It's not hard to find characters in Disney. They're everywhere. But to get an up close visit with a specific character, you might have to do some planning.

If you don't want to stand in line at the parks with your child waiting for a photo opportunity with a character, you may want to consider a character meal. Chef Mickey's at The Contemporary has Chef Mickey Mouse, Chip and Dale and Chef Goofy and the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom has Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eyore. While you dine on good food at these restaurants, the characters make their way around the tables to interact with you and your children.

One of my favorite places for a character meal is the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom. Here you'll find family-style dining on smoked pork loin, turkey and roast beef, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls and butter. Oh and for dessert, warm cherry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. One nice thing about Liberty Tree Tavern is that for many of the character meals in Disney you must make advance reservations, sometimes you can get a reservation at the Liberty Tree Tavern by checking with them when they open. If you definitely want to dine there, by all means, make the reservation, but depending on the time of year and crowd levels, you might be able to get a reservation when you arrive.

On our Disneymoon in 2004, my husband and I walked into the Magic Kingdom donning our bride and groom ears, a tell-tale sign we were newlyweds. A cast member stopped us and asked if we had made plans for dinner. We said we hadn't. She told us to go to Cinderella's Castle right away and they would make sure they found a seating for us. We did, and at 4 p.m. that day we were eating at Cinderella's Royal Table in the Castle. Our table was decorated with confetti and after dinner and dessert, we were brought a boxed "wedding gift" from The Castle. It was a pair of champagne flutes that said Cinderella's Royal Table.

Whether you're celebrating an occasion or just want some up close interaction with Disney characters, booking a character meal is the way to go.