Bring retractable pens—and more tips for meeting the characters

• Get a daily guide at the Magic Kingdom entrance, which will tell you where to find the meet and greets.
• If your child wants autographs, have the book open to a blank page. Characters have big fingers, so it’s hard for them to flip.
• Bring retractable pens that click open. (Less fumbling to get the cap off.)
• Ask the reservations manager to book the last available meal slot. “By the end of your seating, the restaurant will have cleared out, and the characters will spend extra time with your children,” says Sheri McGowan, a park character whose Disney persona will remain anonymous.