Introvert’s Top 5 Tips to Actually Enjoy Disney Character Dining Meals

A big reason why we love Disney Character Dining so much is that you get to spend quality time with the characters as they go from table to table to interact, take pictures, and sign autographs. While there are so many characters you can meet in the parks, these experiences often come with long lines, and you only get to spend a short time with them before the next guest is cycled through.

Beyond the ability to step into the worlds of your favorite stories, one of the most magical parts of any Disney vacation is meeting some iconic Disney characters in real life. However, for an introvert, Disney Character Dining can easily become more stressful than fun as you feel pressure to speak to the characters and make the most of the offering. This can be as awkward for non-speaking characters (as you are the only one talking) as it is for face characters if you don't know what to say. As someone who can be very introverted in situations like these, I definitely can sympathize with the issue of freezing up when encountering characters.

Thankfully, there are some tips you can have in your back pocket for when you participate in Disney Character Dining. Keep reading for an introvert's top 5 tips to enjoy Disney character meals!

Tips for Introverts During Disney Character Dining

As an introvert, the biggest concern for me is always saying the wrong thing or embarrassing myself when encountering characters, so the impulse is often not to say anything at all. It is probably safe to assume that the advice you've gotten as an introvert is to not overthink it, which isn't always very helpful.

Sometimes a little bit of thinking and planning ahead is actually exactly what will help you to enjoy a Character Dining experience! All of the tips below require a little bit of thought in advance of your encounter so it can go smoothly. Even if you are not the most talkative or spontaneous person, you still deserve to enjoy a Disney character meal as much as anyone else. These tips that we're about to share don't just apply to Character Dining, as you can use them for any character encounter you have at the parks.

Each Character Dining experience will be unique, so when deciding what works best for you, you'll want to look at the overall atmosphere and grouping of characters who will appear at each one. The restaurants that have Character Dining each offer a unique experience with varying foods, styles of service, mealtimes, and character line-ups. You can read more details about Character Dining at Disneyland and Character Dining at Disney World in our full guides!

Now, let's dive into the top 5 tips for introverts at Disney Character Dining meals!

1. Come Up with Something to Say Ahead of Time to the Characters

If you find yourself freezing up when you encounter characters, you can always come up with something to say to them ahead of time! This can be especially helpful for face characters as they will be looking to start a conversation with you when they come around to your table.

You can offer up a question about their character you've always wanted to ask, see how their day has been, inquire about something they're looking forward to doing soon—whatever you can think of. For instance, if you see Rapunzel, you can ask how Pascal is doing! Asking about a character's animal sidekick is one of the best ways to open a conversation. The characters will happily jump on any topic you give them and turn it into a conversation. Sometimes, for introverts, it can feel better to start the conversation yourself than to think on your feet with a response, so you can be ready with a topic after your initial greeting. You can also remind the character if you have met before and when your last meeting was!

You can rest assured that the characters are excellent conversationalists and do this all the time, so the weight of the conversation is not solely on your shoulders, but it can help to come prepared. This leads us to our next tip…

2. Be Ready With Highlights of Your Park Day

Face characters will commonly ask how your day has been or what your plans are because this is a pretty universal question to engage people, so before your Character Dining meal or right when you sit down, think of some of the highlights of your trip or day so that you don't have to come up with them on the spot. When characters ask me this question, I often find myself suddenly freezing up and forgetting everything about my day in the moment, so it helps to quickly reflect back on everything beforehand so that pressure is taken off.

If you can think of something especially interesting or funny from your trip, this could make for a good conversation. They will listen and relate to it with their own experiences or ask you questions all while staying in character! The characters might also ask you about the Character Dining experience itself and what you think of it so far, so you can have an answer ready for that as well.

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3. Let a Non-Speaking Character Take the Lead

Another Disney Character Dining tip for introverts is to let the non-speaking characters take the lead in driving the interaction. This is usually the way to go for non-speaking characters as their interactions are entirely through pantomime. Personally, I much prefer interacting with the non-speaking characters because there's no pressure to hold a full conversation. Most of the time, you're engaging with them by interpreting what they're pantomiming out loud.

As an introvert, it's important to keep in mind that there's not much you have to do in a non-speaking character interaction other than react, laugh, and weigh in with a comment if you feel so inclined! During a recent encounter with Chip and Dale, they immediately launched into action by running in circles, fighting to be alone in the picture, and more hilarious hijinks. I didn't have to say a word! Mickey and Minnie will usually offer up a hug and see if they can gesture to something you're wearing or anything else they notice.

Non-speaking characters will often adeptly identify whatever they can to build an interaction off of. They are truly pros at this! This TikTok video shared by daydreamwithus_ is probably one of my favorite examples. Minnie takes her hand and swoons over her engagement ring, then hilariously gestures that she wants one from Mickey!

@daydreamwithus_ This is probably one of the best character experiences we’ve had 🥹🥹 As soon as we sat down at Goofy’s Kitchen, Minnie came running over to inspect my ring – come to find out Mickey hasn’t gotten her one quite yet 🤭 #tiktokshop #foryou #disney #disneyland #minniemouse #goofy ♬ original sound – Daydream Daywear

4. Wear Something Fun That the Characters Could Comment On

As we mentioned above, the characters will look for anything they can to start a conversation. If you're wearing something distinctive that the character could recognize, this can work wonders to kick off a conversation for introverts. For instance, Mulan once commented on my Mickey earrings saying, “Mickey will be so excited when he sees those!” Mickey will often gesture his delight when he sees you are wearing Mickey ears. If there wasn't already enough reason to wear something Disney-related to the parks, it opens up the door for more conversations with characters so that a topic is immediately obvious. If you or someone in your party are wearing a visible celebration pin, you'll get a similar reaction to this as well!

If you have a child who is under age 14 and who is more introverted, they are allowed to wear full costumes to Disney Character Dining experiences if they feel comfortable. Kids' costumes give characters something to comment on in the same way that a distinctive piece of clothing would. This can be an especially good move if you know you'll be interacting with the Disney princesses, as they will immediately jump on the opportunity to comment on a princess dress.

5. Ask for What You Want at Disney Character Dining Meals

Our next Disney Character Dining tip for introverts is to be sure you ask for what you want at meals. It can be easy for an entire interaction to go by before you realize that you didn't get the photos and autographs you wanted. It's best if you ask for these things right when the character first arrives so you can get those different groupings of photos of just the kids with the character, the whole family, etc. Rest assured that this won't really dramatically impact your interaction with the character as they will aim to engage with you as you are setting up for photos and during them. Just make sure that you don't miss the opportunity to get what you want, as characters will always be at the ready to sign autographs and take photos.

An introvert issue that I always struggle with is not knowing what to do in photos, so don't be afraid to ask for the character's input if want some guidance on how to pose. This is one of the most important tips we recommend in our Disneyland PhotoPass guide for getting the best photos. They will be happy to direct you and can suggest some really fun poses that will result in a great photo!

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