Credit: DisneyA free Santa Claus meet & greet at Disney Springs with no line? Yes, please!
Where better to meet the magical man behind Christmas cheer than The Most Magical Place on Earth? Santa Claus greets guests throughout three Disney Parks: Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios… But it takes commitment.
Most days, meeting Mickey Mouse at Magic Kingdom Park’s Town Square Theater regularly takes at least 30 minutes. Rare Disney Characters spark hours-long lines at Disney Jollywood Nights and other special events. As for Santa, Disney Park guests should expect to wait around 45 minutes on busy days.
What if we told you there was a way to meet Santa Claus at Walt Disney World Resort without paying for a theme park ticket? Inside Once Upon a Toy at Disney Springs, Kris Kringle takes asks guests of all ages what they want for Christmas. On an oversized chair in front of a festive backdrop, families can get that perfect Disney Santa picture.
Traveling to Disney Springs is easy via Disney busses or parking in one of its free garages. Once inside the shopping & dining complex, open your My Disney Experience app and navigate to the “Virtual Queues” section. You must be at Disney Springs to enter the virtual queue.
The only virtual queue at Disney Springs is for Santa Claus, so select your party members and join. For an Inside the Magic team member, the estimated wait time was just ten minutes… But a push notification called us to return in under five.
If you’re busy filling a basket at World of Disney, don’t fret – you have an hour to return to Once Upon A Toy. A Disney cast member will scan your virtual queue reservation when you return.
You may wait in a short line behind one or two families, but you should meet Santa Claus in ten minutes or less. Little ones can pass the time by writing their wishlist on provided sheets of paper nearby!
You’ll drop off any personal belongings on a nearby table when it’s your turn. Disney PhotoPass photographers will take photos accessible by scanning a MagicBand or Park ticket.
Without a Memory Maker, you’ll need to pay for PhotoPass photos. But Santa’s Helpers are happy to take pictures on your smartphone if you ask nicely… And it’s a good time of year to be nice instead of naughty!
Have you met Santa Claus at Disney Springs, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, or Magic Kingdom Park? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks guest experience. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.