Thursday's Tip

Today's tip may seem out of the ordinary because I'm going to encourage you to spend money. Yep, not only that, but I'm going to ask you to pay too much for a meal. Why? Because time is money, and one of the best ways to save time at WDW is to skip those loooooonnnng lines at the character meet-n-greets. But when you have a tot whose primary directive is to get a pic with his favorite character, you have only two choices: wait in those lines, or...wait for it...book a character meal!

OK, so they're overpriced. I mean, who ever heard of a preschooler eating $24.99-worth of anything? Still, in the span of about an hour, you can get pics with about a half dozen beloved Disney icons. They take their time, interacting with your child, posing for pics, signing autographs. That's not likely to happen anywhere else in the World.

And, really, there are a few character meal "bargains." For starters, stick with breakfast (We try to schedule for the last seating, so it's more like an early lunch!) If your kids like the classics--Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto--may I suggest Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort. The breakfast buffet is tasty and varied, and priced at a reasonable $22.99 for adults and $12.99 for kids 3 to 9. (Kids under 3 eat free--hooray!) The restaurant is roomy, and you'll have ample time with the characters. For even less ($18.99 for adults; $10.99 for kids), you can have breakfast with the Pooh characters at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. Again, a nice variety of characters for a decent price.

If you absolutely must dine with the princesses (been there, done that), know that you'll pay an arm and a leg, and you'll need to call the reservations line the moment it opens exactly 60 days prior to your visit. Seriously. But, then, who can put a price on the love you have for your child, right? (Apparently, Disney can...and it will cost you $47.23 per adult and $31.05 per child at Cinderella's Royal Table.)

When making ADRs, ask which characters are expected (these can change frequently), and ask the price! We were surprised to find a photo package had been added to our character meal after we booked it--raising the price significantly. Also, some meals seem like a bargain, but when you consider the number (or popularity) of the characters, they might not be quite as good as you think.