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Always remember to be courteous and preserve the magic for the Guests around you. You may not believe in Minnie Mouse anymore, but that does not mean it is okay to ask if she is hot, a boy or a girl, etc. The child standing in line behind you may be a believer who has been waiting for months to experience this moment. Please do not spoil it for them. The characters (and their greeters) won't answer your question(s) anyway.
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Treat the characters with respect. Do not hit, shove, pull on, or try to climb all over them.
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Park maps will tell you where specific groups of characters are appearing. It will not, however, usually list the specific characters appearing there because this is subject to change on a daily basis. If it says that "Toy Story Friends" are appearing at a location, one day it could mean Buzz and Woody, the next day it could mean Jessie and the Green Army Men.
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Character meals are a wonderful way to meet characters. Keep in mind though that the characters that visit with you in the restaurant will come around to your table. One or two characters usually remain at the entrance to greet you while others go from table to table, and the characters that visit tables are on a specific rotation that needs to be followed. Do not send your children up to a character who is visiting with a family at another table and do not approach a character and attempt to bring them to your table yourself. Be patient, they will get there. The emptier the restaurant is, the more time the characters will probably be able to spend with you, so consider scheduling your character meal for an odd meal time.
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Characters cannot hold small children, food, or personal belongings. If you want a character photo with a small child, hold the child and have someone take the picture for you or leave the child in his or her stroller (in areas where this is allowed).
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Not all characters are able to sign autographs. Some of them have hands that simply do not allow them to. Those that can't can still pose for photos though and many also give great hugs, so don't be upset if a character indicates that he or she is not able to sign your book.
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Take more than one picture. The best photos are not always those that your children posed for. Try to capture the look on your child's face when they approach the character for the first time, your child hugging or playing with the character, the character autographing your child's book, etc. Let the park photographers take your photo as well. You are not required to buy any of them and can take photos with your own camera even when there is someone else taking pictures.
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Use a standard sized autograph book or something bigger. Anything smaller is very hard for characters with fat hands to sign. It doesn't necessarily have to be the ones sold at Disney, just buy (or make) one with a hard back and hard cover for the characters to press on when signing. Have it open and ready while you are waiting in line.
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Homemade autograph books are great. You can make a really creative one that includes different character pictures and some of the characters will see this and make a big deal out of it. However, please make sure it has a thick back and thick cover. A bunch of pieces of construction paper stapled together can be very hard to hold steady and sign (same goes for index cards) - have a book or something else thick underneath to press against.
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While they are cute, those autograph books they sell at the Disney Store that have places for a photo and lines for an autograph underneath are also hard to sign because of the limited space. Some characters will even sign the plastic part meant for the picture because they are not familiar with this type of book, so if you use one, please show the character where to sign.
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Another good reason to use an autograph book: a lot of the characters are 100% blind when they sign. It's easy for them to sign an autograph book because they are very familiar with the size and shape. If you are using something other than a standard sized autograph book, guide the character's hand to the place you want them to begin signing or show them when you hand them the book (while they sign blindly, they are usually able to look at the book for a moment before they hold it up to sign it).
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Make sure you write your name and address in the front of your autograph book. Many children tend to lose their autograph books easily in all the excitement. If your name and address are written in front, a Cast Member will be able to mail the book to your home if it turns up later.
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Use a thick pen. Please do not use the free pens they give you in your hotel room (you wouldn't believe how many people do this!).
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If you are using a fat pen you bought at Disney, please try it out before using it with characters. Some of these pens are defective. Don't try it out by writing on a piece of paper on a table either, hold a piece of paper at a 90 degree angle and try it out to make sure it works that way since that is how most characters sign.
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While permanent pens like Sharpies are easy to sign with, they also very easily get all over the character's costumes (especially hands!) and are a lot harder to clean off than non-permanent pens and markers. Non-permanent pens and markers work much better for this reason. If they make such a thing, I guess a non-permanent Sharpie would work best.
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With the majority of the characters, it helps if you hold the book steady while they sign. Let them guide the book to the position they want to sign it in, but do not let go just because they are holding it.
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Characters can sign items like baseball hats and clothing as long as the item is not being worn. Keep in mind that these items are harder to write on though and you will probably get better and clearer autographs by using an autograph book.
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When a character needs to go in, do not attempt to keep them out longer. If a greeter tells you "Pooh will be back in five minutes," Pooh really will be back in five minutes. If the greeter says the character will not be coming back out immediately, ask if another character will be coming out in their place or if the character will be reappearing at a later time. The characters are on a very set schedule and they need to keep to it.
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Do not wait in the area the character went in for the character to come back out. They meet and greet in specific locations and will not stop for autographs and photos if they have a line of people waiting patiently elsewhere.
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Have your child give their own autograph to a favorite character or two. While they are anticipating the trip (or even to keep them occupied en route), let them draw or color pictures of their favorite characters and write To: (character's name) From: (child's name). The characters really enjoy getting these and it can bring about some special attention from a favorite character.
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If you are looking for a specific character and can't find them anywhere, ask a Cast Member to help you out. Cast Members have access to a hotline that tells them when and where characters will most likely be appearing that day. The best Cast Members to ask are usually those at Guest services. If this is not feasible, try asking a Cast Member in a merchandise location that isn't busy. (Remember, the Cast Member must have a phone nearby to call the hotline, and Cast Members in many locations (i.e. most rides) can't leave their posts.)
From Mickey and his good friends Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, and Daisy to Winnie the Pooh and his Hundred-Acre Wood pals the young and young at heart adore Disney characters. Guests are prepared with cameras, autograph books, and pen in hand in hopes of meeting their favorite character(s) to collect an autograph that becomes a prized keepsake.