Disney Character Meet And Greets: Everything You Need To Know About This Fun Experience
There are so many reasons to go to the Disney parks. Whirling rides, booming fireworks, delicious food, exclusive souvenirs…
But for many people – especially the kiddos – Disney character meet and greets are the highlight of any visit!
Whether your anthem is “Let it Go” or “The Imperial March,” you’ll have the amazing opportunity to meet your favorite character in the flesh! (As someone who loves fictional characters more than pizza, this quite literally a dream come true.)
From galactic Force-wielders to enchanting Disney princesses, there’s an entire kingdom of characters waiting for you at Walt Disney World! Here’s where you can find them.
Where to Meet Disney Characters at Disney World
Which characters you encounter depends upon which park you visit. The Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom all have different cast members to delight you during your visit.
If you have your heart set on meeting a particular someone, then you’ll want to make sure you’re in the correct park! We’ll go over who lives where and the best spots for possible photo ops! Some characters just roam about while others have designated spots. (Check the My Disney Experience app to find their appearance times for the day of your visit!)
Please note that while meet and greets have shifted back to normal – hugs are allowed again! – not every character is available for the old-style meet and greets just yet. Some are still just “sightings” where interactions take place at a distance.1
Magic Kingdom
If you’re looking for pretty princesses and charming princes, the Magic Kingdom is where they like to hang out. It makes sense, considering there’s a fancy castle and carrousel!
If you’re looking to discover a whole new world, we suggest heading over to Adventureland, where you might just run into Aladdin, Jasmine, and even Captain Jack Sparrow!
However, as you might expect, most of our royal friends tend to gravitate toward Fantasyland. Meet up with Cinderella (and other select Disney princesses, like Rapunzel) at the Princess Fairytale Hall for a personalized indoor encounter!
Intrepid Alice, well-read Belle, and swimmingly sweet Ariel can also be found around Fantasyland. You may even run into Peter Pan near the Peter Pan’s Flight attraction, where you can get his autograph!
Winnie the Pooh has recently resumed meet and greets, too, along with his hippity-hoppity friend, Tigger! Just make your way to “The Thotful Spot,” right by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction.
If you’re blasting off into the future of Tomorrowland, you’re liable to run into Stitch and Buzz Lightyear, but if the past is more your thing, then take a stroll down Main Street USA, where you might bump into Snow White, Tinkerbell, or Mickey Mouse himself! Oh, and the unflappably fantastic Mary Poppins can often be found working a bit of magic in Liberty Square.
Animal Kingdom
To meet Mickey and Minnie at the same time, you’ll need to go to the Adventurer’s Outpost at Animal Kingdom. This is where you can meet Safari Mickey and Minnie, who are all dressed up for an adventure!
Characters from Up! like Wilderness Explorer Russell, grumpy Mr. Fredrickson, and trusty dog, Dug, can sometimes be found at Discovery Island.
Hollywood Studios
There are plenty of exclusive meet and greets over at Hollywood Studios! Famous chipmunk duo Chip and Dale, Minnie, and even super special Sorcerer Mickey like to hang out at this park!
The Force is also strong with Hollywood Studios. Set your coordinates for Launch Bay if you’d like to hug a walking carpet (that is to say, Chewbacca), befriend BB-8, or challenge Darth Vader to a duel of the fates. Sometimes, you can even find Rey wandering around Galaxy’s Edge along with a bevy of stormtroopers and other Star Wars characters!
And don’t forget you’ve got a friend in Woody at Toy Story Land.
EPCOT
At EPCOT, you can attend Disney character meet and greets for beloved Anna and Elsa in the Norway pavilion at The Royal Sommerhaus. But that’s not all! Mulan can be found in China, Donald Duck in Mexico, Goofy and Pluto in Future World, and so many more Disney characters are hanging around the World Showcase! Perhaps a little surprisingly, EPCOT is actually a fantastic park for meet and greets!
Tips, Tricks, and Things to Know
There are a few things you might like to know if you’ve never experienced a Disney character meet and greet before. The first thing is understanding how to communicate with characters. There are two different kinds – “face” characters and “fur” characters – and each one will approach interactions quite differently.
Fur characters (like Chip & Dale, for example) can’t carry on a conversation with you. In fact, they aren’t allowed to talk! This means you’ll need to communicate with them non-verbally via hand gestures. Even without words, you can make some awesome memories and snap some great photos with these mascot-type characters!
Face characters are the princesses (and other human characters) who aren’t wearing a mask. These characters will talk to you and your children, and they’re great at putting everyone at ease. If you have littles who may be uneasy about fur characters, give face characters a try instead!
If you can catch face characters at an off time, you can often hold long conversations with them. It’s fun to come prepared with questions that help keep them in character, like asking Belle for book recommendations or asking Mary Poppins how Bert is doing. The end of the day provides your best chance at an interaction like this.
Of course, before you can have your meet and greet, you have to find the Disney characters first! It’s a lot to keep track of, so the best way to do it is to use the park’s Time Guide or the Disney parks app on your phone or tablet. However, many Disney character meet and greets often happen without planning. They’re totally (and wonderfully) spontaneous! Chances are good you’ll stumble across a meet and greet not mentioned in the app.
If this happens, be prepared to jump on it! (Eventually, every character is going to have to go rest, and sometimes lines are limited to a certain number of people.)
When you want a selfie with your favorite character, make sure your phone or camera is ready to go before you approach them. While there are official Disney photographers, there’s nothing to stop you from taking the photos you want. Disney photographers will even snap a photo with your device if you give them permission to!
The more impromptu you are, the better photos you’ll end up with. Try to run with whatever style suits the character you’re meeting. For example, Tigger can teach you to bounce up and down, or you might strike a cool Kung Fu pose with Mulan.
(Note: for guaranteed – and lengthier – encounters with specific characters, you can also pay for character dining experiences!)
No matter what you do, have fun with your Disney character meet and greet! Go with the flow – the characters are skilled at keeping conversations and interactions easy, breezy, and enjoyable. You’ll walk away with lasting memories you can cherish forever!
Who have you met at Walt Disney World? Tell us about your favorite Disney parks character meet and greet in the comments below!
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