As a former entertainment cast member at Walt Disney World, I enjoy taking time to meet Disney's famous characters whenever I make a trip back to Orlando. Whether you're a fan of the Disney Princesses, Winnie the Pooh and his pals, Pixar, or "the Fab Five," there are many fabulous places to meet your favorite characters around WDW. So turn on your camera and have your autograph books open, because these are my top 10 favorite character spots:
1. Town Square, Magic Kingdom Is there any place more iconic at Walt Disney World than Main Street USA? Stop by Town Square outside of The Emporium throughout the day for the chance to meet a variety of Disney friends, including Pluto, Snow White, and Mary Poppins, among others. A couple of characters are usually out and about at one time, each with their own line, so there are many chances to take photos, get autographs, and give big hugs all day long. With most outdoor locations like this, characters usually spend 30 minutes or so meeting guests between breaks for "a spot of tea" or to "check on the dwarves," if you catch my drift, so don't worry if you see one of your favorites walking away - They'll be right back! Each character always has one or more attendants with them, so they'll be able to answer any questions your may have or let you know when the characters will be back. 2. Princess Fairytale Hall, Magic Kingdom One of the newest character meet and greet locations at the Magic Kingdom, this is the place to go if you're a Disney Princess fan. Princess Anna and Queen Elsa, and Cinderella and Rapunzel are currently meeting guests here throughout the day, and FastPass+ is offered if you want to combat the major crowds they've been bringing in (especially Anna and Elsa). Plus, Disney's Photopass photographers are always available to help with capturing the magic during your meet and greet. On your way in, be sure to take a look at all of the details in the architecture and design! 3. Town Square Theater, Magic Kingdom If you're looking for a chance to meet with the big cheese himself or shrink down to the size of a fairy, then Town Square Theater is where you need to be! There are two different character experiences to be had at this location: visit with Mickey in his magic show dressing room, or step into Pixie Hollow to meet Tinkerbell. Each character has a FastPass+ line and meets throughout the day, so there are many chances to stop by and say hello. And the air conditioning in the building certainly makes for a nice break from riding rides and the Florida heat! 4. Character Spot, EPCOT Stop into Character Spot in Future World to get up close and personal with some of "The Fab Five" characters including Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy! This is a great location for young guests and those families who want to meet a couple characters at once and get on with the rest of their day. Again, FastPass+ is offered, Photopass photographers are there, and the area is air conditioned. Great place for meeting characters efficiently and with shorter lines in EPCOT! 5. The Magic of Disney Animation, Hollywood Studios This location hosts a multitude of Disney friends all day long, including some "surprise" meet and greets during select afternoons. You can meet Sorcerer Mickey, Minnie Mouse, Wreck it Ralph and Vanellope, and Mr. Incredible and Frozone, all under one roof! Each character has their own themed area, queue line, and photographer, so it does take a little bit of time to see everyone, but it's great for checking off many of the meet and greets on your list in one location. Be forewarned though as this building gets fairly loud and chaotic with a lot of young guests. And if you want to see what I mean by "surprise" meet and greets, head to this location in the late afternoon/early evening during nights Fantasmic! is showing. 6. Pete's Silly Sideshow, Magic Kingdom Another new character area in the Magic Kingdom that takes Disney theming to a whole new level, Pete's Silly Sideshow in the Storybook Circus area allows to you to meet Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, and Donald as their circus personas. It's a great place for kids of all ages and offers great photo ops with bright costuming, backgrounds, and details. There are two different lines (one to meet the girl characters, and one to meet the boys), so guests are moved through efficiently and easily. Tip: Head to this section of New Fantasyland first in the morning to see these characters and experience the rest of the area's attractions without any lines! 7. Animation Courtyard, Hollywood Studios Once you're done meeting characters inside The Magic of Disney Animation building, visit the Animation Courtyard right outside to meet Jake and Sofia from Disney Junior. This is the location to visit if you have little ones in your travel party and are not dining at Hollywood and Vine for a character meal (the only other place to meet Disney Junior pals). Both Jake and Sofia have their own area, but they're right next door to each other so you can meet them both fairly quickly and easily. Just make sure younger guests know what to expect to avoid a meltdown! 8. United Kingdom, EPCOT Travel over to World Showcase EPCOT and you'll see characters in each themed country pavilion. I especially love stopping in the UK for character meet and greets though, as you can see Pooh, Tigger, Alice, and Mary Poppins all within a few steps of each other. These meet and greets typically feel a little more organic and carefree, as each location usually has shorter lines that allow for more character interaction with each guest. No FastPass+ is offered, but Photopass photographers are normally available at each area to help you. And of course character attendants are there as well. 9. Pixar Place, Hollywood Studios If you're a Toy Story fan, or have one in your travel party, then you definitely need to walk through Pixar Place by the Toy Story Midway Mania ride. You can meet Buzz and Woody in an enclosed meet and greet area across from the ride, but you may run into a Green Army Man or two roaming the street as well. Have your camera ready! Buzz and Woody's line is often long, but they do meet guests throughout the day, so you age plenty of time to stop by and say hello. 10. Fairytale Garden, Magic Kingdom The carefree Scottish Princess Merida is ready to meet guests of all ages in the Fairytale Garden right next to Cinderella Castle. Join her for some archery practice and coloring before getting the chance to take photos and get her autograph. I love this area because it's intricately themed and offers the "play and greet" experience for kids that adds extra magic. Lines can be long though, so be prepared to wait for at least a little bit of time. No matter which characters you meet on your vacation at Walt Disney World, you're sure to have a magical experience and bring home many memories. Character meet and greets are for kids of all ages, so don't be afraid to hop in line if you come across your favorite Disney friends during your park days. And be sure to take a look at my previous post for tips to make your character experiences as magical, seamless, and fun as possible. For a compete list of where to meet characters around Walt Disney World, visit https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/#/character-experiences/. Do you have any special Disney memories of meeting characters? Share them with me in the comments below! Until the next post, see ya real soon! Comments are closed.
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About MeA twenty-something alumni of the Disney College Program looking to help others plan the Disney vacations of their dreams! Living that Disneyland AP dream in SoCal. Archives
February 2018
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