Kingdom on a long-term basis.

Is meeting characters worth the time? Wouldn’t we be better off going on rides?

Oh, those “Is it worth it?” questions are such a challenge. The answer to this really depends on your personality and what your vacation goals are. Some people think that meeting a character is just plain silly (I mean, we all know what’s really going on inside Mickey’s head, right?). Other folks are obsessed with character greeting and endeavor to collect photos and autographs of every character possible.

In my experience, children in the 3 to 6 age range often think that the in-park characters are really, really, really real. If they LOVE Belle and then, gasp, they get to actually MEET Belle, then their entire vacation is a dream come true. Your basic five-year old may care much more about meeting characters than they would about any ride attraction.

My daughters are teens now. When we go to the Animal Kingdom these days, we head straight for Expedition Everest, but back when the girls were preschoolers, our very first stop at the Animal Kingdom was always the character greeting zone at Camp Mickey-Minnie (now moved to the Adventurers Outpost). My kids were THRILLED to get quality character time there and this made our vacations very happy.

Even if you’re generally a character naysayer, I do recommend that you take at least one or two photos with iconic characters during your visit, if only for the camp factor. You never know how these photos will become meaningful to family members in the future.

Characters have many outfits. You might find Chip & Dale dressed as farmers, space travelers, or something else entirely.

How exactly do I meet the characters?

There are three primary character greeting situations:

• Scheduled character greeting appearances. These are the character appearances listed in the Times Guide. Go to the appointed time/place and you’ll find the character there ready to interact with guests.
• Random character greeting appearances. There are also characters that just show up in the parks. They’ll also be happy to interact with you, but there’s really no predicting when they will be there or for how long.
• Character meals.

What’s a character meal?

These are restaurants where Disney characters will visit your table during your meal. While you eat, characters stop by your table to chat (or mime chat), pose for photos, and sign autographs. These are very popular experiences and generally become fully booked far in advance. Make reservations if you want to have a character meal.

What are the pros and cons of character meals?

On the plus side, you get to meet characters in air-conditioned comfort and you get to kill two birds with one stone – eating and meeting at the same time. On the minus side, the character meals are often pricey. If you’re in money saving mode, you can meet characters for free in other locations.

Some characters typically appear only in special circumstances. For example, you’ll only get all the dwarfs during evening parties at the Magic Kingdom.

What else can you tell me about character meals?

Character dining is an in-depth topic all on its own. You can learn the complete scoop about character dining over on DisneyFoodBlog.com. Look here for tips on how to choose the right character meal for your family and for ideas about how to get the most out of your character dining experience.

Is there character greeting etiquette?

The biggest piece of character greeting protocol is “wait your turn.” Guests from other countries who don’t have a strong queuing tradition may be confused by this, but one of the biggest tenets of American etiquette is waiting your turn – we line up and wait for experiences. Character interaction happens on a first come, first served basis. Other helpful tips include:

• When it gets to be your turn in line, be ready and as efficient with your interaction as possible. This means that you should have your camera out (turned on, with the lens cap off), have your autograph book open to a blank page, have pen in hand, etc.
• Be mindful of other guests’ needs. Yes, we’d all like to spend an hour yakking with Cinderella about the difficulty of polishing glass slippers, but if we did that then other guests would not have their opportunity to enjoy Cindy’s company. You don’t need to rush with the characters, but you shouldn’t linger unnecessarily either.
• Keep an eye on your children. Make sure that small kids don’t inadvertently rush at the characters, knocking them over. Also try to keep them from bounding into another guest’s photos.
• Use your manners. Yes, characters are people too. Saying please and thank you to them will make their world a better place to be.

Do the characters have different outfits?

Of course, don’t you? Mickey has dozens of of different outfits ranging from swim trunks to a tuxedo. You’ll find the characters often wear attire appropriate for their location. Donald Duck sports a sombrero when he’s in Epcot’s Mexico and a pith helmet when he’s in the Animal Kingdom’s Africa.

Some people will “count” that they met Donald if they snag any photo with him, while other guests will only be satisfied if they acquire photos with every sartorial variation. It’s your call.

Characters from new movies will usually appear at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This was taken at DHS right after “Up” was released.

Are there characters in the Disney hotels?

There are minimal character appearances in the resorts; the vast majority of character interaction takes place in the theme parks and sometimes the water parks. You will find characters in the resorts in the following circumstances:

• At character meals taking place at resort restaurants. In order to meet a character here, you’ll need to be dining at the restaurant.
• During the holiday season, there may be brief character appearances in the evenings at the deluxe resorts. If you’re visiting Walt Disney World from about December 15 to January 1, speak with your resort concierge about whether this will be happening.
• During times of extraordinary weather (like if the parks are shuttered due to hurricane warnings), characters may be sent to the resorts to entertain guests.

Are there character appearances at Downtown Disney?

Only rarely. There might possibly be a character appearance at Downtown Disney during a special event such as the Festival of the Masters. And Santa Claus has regular Downtown Disney greeting hours during December, but other than that, do not expect to see characters at Downtown Disney.

My child absolutely MUST meet character XYZ, how do I make sure that happens?

I completely understand. Sometimes a child becomes fixated on meeting that special someone and it then becomes your raison d’etre to make that meeting happen.

First things first – do NOT make any promises to your child about the meeting. Even if your child’s character fixation is on someone as ubiquitous as Mickey, you just never know what might happen. Your child may become ill, forcing you to cancel your Chef Mickey’s reservation; Mickey himself may become ill; there could be a technical malfunction at a greeting spot forcing an unplanned closure – really, you never know. Instead use language like, “Mommy is going to try to have you meet Mickey,” or “I hope we’ll have a chance to see Mickey.” Then you can be a hero when the meeting works out.

Also recognize that if your child is focused on an older or obscure Disney character, a meeting will likely be impossible. Yes, Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame was once a frequent visitor to the parks, but her appearances now are rare indeed.

Given that, the best way to approach any MUST DO character meeting is to get information from the Character Hotline. This is a resource available to cast members that includes a database of where/when every character is appearing on property that day. If a character will be at Walt Disney World, the Character Hotline will know about it. To get access to this information, stop by the Guest Relations office at any of the theme parks or inquire at the concierge desk at your Disney resort hotel. Say something like, “My daughter is dying to meet character XYZ. Can you please call the Character Hotline to find out if XYZ will be greeting guests at Walt Disney World this week.” They’ll be happy to help.

You may also want to work on language for your child if you find that his character obsession can be found in the parks, but only in a parade or show, not in a greeting location.

There are FASTPASSes available for some of the character greeting locations.

Are the lines for character greeting long?

They can be. It really depends on a number of factors including the time of day, the time of year, the rarity of the character, the popularity of the character, the weather, and more. If you have a particular character you’d like to meet and you know that character has a regularly scheduled greeting time GET THERE EARLY.

Do you have any tips for reducing the amount of time spent waiting to meet characters?

Well, a good touring plan can certainly help. Many of our touring plans do include character greeting time in their programs.

A few of the characters have FASTPASS opportunities. As the new FastPass+ system becomes implemented, we may see that many more characters have FASTPASS availability.

But really, as with all things Disney, if you want to do/see something without a wait, then get there early enough to be the first one in line.

Is there some way to find out in advance of my vacation what time the scheduled character greetings will happen?

The independent website Walt Disney World Entertainment, posts the scheduled character greeting times/locations about a week in advance. Bear in mind that this is not an official Disney source and that the information is subject to change, but generally it is quite accurate.

This site does not track spontaneous character greeting appearances.

Thumper was an unadvertised random character appearance. We got lucky!

Will my child be afraid of the characters?

It really depends on your child’s temperament. Most kids are unfazed by meeting Mickey and the gang, while others are reduced to a quivering ball of tears any time they get within 10 feet of a giant mouse. If you have some concern that your child might exhibit character fear behaviors, try finding a costumed character in your hometown (perhaps at a birthday party or Chuck E. Cheese type venue) to practice with. At least with the information, you’ll be able plan accordingly.

I know my child is afraid of the characters. Should I cancel my trip?

I wouldn’t worry too much. At no point will a character pop out of nowhere to surprise your child. The characters tend to stay in a fixed location and are visible from quite a distance. They’re relatively easy to steer clear of if you really want to.

Is there anything I can do if my child is afraid of the characters?

Like I said, if you know you have a fearful child, you can simply stay away from the characters. Just like you wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) insist your child to go on a roller coaster before he was ready, you can always take a pass this time and save character photos for the next trip.

If you want to push the envelope a little, try taking baby steps toward character interaction. Perhaps ask the child to wave at the character from a distance, or stick with the somewhat less intimidating face characters rather than fur characters.

You mentioned autographs, what’s that all about?

You will see lots of kids in the parks toting around autograph books. When the kids meet characters, they hand them the autograph book and the character signs it. Personally, I don’t really get why this is a thing (then again, I don’t really understand the appeal of getting autographs from actual human celebrities), but it does seem to be a big deal to many Disney guests.

Of course, you don’t have to get autographs when you meet characters. If you and your kids are content to skip this part of the process, then by all means do so.

One bit of advice … if you do end up collecting character autographs, but sure to write your name and contact information in the front of the book. This will greatly facilitate the return process if you accidentally lose the book.

Sometimes an action shot makes a better character photo than just a static pose.

Do I need a special pen to get an autograph from a character?

The characters are often wearing bulky gloves which make gripping a delicate writing tool a bit of a challenge. It can be helpful if you provide them with a somewhat chunky pen, maybe something along the lines of the basic elementary school Crayola marker. However, if you don’t have a fat pen, don’t worry about it. The characters will make do with whatever you have on hand – regular pen, pencil, crayon, – it all works.

You should know that there are a few characters who are happy to meet you and pose for photos, but can’t or won’t sign autographs. King Louie (from the Jungle Book) has difficult to control arms and simply doesn’t sign. Some characters, notably Buzz Lightyear, will mark your autograph book with a special stamp rather than a signature. Not surprisingly, Lightning and Mater are in the non-autograph-signers club.

How much do autograph books cost? Where can I buy them?

There are several styles of Disney autograph books for sale in the parks and resorts. They range in price from about $7.00 to about $12.00 depending on the model you choose. It’s actually a challenge to find a store at Walt Disney World that doesn’t sell autograph books. You’ll find them located near the register at nearly every store on property. Several versions of Disney autograph books are also sold on DisneyStore.com.

That being said, there is absolutely no requirement that you use a Disney branded autograph book when you get signatures. A $.99 notebook from Staples works just as well.

Do I have to get autographs in an autograph book?

Nope. The characters will sign almost anything. I’ve heard of guests asking characters to sign calendars, photo mattes, postcards, baseball caps, footballs, quilt squares, Vinylmations, and much more.

You should know that characters will not sign any clothing while you are wearing it. This means that they’re happy to sign a tee shirt, but not one that you’re wearing at the time. Nor will they sign any part of a human body. Don’t even ask.

If you will be asking characters to sign something non-traditional, be sure to give them a mechanism so they can do this easily. For example, if you want a character to sign a tee shirt, bring a clipboard or piece of sturdy cardboard to provide a backing surface for them to lean on. Also, if you’re having characters sign fabric, you will want to consider whether you need to bring indelible fabric markers or the like.

Coordinating, non-patterned outfits can make for a better family photo.

I’ve noticed that characters sometimes take a break during the middle of their scheduled greeting time. What’s up with that?

Well, even Mickey needs a potty break from time to time.

Seriously, there will almost always be a “character handler” cast member nearby when characters are out and about; the character handler can tell you exactly what’s going on. Look for semi-official looking people with blue shirts and walkie-talkies or headsets. They’ll be able to tell you if Mickey is just “getting a snack” for a moment or if he’s taking a much longer break to go appear in a parade.

Be aware that characters appearing outdoors on hot days will take much more frequent breaks than those hanging out in air-conditioned digs.

Are there PhotoPass photographers at the character greeting stations?

Some, but by no means all, character greetings have a nearby PhotoPass photographer to capture your memories. You should ALWAYS plan to have your own camera available to take shots yourself. If you want to have a full family photo and there’s no PhotoPass photographer at the ready, feel free to ask a nearby guest or ANY cast member to take a photo with your camera. They are totally used to doing this and are happy to help.

Over the years I’ve asked everyone from groundskeepers to vice presidents to take photos of my family in the parks. They’ve all been eager to do so.

Do you have any tips for getting a good photo with a character?

Touring Plans contributor and all around photo god Tom Bricker has some great tips for getting better family photos in the Disney parks. My own layman’s character photo tips are:

• Watch the position of the sun. If you’re kids are looking straight at the sun, they will close their eyes and make weird squinty faces – not attractive. Perhaps you can ask the character to pivot a bit for less glare. Or maybe save character photography (or any human photography) for times other than mid-day.
• Kill the flash. Your flash will wash out your subject. Figure out your camera settings and learn how to take a decent indoor picture without using the flash.
• It matters what you wear. I’m not saying that you need to don a ball gown for your family Disney vacation (well, unless you’re in princess dress mode), but having your family wear simple coordinating outfits can bring your pictures from OK to WOW in an instant.
• Take a quick glance at the background of your shot. Is there a tree behind little Katie that makes her look like she has horns? Is there another guest’s tushie in your photo? Can this be fixed quickly to make your overall photo more attractive?

Photo opportunities with several unrelated characters are rare, take advantage of this if you find an opening to do so.

Can I take more than one photo with a character?

Sure, but try to be as efficient as possible.

For example, with most characters I’ll get a shot of my three daughters together and then move on. However, there are some particular favorites that require the group pose plus an individual shot of just one of the girls with the character. Before this happens, I’ll let the guest behind me know what’s going on, so they don’t get confused/frustrated. I also typically tell the character what we want to do saying something like, “Hi Piglet, we want to get one photo of you with the family and then one just with you and Josie. You’re her favorite.”

Will the characters hold my child for a photo?

NOOOOO!

Why not?

Well, let’s put it this way, imagine big-headed Mickey holding an infant and accidentally dropping her. Or imagine Mickey holding a toddler who’s sporting an unknown leaky diaper. Or imagine a Mickey picking up a preschooler who’s got a belly full of cotton candy and is woozy from a few consecutive spins on the teacups. Or imagine any other of a thousand unpleasant scenarios that might occur if characters held children.

The characters are happy to pose with your young child if you’re holding her, or if she’s sitting in a stroller, but nothing beyond that.

A semi-private character greeting is part of the Magic Kingdom Family Magic tour.

Will the characters hold up a sign/message for a photo?

It depends on what the sign says. A nice way to communicate with the folks back home is to send them a photo of a character holding a special message for them – something along the lines of “Happy Birthday, Susie,” or “We Miss You Grandma, Wish You Were Here,” or “Thank You For Housesitting” works nicely. Most of the characters will do this, but they’re required to read the sign first and will only hold it if the message on the sign is positive and solidly G-Rated.

Can I take video of my child with a character?

Sure. But please be aware of the other guests and their desire for character interaction. A few seconds of video is fine, enough footage for an hour-long documentary is not.

Are there age limits for meeting characters?

No way. ANYONE can pose for photos with characters. It’s not just for kids.

You mean it’s not weird if I’m a grown-up and I give Mickey Mouse a hug?

This is not even a little bit weird at all. Truly.

In fact, I absolutely insist that every grown-up get at least one photo with Mickey without a child in the frame. This goes double if you’re at Walt Disney World for any sort of adult celebration such as a honeymoon or anniversary.

Duffy insisted on wearing our “I Need A Vacation” hat. He put it on himself!

Is there anything I can do to increase the quality of my interaction with a character?

If the characters are super busy, you might not be able to get more than a quick hug or hello. But there are many times when you can get a more substantial or personal interaction with a character. The trick to get characters to engage with you, is to give them an opening or hook they can latch on to.

This is perhaps easiest with the “face” characters, the ones that will talk with you. For example, ask the character a question relevant to their movie storyline – something like, “Cinderella, what size shoe do you wear?” or “Belle, what’s your favorite book?” or “Jasmine, what’s it really like to fly on a magic carpet?” They will often give you charming and very elaborate answers.

With the non-speaking “fur” characters, a prop is often helpful in getting a more substantial character experience. For example, if you’re meeting Donald Duck, bring a toy Mickey Mouse with you and see how Donald reacts. Or engage the character in a contest or mime-able story – challenge Tigger to a jumping contest or tease Chip & Dale that you can’t tell them apart.

One of my personal favorite character interaction stories happened this past Christmas, which we celebrated at Walt Disney World. I had gotten my daughters all novelty knit caps which said, “I Need a Vacation.” It was quite chilly in the parks and they ended up wearing them to Epcot. During a meeting interaction with Duffy (my youngest daughter’s favorite), Duffy became quite taken with the hats. You could tell that Duffy himself was reeeeeally ready for a vacation himself. He insisted on putting on one of the hats and posing for photos in it. This bit was simultaneously funny and ironic, as well as completely personal for our family.

There are many characters available during the RunDisney races that are much more unique and memorable than Mr. D. I was just too tired to stop for them.

Is it possible to get a photo of my child with more than one character at a time?

Sometimes, but not often. There are some characters that tend to make their guest appearances in pairs, Chip & Dale are a prime example of this. It’s relatively easy to get a photo with the chipmunks together. Lilo and Stitch are also somewhat easy to find as a set. But most other characters only greet alone. You MIGHT get lucky and find a situation where more than one character is available without a line. If this happens, you can certainly ask if they’ll pose together, but don’t count on this happening.

Are there places other than meals where I can be sure to meet a character without waiting in line?

There are a few tours that include character experiences. These are the Pirates & Pals Fireworks Cruise and the Family Magic Tour at the Magic Kingdom. But you will have to pay for these experiences like you would if you get character interaction as part of a meal.

Are character greetings ever impacted by the weather?

Yes. Any outdoor character greeting will be either cancelled or moved during rain and possibly even during extreme heat or cold. If the weather is questionable and you can’t find a character in his or her expected greeting area, ask a cast member to check whether the meet has been temporarily relocated.

Is it possible to have a character at a private event at Walt Disney World?

Yes. You can get Mickey (or almost any other character) to appear at your wedding reception or other private event. Be aware that this level of character interaction does not come cheap. Speak with your Disney event planner for details and pricing.

A photo with the Dapper Dans can be just as iconic as a photo with a character.

Can Mickey Mouse (or another character) give my child his birthday present?

Maybe, but this would really be a spur of the moment thing handled on a case by case basis. Disney doesn’t want to get into a situation where Mickey is handing Child A a pretty package and then handing nothing to Child B. If you happen to have a small gift for your child and there is a character present, and few other guests around, then go ahead and ask the character handler if you can work something out. I’ve heard of this happening infrequently, but don’t count on this being a possibility.

Can I arrange for Mickey (or another character) to help me with a proposal?

Mickey is a busy mouse so this kind of thing can be a challenge to work into his schedule. Unless you’re willing to pay to book Mickey for a private event, you shouldn’t count on his help with your proposal. I have, however, heard stories about this happening in an impromptu fashion. If it’s something you’re interested in, pull a character handler aside and ask his or her advice.

Are there people other than characters that I should be getting a photo with?

Sure, there are loads of “characters” in the parks that aren’t characters. I’m thinking of performers like the Dapper Dans in the Magic Kingdom, any of the entertainers in Epcot’s World Showcase area, the Streetmosphere folks in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or PUSH the talking trashcan. To me, these folks symbolize Disney as much as many of the traditional characters.

If you’re looking for a kick, check out a video of PUSH assisting with a wedding proposal. How’s that for Disney spirit!

My daughter got to ride on Dumbo with Minnie. This was the start of a long relationship with Disney for our family.

I’ve seen awesome photos/video of guests walking through Walt Disney World arm in arm with a character. How can I make this happen?

Well, most of those photos/videos are staged by marketing folks at Disney for advertising/promotion purposes, so understand that the experience is not nearly as prevalent as it may seem.

However, I can attest to the fact that things like this do happen spontaneously on occasion. When my oldest daughter was in the age four to six range, she apparently had a vibe that was appealing to the characters. Several times she was singled out by characters in a parade or pulled onstage at a in-park performance. The best of these happenings was when we were waiting for the Magic Kingdom to open and Minnie Mouse pulled her out of the crowd, walked us into Fantasyland, rode on Dumbo with her, walked us into Toontown, and then posed for photos. This was the thrill of her four-year-old lifetime and I solemnly swear that it was just happenstance that she was selected for this honor.

The follow up to this story is that, still in a happy-child haze, the very next day my husband insisted on going to a Disney Vacation Club sales presentation, following which we ended up making a substantial DVC purchase. This then resulted in many, many more trips to Walt Disney World in which we made many, many more purchases of food/souvenirs/etc. Minnie’s fifteen minutes of attention to my daughter ended up generating tens of thousands of dollars of revenue for Disney, a very handsome payout indeed.

And I suppose the moral of the story is, be careful what you ask for, you just might get it

Fellow travelers, tell me about your character greeting tips and tricks. What works for your family? Have you had any unique character greeting experiences? Let us know in the comments below.

Frequently Asked Questions About Meeting Characters at Disney World is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Photos by Seth Kubersky

Ask the average tourist which top attractions they are planning their Disneyland Resort visit around, and she’ll probably name-check modern marvels like Radiator Springs Racers or vintage E-tickets like Space Mountain. Tom Sawyer Island, on the other hand, isn’t the kind of headliner anyone heads towards at rope drop. Yet Frontierland’s immersive playground environment is essential enough to the Disney theme park formula that a version appears in each of the first three Magic Kingdom parks (Anaheim, Orlando, and Tokyo), with Adventureland-based close cousins constructed in Paris and Hong Kong.

Lately, two of the Islands have been the subject of intense Internet scrutiny. The “escape tunnel” leading from the fort on Walt Disney World’s TSI was recently unceremoniously sealed off, leading to speculation that this popular feature might be permanently off-limits. And rumors are circulating that Tokyo Disneyland’s entire Rivers of America region, including Tom Sawyer Island, could be replaced with a copy of DCA’s Cars Land.

Luckily, Disneyland’s original Tom Sawyer Island (whose shoreline was sketched out by Walt himself) doesn’t seem in any imminent danger. A “Pirates Lair” overlay installed last decade to cash in on the Jack Sparrow craze added some cheerfully gruesome effects without doing any serious damage, and the fort was unfortunately commandeered by the Fantasmic! crew long ago. But despite these changes, TSI still feels like an untamed oasis amid Disneyland’s overstimulating delights. Whether or not you have children in tow, a raft ride to the time of Tom and Huck can be a heavenly refreshing pause during the peak afternoon hours of any touring plan.

Of course, the most memorable elements of TSI are inanimate, like the spooky caves and floating barrel bridge. But if you’ve followed my blogs before, you know I have an inordinate affection for the fauna found around Disneyland. They might not be as affectionate as the animals at Big Thunder Ranch petting zoo, but TSI is the best place in the park to get up close and personal with the Disney ducks — and I don’t mean Donald or Daisy.

Waterfowl can be found almost anywhere in Disneyland that there is a body of water; ducks can sometimes be spotted waddling along the castle canal near the hub, for example. But Tom Sawyer Island, particularly along the southern shoreline near the mill, seems to most consistently draw a crowd of quackers. Stop by and say hello to them on your visit; just beware that as wild animals they should not be touched, and don’t do well on a diet of popcorn and corn dogs.

Photo Gallery: Feathered Friends of Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer Island is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

All photos by Seth Kubersky

Right now at Walt Disney World, the 20th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is in full swing, attracting tourists from far and wide to admire the park’s painstakingly pruned foliage. But while this Orlando attraction may get the lion’s share of agricultural attention, Disney’s left coast parks don’t need a special occasion to shine in the shrubbery department.

With the spring season officially started (as of the vernal equinox on March 20), it’s appropriate for us to take a moment to stop smell the roses… along with the irises, violets, sunflowers, and other assorted horticultural spectacles seeded around the Disneyland Resort. For today’s photo gallery, I’ve selected a variety of snaps that I took last month during an Anaheim research expedition, highlighting the vibrant colors and rich textures you can currently find in flowerbeds around the Happiest Place on Earth.

While visiting Disneyland this Easter season, we know it’s tempting to sprint past the crowds on your way to your next E-Ticket adventure. But after you’ve conquered a Mountain or two, try slowing down and paying attending to the natural wonders that Disney’s genius gardeners have crammed into the parks’ nooks and corners. If this gallery whets your appetite, you may want to take the new Cultivating the Magic guided tour of the resort’s gardens next time you visit Disneyland. You’ll be glad you did…just beware of the bees!

Photo Gallery: Disneyland Resort In Spring Bloom is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

As most of us do in this digital age, I have many photographs of my family. These were mostly taken by me, my friends, or the occasional PhotoPass photographer. They’re all fine, good even, but they’re not knock-your-socks-off fabulous. For many years I had wanted something more substantial, and more fabulous: my own dedicated photo shoot with a professional photographer (something I hadn’t had since my wedding 20 years ago). Unfortunately the rest of the family thought my idea was silly and shot me down every time I raised the issue. “That sounds boring.” “We have enough pictures, why do we need more?”

But when my oldest daughter started to look at colleges (sniff), I could tell that the zeitgeist was changing. So this year I asked for only one thing for Christmas, everyone’s willing participation in a professional photo shoot. They readily acquiesced.

My daughters in their formal attire.

Several of my friends on the Walt Disney Parks Moms Panel have had positive experiences with the Disney Event Photography Group. And after seeing some of their portraits, I was hooked.

The Event Photography group, also known as Disney Fine Art Photography & Video, offers two standard levels of portraiture: a “mini” session and an “enhanced” session. Before I get into the difference, you should know that either of these products are available to anyone. The portrait sessions are primarily done for families, but they can work with individuals (a teen’s senior portrait, for example) on up to medium sized groups (a sorority sister reunion for 25 people, for example).

A silly twist on a formal pose.

The rates for the enhanced and mini sessions are based on the amount of time you have with the photographer. The mini session, which currently lists for $150, gives you a dedicated photographer for 20 minutes. During that time, he or she will take as many pictures of your group as possible, in whatever configuration you like. Your final product is a flash drive containing JPEGs of all the unretouched photos, which you receive a few moments after your shoot. You can even preview some of the photos with the photographer on his iPad. With the mini session, you can choose from three locations: the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian, or the Beach Club.

The enhanced session, at $350, gives you both a photographer and an assistant for one hour. Again, they will take as many photos as you like during that time period. In addition to more manpower and more time with the photographer, the enhanced session includes lighting equipment, photo retouching, a personal website which you can use to view/order prints and share with extended family, and a custom 6″ x 6″ book of your photos.

Among our many shots was an individual picture of each of the girls in a traditional pose.

With the enhanced session, you also have more options on where to conduct the shoot. Depending on the time of year and other events going on at Walt Disney World, the location options may vary, but in addition to the resorts listed above, you can generally select from any of the other resorts and the Epcot World Showcase as well. What’s not included are the JPEGs of the images. These are available on CD for an additional $100 fee.

My friends had said wonderful things about the mini sessions, but since this was a first-time-in-20-years event, I wanted to go all out. A primary factor in my choice was that I wanted to have both formal and informal shots taken and knew that this would not be possible in just 20 minutes. Initially, I had wanted the shoot at Epcot, but due to the holiday crowds during our Christmas trip, this was not an option. Instead we opted for the Wilderness Lodge, which is our home Disney Vacation Club resort.

I made our reservation about three months in advance by calling 407-934-4004. I found the staff on the phone to be quite helpful answering my questions about the timing of the shoot and some technicalities with the website/CD/book which arose because I don’t use the same last name as the rest of my family. The Disney cast were more than willing to work with us on these issues. We paid a $25 deposit by credit card and were all set with the reservation.

And a silly pose.

Our session was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. to take advantage of the “magic hour” of pre-sunset light. Portrait sessions are often scheduled for the early in the morning or late in the afternoon to get the best possible outdoor lighting situation.

On the day of the shoot we met our photographer, Chris, and his assistant, Jen, at the appointed spot in front of the large fireplace in the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge. We had a brief chat about our family’s vision for the shoot. Despite the wonderful Christmas decorations at the Lodge, we decided to conduct the entire shoot outdoors, but this was a joint decision with the photographer. He certainly would have done whatever we wanted on this front.

I had come prepared with a long list of shots that I wanted to be sure to include: the whole family, just the girls, each daughter separately, and so on. This was helpful so that nothing fell through the cracks, but Chris and my daughters suggested additional poses during the shoot that added to the basics. There was a plan, but we did substantial modification on the fly.

Outside, we worked through my “required” poses quite quickly. Chris was pleasant and efficient. He had a wonderful manner both when directing Jen to move standing reflectors (to better control the lighting) and when giving my family instructions about how to tilt our heads to avoid the dreaded double chin (well, maybe that was just me he was talking to).

We call this one, suggested by the photographer, our "Dynasty" pose.

We achieved my primary goal of formal portraiture in about the first 20 minutes. We then moved onto “silly” formal shots for the next ten minutes. I had brought some photobooth props with us, to add a unique twist to some of the pictures. This was new for the photographer, but he was happy to play along and seemed to be having as much fun as we were. And really, this was quite fun. I think the main reason my family had been reluctant to participate in a photo shoot was that they thought it would be be tedious. This session moved so quickly and Chris was so engaging that we had a wonderful time throughout.

At the halfway point in our hour, we sprinted into the restrooms off the Wilderness Lodge lobby and changed from our formal dress into jeans. The photographer used this time to move his equipment to a different location on the grounds so that we would have a variety of backgrounds. Again, we cycled through my “required” poses quickly, added some suggested by my daughter, and even added some more unplanned silly shots.

In just over an hour of photography, we ended up with 82 professional pictures. Almost all quite different.

As we bid Chris and Jen goodbye, they told us that we would hear from Disney Fine Art Photography in 4 to 6 weeks when our website was ready. My instant-gratification children were floored by this and I too was impatient at having to wait. But there was some retouching that needed to be done. For example, one of my girls woke up with a small blemish that day, but you don’t see it in the pictures.

With an hour long session, we had time to change clothes in the middle.

A bit less than a month later, we got an email saying our password protected website was ready. This gave us the ability to see the photos and the opportunity to order prints. After doing some research, I decided to buy the CD rather than get prints directly from Disney. I felt that the overall printing price would be less this way, and I also wanted to have the original JPEGs myself. The CD arrived less than a week after the website was up. It took another two weeks for our printed photo book to arrive. This was all within the promised timeline.

I am THRILLED with the pictures. They are everything I had wanted them to be and more. Truly, these images are something that I will cherish always. But even better than that, my family had a great time being rock stars with our own paparazzi. They have said that this is something that they’d be happy to do again in a few years. Yay!

A few bits of housekeeping:

• The one hour photo shoot worked well for us, in part, because my family is out of the “little kid” stage. The photographer told us that the enhanced sessions can sometimes be challenging with smaller children. Be realistic about your family’s attention span.
• Some shoot locations may be impacted by weather situations. While there are indoor photo options, you may want to keep an eye on forecasts and reschedule if necessary.


We also took individual casual shots.

• The photographer will have suggestions about poses, but he or she is really there for you. If you’re a goofy family, bring goofy hats or glasses; make goofy faces. Make the photos reflect your personality.
• Think about what you want to wear. The Disney Fine Art Photography website has suggestions about things that typically work well, but again, use those ideas as a guideline. While I am happy with the blue button downs my family wore in our casual shots, if I had to do it over, I’d chose green shirts to better coordinate with the Wilderness Lodge location. I happen to love the pink/red outfits I’ve seen photographed at the Grand Floridian.
• Consider all the ways your family might use the photography. For example, my husband sometimes speaks at conferences and will have to submit a head shot for the program. The photo he had been using was out of date, so we asked the photographer to take several shots of him against a fairly plain background during the shoot. We also took shots that will be appropriate for my daughters to use in their 8th grade yearbook. Will you want these pictures for over the mantle? On holiday cards? As a gift for grandma? All of the above? Plan your session accordingly. We were able to kill many birds with this one stone.

To give you a fuller idea of the types of photos you might expect, I’m including a selection of pictures from my Moms Panel friends’ family shoots. Big thanks to them for sharing.

The Bacon family at the Polynesian beach.

A multi-generation shoot worked well for the Etmanski family.

The Krzan family demonstrates that some of the sweetest photos aren't perfectly posed.

The Lingman family got real in some of their photos.

The Farrell family shows that coordinated brights can work as well as neutrals.

The Lovell family chose the Beach Club for their photo shoot backdrop.

The Walshe family makes pink pop at the Grand Floridian.

Bring your personality to the picture for photos to remember.

So folks, have you ever taken part in a Disney Fine Art portrait session? Do you have any tips on what worked well for your family? Is this something that’s on your wish list? What would be your ideal photo spot? What would you wear? Let us know in the comments below.

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Disneyland's Big Thunder Ranch may not draw as much demand as the similarly-named roller-coaster next door, but it's always been one of my favorite places in the resort for catching a quiet moment.

Best known as home to the Happiest Petting Zoo on Earth (featuring a herd of friendly pigmy goats) the Ranch is currently in the clutches of Santa Claus and his elf-managing Mrs.

This year's Jingle Jangle Jamboree features photo-ops, DIY craft stations, and seasonal performance by Billy Hill and the Holiday Hillbillies on the arena stage. But this year, you may notice certain long-running VIP guests are absent.

For starters, even though the kids can still play carnival-style “reindeer games,” Santa's tradition transportation have taken the season off. Live reindeer, who formerly livened up “Santa's Reindeer Round-Up” are nowhere to be found in 2012.

Furthermore, the park's long time turkey population was taken away a few weeks before their favorite festival. In case you weren't aware, Disneyland's turkeys had a prestigious lineage, as key participants in the Presidential pardon Thanksgiving tradition.

The true origin of the United States President commuting the death sentence of a ceremonial fowl is fogged in myth, with Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy commonly cited as instigators. The modern tradition began with George H.W. Bush in 1989, and in 2005 his son W. started sending his pardoned poultry to Disney. For five consecutive Thanksgivings, the nation's officially exonerated birds were immediately escorted via airplane and motorcade to either Disneyland or Walt Disney World, where they starred as Grand Marshall in the park's Thanksgiving Day parade before retiring to a pampered life at the ranch.

Unfortunately, as the modern turkey is bred to gain weight quickly and have a short lifespan, the birds sent to Walt Disney World in 2007 died swiftly of natural causes, as have their more recent successors. Happily, the three turkeys at Disneyland have lived remarkably long lives, attributed in part to a special diet the park veternarians developed.

Courage and Carolina, the last governmental gobblers given to Disneyland, were granted clemency by Barack Obama in 2009, the final year Disney participated in the ceremony. In 2010, Disney representatives explained the tradition's end as resulting from their focus on the then-new “Let the Memories Begin” marketing campaign. Since then, Presidential turkeys have taken wing to Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate in Virginia.

Until recently, the remaining turkeys were allowed to live out their retirements in the pen provided for them at Big Thunder Ranch. They were pulled from public view before the Christmas decor was revealed, and while there is no official acknowledgement of their fate, according to MiceAge's Al Lutz they should now be happily housed in backstage facilities. While it's gratifying to know their oversized drumsticks won't be greasily gracing the park's vending carts, that corner of Disneyland will forever feel a little less colorful to those who notice the birds' absence.

As you dig into your Thankgiving repast, take a moment to say a belated bye-bye to our dearly departed feathered friends. Then please pass me the stuffing!

Goodbye Gobbler Gallery: A Thanksgiving Tribute to Disneyland’s Ex-Turkeys is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

In a recent blog post, I related my reverence for the Disney Gallery on Main Street U.S.A. as a respite from the rush of the Disneyland Resort, and shared some snapshots from the gallery’s 2011 Art of Mary Blair exhibit.

Today, I want to share a final farewell to the gallery’s current inhabitant, which is about to depart the station. On June 30, a new collection called Crowning Achievements – Creating Castles for Magical Kingdoms will debut, displacing the existing exhibition entitled All Aboard… A Grand Circle Tour of the Trains of Disney.

If you are in Anaheim between now and June 27, when the railroading exhibit ends its run, I highly recommend you set aside half an hour to examine it. Walt was famously fond of trains, having worked as vendor on one as a boy, and even built a scale train layout (known as the Carolwood Pacific Railroad) in his backyard. The final remaining intact fragment from that track is one of the treasures of this collections, appropriately displayed in the former bank vault.

Other interesting items on display include artwork, models, and memorabilia representing iron horse that have run around each Disneyland-style park; the only iconic element, other than a central castle, to exist in every Magic Kingdom worldwide.

Other train-based Disney attractions are also paid tribute here, including the extinct (but not forgotten) Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland.

Topping it all off, a working model train runs along the perimeter of the gallery ceiling, adding a dash of whimsy and kinetic interest to the museum environment.

If you are interested in learning more about Walt Disney’s locomotive legacy, I also encourage you to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, and “Walt’s Barn” in Griffith Park (preserved by the Carolwood Pacfic Historical Society).

All photos by Seth Kubersky/ images copyright Disney

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In a park overstuffed with sensory overstimulation, Disneyland’s Disney Gallery is my favorite aesthetic oasis. Next time you need an adult escape from the Happiest Place on Earth, simply poke your head into the former bank building at the beginning of Main Street U.S.A. There you’ll find a diminutive but delightful museum displaying an ever-changing selection of artwork from the archives of Walt Disney Imagineering. And if you have the cash, reproductions of many of the artworks on exhibit can hang in your home thanks to Disney’s Art on Demand program.

The Gallery has a substantial history at Disneyland Park, going back to 1987, when Imagineer Tony Baxter proposed that the underutilized apartments above Pirates of the Caribbean (originally designed to house Walt and his family before his untimely death) be converted into a publicly-accessible art gallery. The Disney Gallery occupied that location for almost 20 years until 2007, when it was evicted in favor of the Disney Dream Suite, a hotel room that was given to sweepstakes winners during the “Year of a Million Dreams” promotion.

Since 2009, the Gallery has been located on Main Street U.S.A., in an area adjacent to the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln lobby. Featured exhibits in the past few years have highlighted Disney’s “Little Golden Books,” the park’s 55th anniversary, and the boats in Disney’s world-wide “naval fleet.” Currently, a fascinating display of Disney railroading memorabilia is on display through June 27th, 2012.

Recently, Disneyland announced that the galley will replace its current display with Crowning Achievements: Creating Castles for Magical Kingdoms begining on June 30th. This latest collection features concept art of the various castles Disney has designed for its theme parks around the globe, including a preview of the edifice anticipated at Shanghai Disneyland.

Before the castles can arrive, I wanted to take a two-part look back at the Disney Gallery’s most recent displays. Today, I’m presenting selections from my personal collection of photos taken during The Art of Mary Blair, which was my favorite Disney Gallery display since its relocation. Mary Blair, who was named a Disney Legend over a decade after her 1978 death, was among the first female animation artists. Blair’s unique two-dimensional approach to characterization and color styling, immediately recognizable in attractions like it’s a small world, was beloved by Walt and remains an inspiration even today.

The 2011 Disney Gallery show dedicated to Mary Blair’s art provided glimpses of the exceptional conceptual work she did for Disney films like Alice in Wonderland, and attractions including Adventure Through Innerspace and the fabled Western River Expedition. Enjoy this selection of shots I took during the exhibit’s run, and please return soon to see a final tribute to the current train exhibit that is about to leave the station.

All photos by Seth Kubersky/ images copyright Disney

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With all due respect to Tom Bricker and his beyond magnificent, Wonka-esque photographs of the Disney parks (seriously, his pictures are so gloriously clean and candy-colored I want to crawl inside and lick them), most of the time when I read photo tip blog posts my eyes glaze over. Sure, if I had all the time and money in the world, and the shoulder strength of a 23-year-old swim champion, I’d be able to take perfect pictures too.

But in my actual life, I’m a 40-something mom of three constantly moving and maddeningly opinionated children who need supervision and their orthodontic bills paid on time. Meticulously composed/lit/focused/processed photos are simply not going to happen during my family vacation. But that doesn’t mean you should give up entirely. Here are some practical photo tips for real world families who want to capture their vacation memories.

1. Take the obligatory posed-in-front-of-the-icon photos. A photo of your family standing in front of Cinderella Castle is not interesting or imaginative. Take that picture anyway. Someday, when your child tells you that you never did anything for him, and you’re sure he’s spending more time with his therapist than he is with you, you can console yourself by looking at that Castle picture and remembering that there is evidence that you tried your darnedest and really did bring him to the happiest place on earth. Besides, what else are you going to put on the mantle?


You need the Castle photo so that when your child says, "I hate you," you can reassure yourself that you tried to be a good parent.

2. When you’re traveling with kids, leave the DSLR at home. I own a super spectacular Canon D50 and half a dozen precision lenses and some flashes and other indispensable accessories. When my kids were small, I took all that to the parks with me. This means that I was carrying 20 pounds of photo gear, 20 pounds of diaper bag, and 30 pounds of preschooler back and forth across Fantasyland. My physical therapist could buy a Ferrari with the money I’ve spent to get my back back in working order. If you’re not carrying anything else but your camera, go ahead and take that SLR to the parks. If you’re toting kids and their gear, invest in a good pocket model instead. (My Canon S95 is fantastic.) You’ll make up the expense in savings on Advil in just one trip.
3. Photograph different combinations of your family members. I have twins. There are approximately 57 zillion photos of them together. There are approximately 6 pictures of either of them with other family members. Mix it up. You’ll never know when you’ll want to prove that little sis really did have a happy moment with big bro. Or someday little sis may decide she wishes she had a photo of just her and big sis (awww), without annoying big brother in the frame (grrr). Capture all the options.
4. Take photos of individual family members. When your child is older, she can frame the picture of herself with Mickey next to a photo of her own daughter with Mickey at the same age. See, you’re crying already. This won’t be possible if the only picture of her with Mickey has the annoying brother in it. (What’s with him, anyway?)
5. Take photos of the adults. Yes, we all need to lose 10 pounds. Our hair is a fright from the Florida humidity. Those shorts do nothing to conceal the cellulite. Trust me, I know. But I assure you, your children don’t see this. They think you’re beautiful and will someday cherish that photo of mom hugging them in front of a giant golf ball, cellulite and all.


Don't worry about how you look, just capture the moment.

6. Messy and cranky kid photos are a must. They’ll come in handy for blackmail later in life.
7. Give your kids their own cameras, preferably waterproof. A semi-decent waterproof Olympus digital is $85 on Amazon. Now you don’t have to brainstorm a birthday present. That 85 bucks will entertain your kiddo in the pool for hours, allowing you to enjoy a fruity beverage and another chapter of 50 Shades of Grey on the Kindle. And who knows, Junior might even get a decent shot or two. You’re welcome.
8. Take a billion photos. Perhaps even two billion, really. It’s hard to get good photos, someone’s always blinking or looking the wrong way or pinching their little sister. The more photos you take, the more likely it is that somehow an actual quality image will sneak in there among the mayhem. In fact, I absolutely forbid you from taking any fewer than a dozen shots any time your child is standing next to Mickey.
9. It’s OK not to photograph/video some things. Here’s the contradictory corollary to the item above. If something truly amazing and wonderous happens, try to be in the moment rather than reaching for the camera. When my oldest daughter was six, she was pulled on stage at the Biergarten in Epcot to chat with the bandleader. My husband and I both remember this as a star-making moment where she showed intelligence, diplomacy, wit and charm, dazzling her way into the hearts of thousands. I’m sure if we had a video of this, we’d see that instead of being the next Emma Stone, Princess Kate, and Hillary Clinton all rolled into one, as we remembered, she was really just a stammering little kid. I LOVE my version of it. I’m glad there’s no video to prove me wrong.


The ride photos will give you proof positive of who the brave one in the family is.

10. Spend the money on the ride photo. It’s absolutely ridiculous to spend $25 on one picture. Do it anyway. You will never look more vulnerable and happy and frightened and silly and human than you do when you’re dropping into the abyss at Splash Mountain. That’s what fun looks like. Enjoy.
11. Kids with animals are cute, always. Go to Conservation Station. Your child will hug a goat. Take a picture. ADORABLE!
12. Kids photographed from behind are cute, always. And as an added bonus, you don’t have to worry about closed eyes or weird facial expressions.
13. Pictures of little kids next to absurdly big things are cute, always. The juxtaposition of a toddler with Goofy, the Toy Story toys, a plus-size turkey leg, or the jumbo Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground ant brings a smile every time.
14. Nothing good can come of photographing your kids naked. Junior rips off his diaper to run free at the Epcot fountain. It’s hysterical, yes, but resist the urge to capture the moment in JPEG. Someday he’ll be president, or at the very least have a mother-in-law. No commander-in-chief or hubby-to-be wants prying eyes on his tiny tot schmeckle.
15. No one looks good in bright sunlight. Move to the shade. It will look like you’ve been to the spa and gotten 8 hours of sleep in comparison to a shot in the sun.
16. A photo of a thing is sometimes as good as purchasing a thing. When your child is beggggging you for a souvenir, suggest that you take a photo of it. Sometimes that alone is enough to avert a meltdown.


Little kid + too big object = classic photo.

17. Don’t bother photographing the scenery. Your picture of the Castle will be horrible compared to a real photographer’s. Buy some postcards or stalk Tom’s Flickr stream if you want to see a landscape. Spend your time photographing your family.
18. You can never have enough batteries. If you need an extra memory card, you can buy it at the parks. But the odds of them having your exact model of battery fully charged is zero. Go on Amazon, buy six extra batteries for your camera. Do it now, I’ll wait. When they arrive, charge them all and put them in your Disney backpack. No more vacation camera power worries.
19. Your camera has a better memory than you do. Take advantage of your camera’s, well, photographic memory. Snap shots of your room number, your rental car, your parking space, your admission ticket bar code, your PhotoPass code, and anything else that’s mission critical, but not part of your daily routine. When you inevitably lose or forget these items, your camera will have your back.


Photos of your kids from the back are always perfect.

20. Label your camera. Put your name and cell phone number somewhere on the camera. When you inevitably lose the camera, a good samaritan will return it to you. Similarly, use a Sharpie and write your cell number on all your memory cards.
21. Ask adults’ permission before posting/tagging their image on social media outlets. It’s only polite.
22. Ask a helpful cast member if you can take a photo with them. This will not only help you remember a great moment, but also the great people behind the moment. And you never know, you may run into that cast member cast on your next trip and be able to forge a long-standing relationship.
23. Make sure you set the date stamp on your camera. When you’re old and doddering, you won’t remember exactly when your photos were taken. An accurate date stamp will give you the happy illusion that your mind is still in great shape.
24. BACK UP your photo files early and often. Someday you’ll have time to make your photos sing. Someday you’ll de-red the redeye, balance the white balance, correct the colors and Photoshop a smile onto your crabby-pants cousin Al. But that day is not today. In the meantime, make sure you don’t lose your photos. Take an hour to send them to the cloud, burn a back up DVD, and turn on your Time Machine. When you’re an empty nester you’ll be able to make beautiful photo gifts for your children, but if you lose the images, that will never happen.

OK fellow shutterbugs, what are your favorite real world photo tips? What’s your Disney photo strategy? Let us know in the comments below.

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A few weeks ago, I introduced you to the wondrous photographic time machine that is the Hipstamatic iPhone app.

In this installment of my ongoing visual gallery, I want to go on a virtual voyage back to the 1970s, when Disneyland’s Frontierland looked…pretty much the same as it does today. As long as you ignore the late-model mountains at either end, modern Hipstaprints from the middle of Frontierland look like might as well have been taken forty years ago.

The clothes are the giveaway that these aren’t Polaroids out of my attic.

The Shooting Exposistion recently had its marquee refurbished, so this really is a historical photo now…

Does anyone remember if Disneyland did Day of the Dead decor back in the 70s?

This petrified tree was an anniversary gift from Walt to his wife. Legend says she was less then thrilled, and made him put it in his park instead of their home.

The rigging of the Sailing Ship Columbia is truly timeless.

One last look at the Mark Twain riverboat pulling into its dock.

Do you have favorite Hipstamatic pics, or genuine instamatic photos from past? Please pass them along to seth@touringplans.com and we may feature them on our blog!

Hipstamatic Disneyland: Frontierland is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

One of my hobbies is collecting images and ephemera from the early decades of the Disney theme parks. I have a particular weakness for memorabilia that gives a glimpse from the 1960s and 70s. Photographs from that era have an unmistakeable texture that makes me want to go back in time.

Unfortunately, my Way-Back machine is broken, and out-of-print Polaroid film is outrageously expensive on eBay. Fortunately, thanks to the iPhone, photographers have the next best thing. It’s an inexpensive app called Hipstamatic, and it instantly transforms your cutting-edge smartphone into a clunky piece of analogue optical awesomes.

Hipstamatic features numerous simulated films and filters that can re-combined to create refreshingly organic digital images. There are other similar software suites (such as Instagram) that sport superficially similar “vintage” effects, but only Hipstamatic’s effort feel so authentically old-fashioned that their artlessness becomes artistic.

In future posts, I plan to present some documentation of my Hipstamatic time travels around the Happiest Place on Earth. For starters, enjoy this gallery from Main Street U.S.A., starring the Disneyland Band and a bunch of balloons with a certain distinctive shape.

Hipstamatic Disneyland is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.