Who’s the Fairest of Them All?

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Who’s the Fairest of Them All?

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A few weeks ago I was in Epcot Guest Relations and overheard a flustered mom asking where she could find Merida, the latest Disney Princess from the movie Brave. It seemed like a reasonable request since she was in a Disney park. Her daughter waited anxiously behind her with red ringlets bouncing on the wig that sat strangely on her head, not quite fitting. I watched tears well up when they were told that Merida was only in the Magic Kingdom, and a flustered mom turned furious as they stomped off for the other park. In hopes of preventing future disasters like this one, I decided to share this little guide to finding princesses. Remember – this is accurate as of November 2013 but character meeting locations change all the time, so please always check here for the latest information!

Princess Ariel

Ariel is one of those princesses who only meets in one very specific location, making it a little harder to catch her. You can find her appearing daily in her Grotto just by the new Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid ride in the Magic Kingdom. It’s best to try to meet her early or late in the day as like most things the midday line gets very long. While this line looks like it’s indoors it’s really just caves making it still very hot in the summer months. I also recommend meeting Ariel before riding her ride as the load capacity is much higher for the omnimover attraction. Please be aware that Ariel normally swims away one hour before park closing, so don’t wait too late to meet her!

Mulan also only meets in one spot but she is even harder to find due to limited “sets”. You can find her in front of the China area in Epcot just behind the arches. Currently she greets at: 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, and 3:50pm – weather permitting. The weather in Florida tends to either be hot or cold. There really aren’t many perfect days. It makes this a tough meet and greet to get to comfortably. I recommend trying to make it over for her earliest meeting time as lines will be shortest and hopefully the weather will be mild.

Princess Tiana

Tiana again only appears in one outdoor location. You can find her in Enchanted Glen, a part of Liberty Square tucked away on the water behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Magic Kingdom. There is a beautiful gazebo for her that is currently decorated for Christmas, adding a lovely glow to an already pretty spot. The line always seems to be long for this location. Though Tiana is there from roughly 30 minutes after park opening until roughly 90 minutes before park closing she does take breaks throughout the day. Your best bet is to ask the character attendant when her next break will be and when she’ll return then hop in line about 10 minutes before then. Or you can just tough it out and wait in line! This is a shady spot, making it a little easier in the heat of summer. Bonus: Sometimes you can catch Prince Naveen here, too!

Belle can be found in two different locations at Disney World. Of course, you can meet her during Enchanted Tales with Belle at the Magic Kingdom. In this location she is wearing her lovely yellow ballgown, but it can be a little awkward in front of an audience. You can also meet Belle in France at Epcot. As with other meet and greet locations at Epcot, this is outdoors and weather permitting. Belle wears her blue and white outfit from the beginning of the movie at this location, and you do often get to meet Beast at the same time! One other thing to keep an eye out for is Belle in her holiday dress. I have been able to meet her at the Hollywood Studios in this costume in previous years.

Princess Rapunzel

Rapunzel is incredibly popular and currently only greeting at the Princess Fairytale Hall in the Magic Kingdom. I highly recommend going directly to this location at rope drop or planning to get a FASTPASS. Even on slow days this location maintains a consistent 45+ minute wait all day long. I thought I would pop in during the fireworks one night to get photos for the blog, and the wait was 50 minutes! The last 15 minutes or so of this queue is indoors but the rest is outdoors and tightly wrapped making it a sauna 9 months out of the year. Make sure you plan for this one!

Pocahontas is only found in Animal Kingdom, but if you can track her down, she normally only has a nominal queue to meet her. She typically does up to six sets in Camp Minnie-Mickey but also appears at overlapping times at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. It is best to grab a Times Guide as the times can be all over the place. Of the two locations I prefer Rafiki’s Planet Watch. While that area can seem like a waste of time, the greeting location is indoors in the air conditioning, and you can normally also meet Rafiki while there. Add to that the petting zoo, and most kids are sold! It is a nice, quiet place to hang out in the hottest and most crowded times of the day.

Princess Cinderella

Cinderella can only be found in the Princess Fairytale Hall at the Magic Kingdom. As stated above the lines for this location can be incredible, so plan accordingly. There is also the option of paying to meet Cinderella and her friends in the form of a Character Meal. The best locations include: Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at Epcot, and 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort. Though these meals can be very pricey, you have to weigh that with how much time you’ll spend in line and decide if it is right for you. Brian did a really cool piece on this that is worth a read.

Merida, I have to admit, is the one princess I haven’t actually met. She only meets in one outdoor location (Fairytale Garden, at the front of Cinderella Castle between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland) that boasts a very daunting line. Even before she arrives in the morning a line starts to snake from the entrance. If you are looking to meet all the Princesses in a day I would recommend pulling a FASTPASS for Rapunzel then getting in line for Merida. If you have a little girl (or boy!) who is a fan of Brave, the line is absolutely worth it as the greeting location is completely themed to the movie.

Princess Snow White

Snow White is actually one of the easier princesses to meet at Disney World! She appears often in Princess Fairytale Hall as a visiting princess but can also be found in Germany at Epcot. Recently her appearances in Germany have been at: 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:20pm, and 6:20pm. She is normally tucked away in a shady spot, and the line doesn’t get longer than 15 – 20 minutes. Of course, this classic princess can also be found during most princess character meals.

Jasmine appears in multiple locations and usually greets with Aladdin. They can be found throughout the day in a small greeting location in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. While the queue is outdoors and sunny, it’s small and only allows the line to get up to about 20 minutes. They do close this spot several hours before park closing so check your Times Guide. The duo can also be seen in Morocco in Epcot at various times throughout the day. The location is lovely, and the line normally isn’t too long. It is worth checking out a Times Guide to meet them at this location.

Princess Aurora

Aurora is our final princess, and again she is one that makes life easy! Not only is she commonly seen at princess character meals, but she can also be found in two locations around Disney World. Aurora is often a visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall, so you can plan to meet her there, but you can also see her in France at Epcot. Her greeting schedule normally mirrors Snow White’s. The line is always more manageable at Epcot, but you can’t beat the beauty of Fairytale Hall if you’ll already be visiting that location.

So there you have it – all the locations where you can find these lovely ladies! One last point is that the special hard ticket parties for the holidays are another great time to meet the princesses and their princes with a reduced wait time. It can seem daunting, but with a plan you can easily see and do everything that is important to you while here. I hope this article helps maximize your time! Which princess are you most excited to meet? Do you have a story to share about a meet and greet? Please share in the comments below – I always love hearing from you!