Hi, Mary! How sweet that you are bringing your granddaughter to Disney!
To introduce your little princess to the characters, start by viewing a parade. Here, she can see the characters, they will wave to her, but will not be so close as to frighten her. You can also view the stage show
Dream Along with Mickey in front of Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom where the characters sing and dance but do not leave the stage. Next, I would take her to a character meal. A nice one is the buffet at
Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. You get to dine with Pooh and his friends. The characters will come up to your table, but if you prefer not to get a photo or autograph, just let them know and they will continue on to the next guests.
If she gets through the parades and a character meal, then you can try a character meet and greet. You can get a schedule of characters appearing throughout the parks on a Times Guide which you can pick up when entering any theme park. "Smaller" sized characters may be easier, for example she may prefer to meet Minnie Mouse over Goofy since Goofy is so tall and may frighten her. Minnie Mouse is good about getting down to the level of the little ones and making them feel comfortable.
Just take it slow, and see how she does. If the characters are not her thing, that is OK too! Enjoy the attractions, restaurants, resorts, shows, parades, and fireworks (although Fantasmic was a bit intimidating to my 4 year old niece, so you might use some caution before viewing this.) For more tips on traveling with little ones, click
HERE. Have a magical vacation!