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View Full Version : Any "insider" tips on where Mickey and other characters can be found?



Family5LovesDisney
01-14-2005, 06:31 AM
Hi, I know that some of you out there are "professional" Disneyland visitors! :) Besides for the character meals and appointed character "meet and greet spots" (including Toontown) are there any other spots where characters have been known to make a visit??? My boys will want to see every character they can so if any of you can share a few "insider" tips on this, we would really appreciate it!

3894
01-14-2005, 06:51 AM
Get to the Disneyland turnstiles just before the park opens. A brass band plays and characters come out to dance.

IMO, part of the character magic is the serendipity of walking along and spotting someone you didn't expect. Catching Mary Poppins and Bert riding the carousel in Fantasyland was astonishing, Captain Hook in the berm tunnel a thrill.


My .02.

Wendi
01-14-2005, 07:41 AM
Mickey's House in Toontown, Minnie's House in Toontown.

stan4d_steph
01-14-2005, 07:43 AM
You can ask at City Hall if you have specific characters you don't want to miss. Otherwise, just keep your eyes peeled as you wander. :)

the mad hatter
01-14-2005, 07:52 AM
I agree with getting there early. There are usually alot of characters out greeting everyone at that time.

VickiC
01-14-2005, 08:24 AM
We've had our best, least rushed character interactions at DCA. Mickey and Minnie are often around somewhere near the entrance and the Backlot has the Incredibles. There's usually a Princess in the Animation building.

Susan L
01-14-2005, 08:26 AM
Again getting there early is a must. Toontown is the best place to find Mickey and Minnie. Critter Country is where you will find all the Pooh characters.

disney jones
01-14-2005, 09:09 AM
Pluto and Goofy are in Toon Town a lot. (And Donald shows up in Toon Town too every once in a Blue Moon when Mickey is feeling secure enough to let him in).

In DCA, Sunshine Plaza (Mickey, Goofy, Pluto, Minnie, Stitch, Max) and Hollywood Picturess back lot usually has a few (the Incredibles lately), especially the Animation building as mentioned above; sometimes Stanley or JoJo in front of Playhouse Disney.

stinkerbell
01-14-2005, 09:09 AM
The Animation Building in DCA was incredible our last visit.....Minnie, Mickey, Pluto, Belle, Aurora, Lilo, Stitch, Cruella, Woody, Cinderella....my four year old was in heaven!

I forgot to put this in my trip report, but she and I were making a wish at dusk in Snow White's wishing well, and the EVIL QUEEN walked up to us unescorted. My heart stopped. Scared the heck out of both of us. There were no other guests around, and the EQ questioned Chloe about her crown, asked who was fairer--Snow White or her, and basically just scowled at my little princess.

It made my night! I never see the Evil Queen, and she put my pouty little princess in place for me. :~D

One night at Plaza Inn at dinnertime in 2001, my daughter and I got to pose with 4-5 princesses AND Mary Poppins. It was an impromptu thing....they were there after a parade.

Also, when a parade is canceled, the princesses sometimes gather at the Plaza Inn. We ate dinner there two weeks ago, and one night, we ate amongst Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, and Aurora.

I have a picture of Mary Poppins beaming at Cruella who was scowling at her at Goofy's. At Goofy's we've seen all the princesses at one time or another, the Mad Hatter, Alice, the White Rabbit, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Mulan, Rafiki......and many more, I'm sure. We've always had a lot of fun character interaction there.....the Mad Hatter's my favorite.

But I think the most magical Mickey moments happen on Main Street in front of the hat shop to the right, when he and Minnie are there to greet you when the park opens. :) Those are the Mickey memories my kids seem to remember and the photos I seem to treasure the most.

rentayenta
01-14-2005, 10:05 AM
I agree with all of the above :)

Try to arrive to ToonTown about 15 minutes before it opens. We got to spend lots of time with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto ouside the ToonTown gates.

A character meal is also another way to get some quality interaction.


If you are staing at a Disney property (which I think you are), email Vacation Planning and they can get autographed glossy photos of the kids favorite characters for you and have them waiting for you upon arrival- for free. They make really cool keepsakes.

www.VacationPlanning@disneyonline.com

bassett1976
01-14-2005, 10:21 AM
Try to arrive to ToonTown about 15 minutes before it opens. We got to spend lots of time with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto ouside the ToonTown gates.

A person working in the photo place on main street told my wife and I that we should go to Toon Town when the park opens. Toon Town does not open for another hour but they send the characters out in front of the TT gate. We got our favorite picture from our honeymoon with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto with the two of us.

Also, not sure if this will work anymore. We ended up getting something from the bakery after the park had opened and we had run around a little bit. We sat at a table behind the hot dog cart at the end of main street. As we sat to eat we had a lot of characters come from backstage to go to their spot in the park. We saw Pinochio (spelling?) and another character from the movie, the princesses sometimes walk by, and we got to get a picture with Baloo and Louie from the Jungle Book.

Family5LovesDisney
01-14-2005, 12:04 PM
I am keeping track of all of these great tips. I had wondered if they brought in characters to greet you when the park opens. They did that last year at Epcot. They came on a "double decker" red bus and we were able to get our pictures with each and every character. There must have been 30 of them. We are going to do at least two character meals while we are there and of course we will hit Mickey's house in Toontown!

Family5LovesDisney
01-14-2005, 12:05 PM
I agree with all of the above :)

Try to arrive to ToonTown about 15 minutes before it opens. We got to spend lots of time with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto ouside the ToonTown gates.

A character meal is also another way to get some quality interaction.


If you are staing at a Disney property (which I think you are), email Vacation Planning and they can get autographed glossy photos of the kids favorite characters for you and have them waiting for you upon arrival- for free. They make really cool keepsakes.

www.VacationPlanning@disneyonline.com

THANKS THANKS THANKS! :D We will check out this link since we are staying at the Disneyland Hotel. And we have something with our package called "Toontown Madness" where we get in early to Toontown????

Notatu
01-14-2005, 07:06 PM
Hi! I've been lurking and appreciate all of the advice and information given on this and other threads. We are going to Disneyland this Monday and will be staying at the Disneyland Hotel (first time in a Disney property, yeah!!) so the info re: autographed pix is tremendous (we have an almost 7 yo girl). By any chance has anyone ever seen the characters from Kim Possible? My daughter is a huge fan (as am I).

Thank you,
notatu

disney jones
01-14-2005, 07:15 PM
no KP yet, my daughter's a big fan too (so am i) ;) .

the best thing we've seen so far are some KP Disney pins that are available (we've seen two). Also, the store across from Playhouse Disney in DCA might have some KP stuff in it.

DopeyWife
01-14-2005, 08:24 PM
We saw Kim Possible and Ron (?) at California Adventure one weekend in the area in front of Muppets and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. That was the only time we saw them though. I wonder if you could ask when you get there if they will be out that day.

izzysmom
01-14-2005, 10:10 PM
With a 2 year old who adores characters, we spent most of our time "character stalking"... by Ariel's Grotto, we found Wendy, Peter Pan and Captain Hook...later that afternoon we were by the wishing well and Wendy came back to us and talked to my daughter for about 5 minutes. It was awesome. Alice and crew were by the Walt and Mickey statue and Alice spent a lot of time with my DD...they had a tea party and taught her how to courtsey. Jazmine, Genie, Alladin, Baloo, and jane were in Adventureland, Woody, Jessie and Pochahontas in Frontierland...at DCA we saw Mulan, Mushu (by Golden Dreams), Cruella, The Incredibles, JoJo and Sulley. Watch the "drawn to animation" show by the attraction for Mickey, Cinderella and Hercules. We had a blast finding characters. I would get so excited as though I were about to meet Brad Pitt or something...

Family5LovesDisney
01-15-2005, 03:57 AM
I would get so excited as though I were about to meet Brad Pitt or something...
Okay, let's have him there for my vacation! LOL! ;) Forget Mickey, I want my picture with him!