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My thoughts on Anna and Elsa moving to Fairytale Hall in the Magic Kingdom

My thoughts on Anna and Elsa moving to Fairytale Hall in the Magic Kingdom


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Disney has confirmed the news that Anna and Elsa are moving to the Magic Kingdom’s Fairytale Hall on April 20, 2014.  I mentioned that this would be happening a couple days ago and it created a lot of buzz.  Disney is only guaranteeing them until “EARLY EVENING,” they will then be replaced by “visiting princesses.”  That’s an important term, so don’t breeze over it without taking note.

When I began this site, I committed myself to sharing my unabashed opinions.  I’m not a media person and don’t have media credentials and really don’t want them.  I don’t want my opinions being influenced by someone feeding me some tarts and giving me access to an attraction that average guests don’t have.  I have nothing against those who do, just not my style.  I want to experience the park just like you do and tell you the best way to maneuver the parks.  So here’s my opinion on the move that will be happening.

Pluses +

  • It will offer Fastpass+.  It’s a positive thing that some guests will be able to meet the Frozen girls with a much shorter wait.  People are waiting 5 hours or more to meet them in a really tiny room in Epcot.  They have waited in the sun, in the rain and in the cold.  The girls are really important to many Walt Disney World guests.
  • It will benefit those who are willing to run to the rope drop, especially those using 8:00am EMH.  Currently there are people who are booking the Akershus character breakfast between 8:00 and 9:00 for any size group they can find on any day of their trip and then just skipping the meal or leaving it really quickly.  Those who are skipping the meal are just absorbing the $10 per person fee and seeing it as a service charge for a 1-2 hour wait.  People are already reporting on my Facebook page that they are canceling Akershus reservations from the 20th onward.  At the Magic Kingdom, there are actual ropes that keep guests out of each land after the Magic Kingdom Welcome show before the Cast is ready to open the attractions.  Well, the exception to that rule would be during 8:00am Extra Magic Hour.  I would bet a lot of people will book those early magic hour breakfasts at Crystal Palace and skip them.  I would expect a lot of people to leave their Castle or Crystal Palace breakfast a little early to saunter over to one of the ropes to be prepared for the opening.   I would expect the already busy area in the back of the castle will be log jammed with people scurrying to meet Anna and Elsa.  Disney’s response should be to ask for pre-pay at the Crystal Palace as they do for Cinderella Castle.  I’d bet our Fetch Dining Locator will get a lot of traffic for breakfast searches.
  • Fairytale Hall has increased capacity that the Princesse Plass can’t offer.  I don’t give away the magic, but the lines do move faster here than they ever would at Epcot.  The wait times should be a little better for regular guests, but more people plan character meets at the Magic Kingdom too.

Minuses –

  • Fastpass+.  How can Fastpass+ be a minus?  A couple of ways.  One, those who book a FP+ beyond the 9:00-10:00 time frame will likely meet one or two hours just using the FP+.  When the Princes appeared for a single day on Valentine’s until early afternoon the line for FP+ return was 1.5 to 2 hours in the afternoon and it was pretty chaotic when they cut off the line.  What time will they stop offering FP+ each day?  Noon?  2:00 PM:  4:00 PM?  I would expect this FP+ to go faster than any Toy Story Mania FP+ has ever gone.  The Magic 8 Ball told me some unscrupulous people could begin a cottage industry offering people a FP+ slot using their wristbands.  I will also state that if you don’t get to pre-reserve a FP+ because the hotel guests beat you to it, just check the app or kiosk as soon as the park opens.  A large number of FP+ are opened up each day as the park opens.
  • Cutting off the line mid-day.  What a DUMB idea!  Sorry, but I just call it like it is.  This is the longest regular wait time in Walt Disney World history because it’s really popular.  Rapunzel with Flynn Rider was popular, but never reached this level.  People weren’t booking breakfast and skipping to meet them either.  By stopping the line (at what point?) they are hindering hundreds of fans from meeting the girls just in order to save a few hundred dollars per day or to offer them Princesses that meet in Epcot or they could easily spread out in the park somewhere for a 15-20 minute wait.  You would think they learned something from all these poorly executed events like Villains Night, 24 hour days and Valentine’s Day at Fairytale Hall.   It puts a LOT of pressure on front line Cast Members to tell people that the line for Anna and Elsa was cut off at 2 or 3 pm.  Then the guests flip out on them and run to guest services to complain.  Disney World – just let the girls meet all day and you’ll save yourself a lot of pain.
  • Removing them entirely from Epcot.  Okay, I get that we aren’t supposed to mention that Mickey has the magic to meet in 4 parks in the same day.  But Elsa has magic powers too, so she could swing some special ice path that would allow them to slide back and forth quickly.  If they kept the Epcot location AND offered the Magic Kingdom location, it would keep the lines at each much more manageable.  Some people are upset because the movie is inspired by Norwegian culture, but the girls won’t be in Epcot’s Norway any more.  I see that as a non-issue to the majority of guests.  Most guests want to meet them with as short of a line as possible.  They could easily add them to Akershus dining and make that a must have reservation again and they could even charge a $1 or $2 more for the benefit.

What will you do to be sure your family meets Anna and Elsa after they move to the Magic Kingdom?  Do you agree that the Frozen ladies should be available from open to close just like Cinderella and Rapunzel?

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Nat

Friday 9th of January 2015

Kenny, I can't seem to find your updates on the waiting time for A&E with FP+ for times later than 11am. Our FP+ Is for 12:30. Please advise.

kennythepirate

Sunday 11th of January 2015

15 minutes

Daz

Saturday 24th of May 2014

We did the 24hr party last night and at 2 am the queue still said 5 hrs . My 2 daughters 8/6 have been really disappointed by this. Smacks of people not really acting about little children queuing for that amount if time. Why they cants be in 2 parks makes no sense. And don't he me started on the lack of Elsa merchandise!!!

kennythepirate

Saturday 24th of May 2014

They aren't in two parks because it costs a lot more money and they would have to cut more characters to provide them. They moved them to Fairytale Hall to increase capacity and offer FP+. Disney doesn't have any control over how many people are willing to wait to meet a character, they just provide the opportunity to do so. If a parent wishes to wait the 5 hours, then it's a matter of their choice I would suppose. I waited a long time to meet Oogie Boogie and Jack Skellington. I would have waited a long time last night to meet Pain and Panic, but I was doing an Ultimate Tour. Disney can't guarantee you won't wait, but they can just remove them from the parks and eliminate the opportunity or begin to provide only one Frozen girl.

Melissa

Saturday 5th of April 2014

Hi. I am a FL Resident who took my 4 and 2 year old daughters to Disney for the first time in Feb. We did Magic Kingdom both days and dined at Cinderella's Royal table for her 4th Birthday. It was all wonderful, and now we are doing a mommy and me day for our third resident day on May 2. I found out last Monday about Anna and Elsa, and my daughter will be so excited if she gets to meet them. I tried to book a FP+, but we were not at the 30 days yet. I called two times and was finally able to find 1 FP+ for my daughter on Saturday, May 3 around 1pm. I booked this, but really want to take her on Friday, May 2. I was thinking about just chancing it and going Friday, getting there at rope drop, and then heading straight to Anna and Else for standby. Would you recommend keeping the FP+ and going on Saturday, or hoping for the best on Friday? Although the girl on the phone who got me the one pass said that FP+ was all booked up for all of May, I do continue checking daily.

kennythepirate

Saturday 5th of April 2014

I would just arrive 45 minutes early. Stand right on a rope and hustle to the meet. There's another rope in Fantasyland that will be holding back the guests. You may end up waiting longer using FP. But don't surrender it until you've met them. Also, you'll need a FP for you and her to meet together.

Kelly

Monday 31st of March 2014

Hello! I am just wondering how I can get updates/tips regarding how this transition for the characters goes! We are going to WDW on April 27-May 3 and was only made aware of it b/c I have a good friend that knows a lot about the parks. Had I not spoken to her, we would've been looking in Epcot or not had the opportunity to FP+ this meet & greet. Needless to say, I have a VERY EXCITED 3 year old little girl who is DYING to meet these two! If we do anything down there, that is a must! I also don't understand why they don't just have them at different parks - it would make it so much easier for EVERYONE!! After I heard about this change, I was very quick to look online and book it and for the week that we are going, the pickings were slim. We had to add a second day @ Magic Kingdom - which wasn't an issue since we would've done that anyway but there were only a couple times to choose from. We are booked for 9:45 am to 10:45 am. I tried to get as early as possible so that we could still work around naptime and what-not (we have a 3 year old and 1 year old). What are the chances that we will still have a long line? What are the chances that we could change it when it gets closer so that we go in earlier? I appreciate any advice you can give - we went to WDW for our honeymoon but I know it will be a WHOLE different experience with kids and I am SO excited but trying to be as prepared as possible!

kennythepirate

Monday 31st of March 2014

You can enter the line at 9:40. It may be somewhat long then, but nothing like the current state of the meet. I'll be updating everyone once the move actually happens.

Andrea

Saturday 22nd of March 2014

Kenny, I could use your help. We will be there April 2nd and both my girls have costumes they want to dress up in (Anna and Elsa) and there are no reservations left at Akershus. Should I go for rope drop and hope for the best? I can't envision them lasting five hours without me while I wait in line... I need advice!

kennythepirate

Saturday 22nd of March 2014

Arrive at Epcot 1 hour early, get a place at the front of the turnstiles and hustle your way to the Norway pavilion. Your wait wouldn't be 5 hours if you follow that advice.

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