Photos with characters, a MUST-DO or NEVER-DO?

I'm going for the first time ever to Disney in a couple of weeks. It's just me and hubby as well and we've scheduled some character dining and I totally plan on getting my picture made with every character I come across! We're going to MNSSHP as well and I will get those pictures too. I doubt I will stand in line for 1 to 2 hours for anyone, but any I can do with a reasonable wait, I will.

I don't care how old I am....I plan on being 4 while I'm there (without the temper tantrums).

Nope! I love doing character dining! My boyfriend and I have done Crystal Palace along with Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and 1900 Park Fare. I love meeting characters! I go to MNSSHP just for the character experiences along with trick or treating. I don't do the rides at the party. I also like the entertainment like the parade, villains mixer and wishes. So characters is not just families with little kids, its for everyone.

My husband and I don't have children and we get our pictures taken w/ the characters. We've been annual pass holders for several years and we've had our picture taken w/ most of them by now. Each character has always been "in character" for us, even though we are two adults only. For us, it is a major part of the WDW experience. We love it

No Mushi, it's not just a kid thing, or maybe I should say yeah it is, for kids of all ages! Wife (Scrappy) and I go with no kids all the time and do character dining & photo's every time.

We don't do the stand in line to get our pics with them but we do the character dining and I get to act like a kid and cant wait for them to come to the table. People I work with that see the pics cant believe its me, but its my chance to be a big kid and just be goofy.

The first time I went to Disney I was 18 and waited in line for 40 minutes to meet the Princesses lol You are NEVER too old!! The characters are just as sweet to you as they are to the toddler in line behind you! Character meals are totally fun and they have lots and lots of couples there without children so you wouldn't be the only ones. Its a great way to get really good pictures with the characters without having to wait in lines.

I LOVE Character dining and line up to get my picture taken with them all the time. It's not at all just for kids.

I had dinner at BOG last Sunday and had my picture taken with the Beast. I felt like an excited 10 year old. My GF told me I was rambling when I was standing next to the Master.

We(me & DW) always get photos with characters at the Character Dining, it's always fun. As for meeting characters in the park and queuing for photos..... it's a total must for us. Meeting Mickey, Minnie, goofy and especially Buzz is really cool and a lot of times you can get some really good interaction with them lifting it to more that just a photo. Also, DW will get autographs from the charaters.

Although, once we waited 45+ minutes to see Tinkerbell in the tent in toon town one year. Felt like torture at the time, but totally worth it when she meet her got photo and left with a massive smile.

We haven't done any character dining (yet), but have gotten pictures with the characters - we have pictures with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger at Epcot, Chip & Dale at Epcot as well as Mickey, Minnie and Pluto on our most recent trip (TR below) at the Epcot character spot. I always initiate it, but my DH Ken comes along too. It's for children of all ages.

For us it's not disney until we have had one character meal and had one mickey pic. The only child we have taken is our inner child and those are well nourished in Disney. Hoping to take the nieces and nephews soon.

I always get my picture taken with the characters. I've even done character meals solo. As everyone has said you are never too old.

Don't forget the autograph book.

For us it's neither a must-do or a never-do. It's an if we feel like it.

We've done a couple of character meals and had a great time. And if I see a character I really want a photo with, I'll get in the line (see photo at left for proof). But it isn't something I feel I must do to make a trip complete, and we've had many trips with no character experiences at all.

I'm not a big waiting in line for a character person. Id rather just do a character dining. But the fiance is new to Disney so who knows what we will be doing this trip. Heck he might want to meet every character!

Hubby and I did a lot of character meet and greats when we were there! We didn't spend a lot of time waiting in line, though. We only got pictures with characters we were able to catch with a short wait.

We enjoy character dining. Most recent trip we dined at The Garden Grill and loved it! We don't really wait in long lines for characters only because we hate standing in long lines period. Of course when you're standing in the hot sun waiting for a character, it's even worse. I will wait if it's a really awesome character, but usually we just take care of that at a character dining!

You can FP+ some of the princess meet and greets and the Character Meet and Greet at Epcot. I will get my picture taken with the characters, but I don't wait over 30 mins for it.

Yup guilty!
Loved it though.
we got Poo and Tigger too somewhere at EPCOT.

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Oh I LOVE the Chip and Dale hats!

Good to hear! I had been wondering the same thing. I am looking forward to meeting my favourite characters especially pooh and tinker. Bell

Me and my girlfriend love meeting characters and spent more time doing that and eating than going on rides. Act first think later and let your inner child out. That's what is all about!

Meeting characters is a new interest for me. For a long time it was just something to do to kill time or do with kids, but I have actually found it can almost be as fun as an attraction.

It took me a while to be ok with doing meet and greets with face characters. I love the fur characters and I don't feel weird at all about having my picture taken with them as an adult. My husband felt extra awkward when we did lunch at Akershus with so many princesses all over the place. We've both pretty much gotten over that initial "aren't the characters just for the kids" feeling and we'll both readily do character photos and meals. The only caveat is that we don't really like to wait in line for character photos, so sometimes I'll just snap a photo of characters that we pass by or we'll hop in line if the line is short. Our favorite character meal is Garden Grill and the best character interaction that I've had was with Alice in the UK pavilion.

We have always done the character photos, I am a bit more reluctant for the Princess photos. At MNSSHP we have photos with the dwarfs, which was cool. We always thank the characters and say how much we appreciate them and always get extra hugs and kisses blown to us. Character photos are fun if you make them so.

We'll get pictures with them at character dinners- we've done the Crystal Palace a couple times. Other than that, we haven't stood in line or anything to meet them out and about in the parks. I actually kind of regret not doing it more. You always hear about these amazing interactions people have with them, and I definitely have my faves that I would love to have a picture with- I guess I just get self-conscious about people judging me lol.

I think generally speaking, it all depends on you. Some do like getting character pictures regardless of age. Others, not so much and would rather go on the big thrill rides multiple times. It all comes down to personal preference the way I see it. I'm pretty selective in my character choices but who knows? Maybe there will be that one day where I go all in and embark on the mission to meet as many as characters as I can...