Disney Characters at Every Single Meal?

We're avid RCL cruisers. Yesterday it came up - "let's go on a Disney cruise for our grandson."

I remember us going to some river boat breakfast thing years ago in Orlando and we were plagued with dancing characters constantly while on board. Is this the scenario on a Disney cruise at every single meal? And, are these bumbling characters everywhere on the ship?

Absolutely not. If your cruise is long enough, there will be an optional character breakfast offered. This is the only meal with characters running around. If you are on the Disney Magic, ONE evening at dinner, near dessert time there is a 5 minute performance with 2 couples dancing and a quick appearance of Belle and the Beast. They do not visit tables or pose for photos. They do a brief waltz in the center aisle of the restaurant and leave. If you are on the Wonder, you will see a performance in "Tiana's Place."

As to "bumbling around the ship," I'm questioning whether DCL is the right line for you. There are character meet and greets in several announced locations--you can line up for a photo and/or autograph with various characters. There is a "Princess Gathering" and a "Frozen" themed event that requires a complimentary ticket--this largely avoids the standing in line and gives a chance with those characters. On special cruises, there are Star Wars, Marvel, etc. characters on one day of the cruise only. But you never know when you'll meet a character in the halls, in an elevator, on the pool deck, etc. There are certainly unannounced appearances, which are some of the most fun. There is a morning "Wake up with Disney,Jr." toddler oriented exercise session. And of course there are characters in the stage productions.

I remember us going to some river boat breakfast thing years ago in Orlando and we were plagued with dancing characters constantly while on board.

Would I be right in guessing that was the Animal Kingdom riverboat? Yeesh, that was deservedly retired quite a while ago.

Absolutely not. If your cruise is long enough' date=' there will be an optional character breakfast offered. This is the only meal with characters running around. If you are on the Disney Magic, ONE evening at dinner, near dessert time there is a 5 minute performance with 2 couples dancing and a quick appearance of Belle and the Beast. They do not visit tables or pose for photos. They do a brief waltz in the center aisle of the restaurant and leave. If you are on the Wonder, you will see a performance in "Tiana's Place."[/quote']

 

Sorcerer Mickey also shows up--briefly--at one of the Animator's Palate shows, and at Tiana's Place on the Wonder, Tiana (in her white 20's outfit) greets guests at the table as the hostess of "her" restaurant, but not as a character opportunity. Just part of the dinner show.

Triton's, Palo, Cabanas, etc., are all standard upscale-table and buffet restaurants as you might find at the hotels.

 

But you never know when you'll meet a character in the halls, in an elevator, on the pool deck, etc. There are certainly unannounced appearances, which are some of the most fun. There is a morning "Wake up with Disney,Jr." toddler oriented exercise session. And of course there are characters in the stage productions.

Although you're probably more likely to run into "bumbling" characters on the longer 7-day cruises. On the 4-days, there's usually only just enough time for scheduled photo opportunities, in the Atrium, balconies or outside the Theater, and less time for random fun with the performers.

No worries about random contamination. :p

Never heard of an Animal Kingdom riverboat. There was a character breakfast aboard the Empress Lily Riverboat in downtown Disney in the 70's.

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on the shorter cruises, unless you make a point of it, you can go the entire cruise without seeing characters other than in the theater shows...

i took my disney hating mom and sister on the disney dream and they adored the cruise because of the outstanding service...

we only bumped into characters once while we were strolling about the ship and they actually wanted to stop and take a picture...they were totally charmed by whoever it was....maybe mickey? i can't remember....but we certainly didn't encounter 'bumbling characters" during the meals or all over the ship..

and as has already been posted, perhaps DCL isn 't the best fit for you given your feelings about characters..

I see the characters onboard, but I don't go out of my way to see them. There was a frozen party in Alaska where the characters were out walking around the decks. Normally, I see long lines of people waiting to meet characters in the atrium.

There have been a couple times when I was sitting somewhere quiet and character came by. Once it was Pluto and another time Ariel. Pluto did approach us and Ariel just said hello as she walked by. I think if you don't want to see any characters at all, you shouldn't cruise DCL.

Never heard of an Animal Kingdom riverboat. There was a character breakfast aboard the Empress Lily Riverboat in downtown Disney in the 70's.

It may have been......before your time. (Back in the 00's, back when AK had been first open for a couple years, under park head Paul Pressler, who thought character breakfasts and gift shops were the answer to everything.)

AK had a riverboat trip that never became popular, so they tried rebooting it with characters, breakfasts and Radio Disney before dropping it. If you're wondering why there're boat docks by the river, where the Pooh and Jungle Book characters take photos, but no boat, now you have a hint why.

If the OP hasn't been to the Disney Parks, let alone cruises, since then, one can understand his trepidation.

There have been a couple times when I was sitting somewhere quiet and character came by. Once it was Pluto and another time Ariel. Pluto did approach us and Ariel just said hello as she walked by. I think if you don't want to see any characters at all, you shouldn't cruise DCL.

If you do like characters (even just casually), it's a little more intimate, since it's one crowd with the same performers for the entire week/half-week, and not the thousands of anonymous people in and out that they deal with in marketing their opportunities at the parks--So even without random encounters, it's possible to get a surprise "hello" of recognition as characters make their way in the halls to and from the backstage areas.

(Took a photo with Tinkerbell on Pirate Night, and got a pass-by hello in the halls the next morning. :D )

 

 

 

If you do like characters (even just casually), it's a little more intimate, since it's one crowd with the same performers for the entire week/half-week, and not the thousands of anonymous people in and out that they deal with in marketing their opportunities at the parks--So even without random encounters, it's possible to get a surprise "hello" of recognition as characters make their way in the halls to and from the backstage areas.

(Took a photo with Tinkerbell on Pirate Night, and got a pass-by hello in the halls the next morning. :D )

And if the kids DO like the characters then this can be extra special. My daughter was 6 the last time we went to Magic Kingdom and she formed a "special relationship" with the person who was Woody from Toy Story in one of the parades. Whenever we would see "Woody" elsewhere throughout the parks so couldn't understand why he never recognized her. But when we went back to that same parade (with the same "Woody" she was given majorly special attn. again). She is 11 now and she still talks about how amazing that was. I can only imagine how it would be for kids on a more intimate Disney cruise. We'll find out (for my youngest kid...since my 11 year old obviously realizes that they are costumes now :D) when we board the Dream.

Absolutely not. If your cruise is long enough' date=' there will be an optional character breakfast offered. This is the only meal with characters running around. If you are on the Disney Magic, ONE evening at dinner, near dessert time there is a 5 minute performance with 2 couples dancing and a quick appearance of Belle and the Beast. They do not visit tables or pose for photos. They do a brief waltz in the center aisle of the restaurant and leave. If you are on the Wonder, you will see a performance in "Tiana's Place."

 

As to "bumbling around the ship," I'm questioning whether DCL is the right line for you. There are character meet and greets in several announced locations--you can line up for a photo and/or autograph with various characters. There is a "Princess Gathering" and a "Frozen" themed event that requires a complimentary ticket--this largely avoids the standing in line and gives a chance with those characters. On special cruises, there are Star Wars, Marvel, etc. characters on one day of the cruise only. But you never know when you'll meet a character in the halls, in an elevator, on the pool deck, etc. There are certainly unannounced appearances, which are some of the most fun. There is a morning "Wake up with Disney,Jr." toddler oriented exercise session. And of course there are characters in the stage productions.[/quote']

 

It definitely won't be for us, we're RCL cruisers; it would be for our grandson. Great information you gave me. Thanks!

It may have been......before your time. (Back in the 00's, back when AK had been first open for a couple years, under park head Paul Pressler, who thought character breakfasts and gift shops were the answer to everything.)

AK had a riverboat trip that never became popular, so they tried rebooting it with characters, breakfasts and Radio Disney before dropping it. D )

Haha! You're sweet, but I was actually on the Empress Lily for the character meals in the 70's. ! I was also at WDW when Magic Kingdom was the only park and visited the year Epcot (then EPCOT) opened. So the opening of Animal Kingdom was definitely not before my time! I just don't recall a character meal there onboard a boat.

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We're avid RCL cruisers.

 

....are these bumbling characters everywhere on the ship?

We have sailed on Royal several times and will be taking our fist Disney cruise in November. But based on what I've read from people who've done both of these cruise lines, Disney won't be any worse than Royal ships with the Dreamworks Experience, with Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon characters "bumbling" around the ship for character breakfasts, shows, parades and impromptu appearances.

If you've been OK with the Royal ships that offer Dreamwork characters, I'm guessing that you'll be OK with what Disney does. It's seems like Disney does this in a less intrusive and more seamless way.

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on the shorter cruises, unless you make a point of it, you can go the entire cruise without seeing characters other than in the theater shows...

i took my disney hating mom and sister on the disney dream and they adored the cruise because of the outstanding service...

we only bumped into characters once while we were strolling about the ship and they actually wanted to stop and take a picture...they were totally charmed by whoever it was....maybe mickey? i can't remember....but we certainly didn't encounter 'bumbling characters" during the meals or all over the ship..

 

and as has already been posted, perhaps DCL isn 't the best fit for you given your feelings about characters..

This is true.

For the shorter cruises (and I just came off the Dream a few weeks ago) you won't see them unless they are in the atrium doing photos or on Castaway Cay again doing photos. But on the 5 day Wonder I did see them sort of wandering around. But there was no bumbling. :)

For the shorter cruises (and I just came off the Dream a few weeks ago) you won't see them unless they are in the atrium doing photos or on Castaway Cay again doing photos. But on the 5 day Wonder I did see them sort of wandering around. But there was no bumbling. :)

No bumbling, and no bouncing. (Tigger wasn't there.)

on the shorter cruises, unless you make a point of it, you can go the entire cruise without seeing characters other than in the theater shows...

i took my disney hating mom and sister on the disney dream and they adored the cruise because of the outstanding service...

we only bumped into characters once while we were strolling about the ship and they actually wanted to stop and take a picture...they were totally charmed by whoever it was....maybe mickey? i can't remember....but we certainly didn't encounter 'bumbling characters" during the meals or all over the ship..

 

and as has already been posted, perhaps DCL isn 't the best fit for you given your feelings about characters..

Glad to hear this, as my 2 kiddos both tend to be more terrified than excited about characters! We may wave from a few feet away but that's about it. :D I have a hilarious photo of them both clutching me in terror as we met the "hungry caterpillar" character at our local library! :')

Glad to hear this, as my 2 kiddos both tend to be more terrified than excited about characters! We may wave from a few feet away but that's about it. :D I have a hilarious photo of them both clutching me in terror as we met the "hungry caterpillar" character at our local library! :')

The Disney characters are well trained--they will not approach a child unless that child is making friendly overtures toward them (like running toward them). If a child waves from several feet away, the character will wave back but not approach. If you don't get into lines to see characters, you won't be near them--they will not come toward children. Yes, there are character lines outside the restaurants and outside the theatre...and you can easily avoid these lines.

My daughter, at 3, was so afraid of Captain Hook, he had to walk out of the room. They definitely know what they're doing and when to back off.

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Absolutely not. If your cruise is long enough' date=' there will be an optional character breakfast offered. This is the only meal with characters running around. If you are on the Disney Magic, ONE evening at dinner, near dessert time there is a 5 minute performance with 2 couples dancing and a quick appearance of Belle and the Beast. They do not visit tables or pose for photos. They do a brief waltz in the center aisle of the restaurant and leave. If you are on the Wonder, you will see a performance in "Tiana's Place."

 

.[/quote']

 

Wow..I have been on the Magic 3 times and have never seen Belle and Beast or any dancing couples. I wonder if it was just for specialty cruises? Or if they stopped doing it by the time I got on the Magic for the first time (fall 2012)?

No, it was not on specialty cruises. It was the night they served the signature menu on 7 night or longer cruises. Guess it stopped....but we've been on the Magic since 2012 and it was there.

7 night cruises have three restaurants having to do two different scheduled shows for the trip (+1 themed menu for Pirate's Night, Star Wars, etc.)--

In Animator's Palate, for ex., 4-nt. cruises get the one show with the classic-clips montage, while the longer cruise gets the second "You be the animator" show.

It's likely that the Royal/Enchanted restaurants on the Magic and Fantasy have the two shows as well, haven't been on it yet to see.

It's likely that the Royal/Enchanted restaurants on the Magic and Fantasy have the two shows as well, haven't been on it yet to see.

I've never seen a show in the Fantasy restaurants except for the two Animator's shows. The restaurants are too crowded and don't have appropriate sight lines for anything that might happen in the center of the room.

We are planning Disney cruise as a surprise for our son. We have some of the same concerns as the original poster though. We can tolerate the characters for the cruise but I'm wondering if there are any boy themed events and characters on the cruise? Do they have any events similar to the "Princess Gathering" but for boys? He won't be interested in Frozen or Belle and the Beast either. He's more inclined to like the characters from Lion King, Cars, Planes, Big Hero 6. Are any of those characters on the ship? Do these characters host events? Would we be better off booking a Marvel or Star Wars themed cruise?

Absolutely not. If your cruise is long enough' date=' there will be an optional character breakfast offered. This is the only meal with characters running around. If you are on the Disney Magic, ONE evening at dinner, near dessert time there is a 5 minute performance with 2 couples dancing and a quick appearance of Belle and the Beast. They do not visit tables or pose for photos. They do a brief waltz in the center aisle of the restaurant and leave. If you are on the Wonder, you will see a performance in "Tiana's Place."

 

As to "bumbling around the ship," I'm questioning whether DCL is the right line for you. There are character meet and greets in several announced locations--you can line up for a photo and/or autograph with various characters. There is a "Princess Gathering" and a "Frozen" themed event that requires a complimentary ticket--this largely avoids the standing in line and gives a chance with those characters. On special cruises, there are Star Wars, Marvel, etc. characters on one day of the cruise only. But you never know when you'll meet a character in the halls, in an elevator, on the pool deck, etc. There are certainly unannounced appearances, which are some of the most fun. There is a morning "Wake up with Disney,Jr." toddler oriented exercise session. And of course there are characters in the stage productions.[/quote']

There is Pirate night, which tends to skew boy themed. The face characters are mostly Princesses, at least for meet and greets, so yes if that is a focus, those might be better (and more expensive) sailings. Also, there will be events in the kids clubs that may involve marvel characters, etc.

I can't recall seeing any characters from any of those films on the ship except for special events.

We are planning Disney cruise as a surprise for our son. We have some of the same concerns as the original poster though. We can tolerate the characters for the cruise but I'm wondering if there are any boy themed events and characters on the cruise? Do they have any events similar to the "Princess Gathering" but for boys? He won't be interested in Frozen or Belle and the Beast either. He's more inclined to like the characters from Lion King, Cars, Planes, Big Hero 6. Are any of those characters on the ship? Do these characters host events? Would we be better off booking a Marvel or Star Wars themed cruise?

Good to know. Thanks!

There is Pirate night, which tends to skew boy themed. The face characters are mostly Princesses, at least for meet and greets, so yes if that is a focus, those might be better (and more expensive) sailings. Also, there will be events in the kids clubs that may involve marvel characters, etc.

 

I can't recall seeing any characters from any of those films on the ship except for special events.

There is Pirate night, which tends to skew boy themed. The face characters are mostly Princesses, at least for meet and greets, so yes if that is a focus, those might be better (and more expensive) sailings. Also, there will be events in the kids clubs that may involve marvel characters, etc.

 

I can't recall seeing any characters from any of those films on the ship except for special events.

The Cars "characters" at the Studios are actual cars, so no ;) , don't think they've ever had Planes characters, and Hiro hasn't been seen with Baymax at Epcot for a while.

Aside from the SW/Marvel themed cruises (which are mostly one themed day out of the seven), Spiderman or Captain America might come to the Oceaneer's Club activities on the Wonder, and Dr. Strange is reportedly on his way to the Fantasy(?) after drydock. Those aren't meets, though, and depend on the boy's age for Club activities, if he's not too old.

As for Pirates, Jack Sparrow sometimes shows up on Pirate Night or at Castaway Cay, that's about as "boy" as the Disney-owned face meets get on the non-themed cruises.

Glad to hear this, as my 2 kiddos both tend to be more terrified than excited about characters! We may wave from a few feet away but that's about it. :D I have a hilarious photo of them both clutching me in terror as we met the "hungry caterpillar" character at our local library! :')

we're taking the entire family to WDW this summer, including the two grandkids, both toddlers..

the 3 year old is terrified of anything in costume....totally terrified...

it will be interesting to see what happens at WDW....he'll either be charmed or not..

my daughter (the 3 year old's aunt) was the same way at that age...

at WDW, she fell in love with eeyore and the classic characters...she was thrilled to hug all of them,..

but others? no way....she steered very clear of them, hanging on very tightly to my or DH's thigh!!!

and has been noted, disney characters are well trained in how to interact or not interact with children as the case may be..