Disney Princesses - Make Disney Princess Greetings Extra Magical

Do you have a young Disney Princess (or multiple Disney Princesses) in your household? I do -- I have two, so I feel your pain...

Our closet... Full of Disney Princess dresses...

From Disney Princess tea party sets and dolls to bed sheets and dresses, our house is littered with Disney Princess merchandise. And it doesn't matter if it's Princess Aurora or Cinderella, Rapunzel or Snow White, it doesn't bother me one bit. You know why -- because my little Disney Princesses believe the Disney Princesses they see and meet are real, and are worth looking up to, and the Disney Princesses at Walt Disney World have lived up to that expectation.

But, I'm not going to write a blog about whether Princess Aurora is a good or bad role model for a young woman, that's up to each parent to decide.

For those that do believe in the magic though, I know that nothing makes your Walt Disney World vacation more magical then watching your children interact with Rapunzel, Princess Aurora, and all the Disney characters they know and love.

Therefore, I'm excited to share three tips I learned to make your Disney Princess meeting at Walt Disney World, extra magical :

1. Princess Jasmine -- If your princess favors Jasmine, you'll find her in Agrabah (in Adventureland) at the Magic Kingdom. But, if you want to make that visit extra special, here's something we learned on our last trip. If you are the first person in line to meet Jasmine that day, she'll offer to take you to the front of the line and ride the Aladdin ride together. How much more magical could it be -- riding on a magic carpet with Princess Jasmine at Walt Disney World! So, what's the best way to do this? First, I recommend looking at the park schedule to understand exactly when the Magic Kingdom opens (make sure there are no magic hours or anything). Then, be at the front gates about 45 - 60 minutes before the park opens (I know that sucks, but it'll be worth it). If you can be one of the first through the gates, sprint to Adventureland and locate the shop right next to the Aladdin ride. The greeting area for Princess Jasmine and Aladdin are just to the side of the shop (look for the ropes). Simply get in line and wait for them to arrive (generally they start visiting at 9 am). The host should ask if you want to ride with her, but if they don't, be sure to ask -- your princess will love it.



A magical visit with Princess Tiana

2. Princess Tiana -- This one isn't as big a secret as the others (IMO), but Princess Tiana doesn't draw the same crowds as Princess Jasmine / Cinderella / Belle / etc., so while the Disney website shows her as being available almost all day, it seems like she isn't out there quite as much. That said, she's one of our favorite Disney Princesses to meet because she generally takes time to genuinely talk with the kids more so than some of the others. You'll find her near Liberty Square in the gazebo. If you can make your way to being one of her last visitors of the session, you'll get even more time to talk gumbo with her. Again, not as much of a secret, but definitely a great experience for all the little Princess Tiana fans out there.
3. Princess Belle -- Even if your Disney Princess is a tad scared of Beast, she'll definitely enjoy meeting Princess Belle on the "Enchanted Tales with Belle" attraction at the Magic Kingdom. And while this interactive experience allows all the kids (that want to) to interact directly with Belle, there is a way to take the magic up a notch. For those not familiar, the Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction allows guests to help re-tell the story of how Belle and Beast met, with the children acting out all the parts (except Belle). Of course, the most desirable role is that of Beast, since he interacts the most with Belle. So, how does your Disney Princess get to be Beast? It's actually pretty easy. The last staging area before you begin is where the Cast Member hands out parts for the reenactment. One of the first parts offered up (usually) is that of Beast, so if your child can find themselves a spot in the front near the middle, when the Cast Member says "We need someone who can roar", make sure your little one roars the loudest and you're in. Even if you don't get the Beast part, there's not a "bad" part in the attraction, but as you can see from the video below, it is pretty magical for a young Princess to dance with Belle.

Video from my view as one of Belle's guards

So there you have it, three extra magical experiences with some of our favorite Disney Princesses. But what about Princess Aurora, Rapunzel, and the others? Well, I could say that Princess Aurora is sleeping or Rapunzel is locked in her tower, but fortunately, you just need to stroll over to Princess Fairytale Hall to find them (and maybe Fastpass em!).

And as for your Disney Princess, remember that she'll have a great time whether you're able to make this extra magic come through or not.

Like all of my Disney World blogs, I hope that this has been helpful. If you have a Disney question, I’m happy to help. Feel free to shoot me your question on Twitter (I’m @jonmkee) or via email (jonmkee at gmail dot com). Have a magical day!