If you are heading to the Disney World theme parks, there is a good chance you will want to see at least one Disney Character. If you are heading with children then it is going to be a “for sure” thing!
Even as an adult, to see Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck brings out the child in us. To see your children meet Minnie Mouse or Buzz Lightyear with that huge smile on their faces can be one of the best moments of the trip.
Disney does a wonderful job with the characters. When guests meet them, they magically interact with those they are in contact with great personality, mannerisms and enthusiasm in order to give people exactly what they were hoping for.
It is important to know, if you have never had character interactions before, that characters with fur (including non-human characters like the Toy Story folks, Disney’s Fab Five and others) cannot talk. They communicate through actions, gestures and body language.
The fur animals always have a cast member with who can sometimes help communicate for the character but not always.
Characters who are face characters do talk. Characters like Mary Poppins, any of the Princesses and other animated characters brought to life, will indeed talk to you in the exact way you would expect.
The Cast Members playing the characters even have a wealth of knowledge about the character’s makeup and personality.
What Disney Characters are at the Walt Disney World Parks?
More characters are available to meet than you think! Many of the popular characters Disney has brought to us over the years can be found at Disney World, however, not all are at every park and on every day.
A little investigative work might need to be done on your part before you head out to the parks to ensure you are seeing your favorite character.
Here are the characters you can usually find at one of the Disney World parks. This is by no means an exact list but gives you a good idea of the number of characters.
The Fab 5. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck
Disney Princesses. Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Jasmine, Belle, Ariel (the Little Mermaid), Rapunzel, Elsa, Anna, Tiana, Mulan, Moana, Merida, Elena of Avalor, Pocahontas. Aurora is the hardest princess to meet.
Pixar. Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie, Sully, The Incredibles, Russel, Olaf, Kevin, Miguel, Joy and others
Star Wars. Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Storm Troopers others
Animals. Winnie the Pooh, Chip and Dale, Pluto, Stitch, Dug and others
Minor Characters. Many other “secondary” characters can be found including, some of the seven Dwarfs, Star Wars characters, Disney Junior characters, Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter, Peter Pan, Flynn Rider, Tinker Bell, and more.
What are the ways to have Character Meets?
When you watch a Disney World vacation commercial, you may get the idea that you will simply be walking through one of the parks, almost by yourself, and as you turn the corner past the Cinderella Castle, out will pop Cinderella herself and your child will run up to her and give her a big hug, again, with no one else around. She will blow you a kiss as you continue to make your way to the next attraction.
Unfortunately this can’t be further from the truth. The Disney Characters will never be walking alone trying to find you.
You need to make the effort to find the character. How does this happen? There are primarily three different ways to see the characters for a meet and greet.
1. Character Meals.
The first way, and in our opinion, the best way to meet n greet your favorite Disney Characters is to dine at a Disney restaurant that has the characters you would like to see. This is one of our top suggestions of things to splurge on during your Walt Disney World vacation.
The main reason we like a character dining experience so much, is because of the time factor. You can fill your tummies and see your character friends at the same time.
There can be a few issues in this approach, the main one being that your favorite characters may not be at any restaurant. Another issue is that the food, wait staff, and commotion of a Disney Restaurant may not be the ideal spot for interactions and pictures.
A couple great places to meet characters is Chef Mickey’s and Story Book Dining at Artist Point. We also really love Topolino’s breakfast!
2. Traditional Character Meet and Greets
Unlike the character meals, this is a wonderful way to have the character giving you the most attention and getting the best pictures.
In a traditional meet, you will wait in line/queue like any other attraction. When it is finally your time, you (or probably your child) will be able to interact with the character in a personal way.
You will have time for asking questions, getting autographs and posing for pictures (which is almost always done through the Disney PhotoPass Service) and possibly getting a hug.
Using the paid add-on Genie+, you will be able to book meet and greets with some characters in the park you are headed to on any given day. This will mean shorter lines allowing you to see more characters.
3. Informal Park Character Meets
Each day, each Disney park will have character experiences that you may not know about until the day it happens.
How will you find out about a particular character interaction? They are posted in the My Disney Experience app and the times guide. If you don’t look in one of these two places you may not know about them.
As soon as the character shows up, the line can get long quickly and it will usually end abruptly. Time with the character is not long, but it is a fun way to get a quick meeting. We have seen Mary Poppins, Rapunzel, Woody and Pluto in these informal meeting situations.
Disney World Characters List by Park
For the Disney World Characters meet, refer to the following characters and locations to see them.
Please note that Disney will sometimes suspend Character appearances for different reasons so be sure to check the Disney app or contact Disney directly for exact appearances.
Magic Kingdom
Adventureland
- Aladdin and Jasmine
- Captain Jack Sparrow
Fantasyland
- Princesses in Princess Fairytale Hall – Usually you can find Rapunzel, Tiana, Cinderella and Elena of Avalor here!
- Anastasia, Drizella & the Fairy Godmother
- Ariel – at Ariel’s Grotto
- Belle – at Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Daisy & Donald Duck – located at the Town Square Theater
- Gaston – Temporarily unavailable
- Merida – just after the bridge from the Castle Hub into Fantasyland
- Mickey & Minnie Mouse – located at the Town Square Theater
- Peter Pan – located near Peter Pan’s Flight
- Tigger and Winnie the Pooh – located near the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at the Thotful Spot
Frontierland
- Chip and Dale – located on balcony outside Country Bears or on River raft boats
- Country Bears – outside Country Bear Jamboree
Liberty Square
- Merida – at Enchanted Glade Gazebo
Main Street USA
- Mickey – Town Square Theater
- Tinker Bell – temporarily unavailable
Tomorrowland
- Buzz Lightyear
- Stitch
Starting Sept 15, 2023: Mirabel will greet guests in the Fairytale Garden
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Animation Courtyard
- BB-8 – located at Star Wars Launch Bay
- Chewbacca- located at Star Wars Launch Bay
- Darth Vader – located at Star Wars Launch Bay
- Doc McStuffins
- Fancy Nancy
- Vampirina
- Ariel
Commissary Lane
- Olaf – located at Celebrity Spotlight
- Minnie & Mickey Mouse – located at the Red Carpet Dreams
Pixar Place
- Edna Mode
- Mr & Mrs Incredible
- Frozone
- Sulley
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Chewbacca – located at Star Wars Launch Bay
- BB-8 – located at Star Wars Launch Bay
- Darth Vader – located at Star Wars Launch Bay
- Rey – located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Toy Story Land
- Buzz Lightyear
- Sheriff Woody
- Jessie the Cowgirl
Hollywood Studios – Some of the following characters are not meet and greet but can be seen from a distance
First Order Stormtroopers – located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Kylo Ren – located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Vi Moradi – located in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Chip ‘n’ Dale – located in the Brown Derby Lawn
Daisy Duck – located on the Front Entrance Balcony
Donald Duck – located on the Front Entrance Balcony
Goofy – located on the Tower of Terror Balcony
Max – located on the Tower of Terror Balcony
Epcot
Mexico Pavilion
- Donald Duck
Norway Pavilion
- Anna and Elsa – Royal Sommerhus
China Pavilion
- Mulan
Germany Pavilion
- Snow White
Morocco Pavilion
- Jasmine
France Pavilion
- Belle
- Princess Aurora
United Kingdom Pavilion
- Alice
- Mary Poppins
World Celebration
- Joy – located at ImageWorks – The “What If” labs
- Vanellope Von Schweetz – located at ImageWorks – The “What If” labs
- Daisy Duck – located at the International Gateway
- Goofy – located near the main entrance of Epcot
- Pluto – located near the main entrance of Epcot
- Mickey Mouse – located at the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
- Figment – Imagination! pavilion
Mickey and friends will be moving to a new home when CommuniCore Hall opens!
World Showcase
- Minnie Mouse – located at the World Showcase Friendship Ambassador Gazeebo
- Winnie the Pooh – located in the United Kingdom World Showcase
What are Character Cavalcades at Disney World?
You may have heard of Character Cavalcades at Disney World. What’s it all about? Just after the pandemic was winding down and things were getting back to normal, there were still no character meet and greets and Disney was worried that the full blown parades would cause people to be too close together so they developed shorter, smaller, more impromptu parades called Cavalcades.
Cavalcades was a quick way for guests to see characters from a distance and because it moved by swiftly (a couple of minutes), it didn’t cause people to congregate closely. Think of it as a mini parade!
Now that everything is opened up and seemingly back to normal, including the bigger parades, Disney has kept the Cavalcades, at least for the time being.
Festival of the Fantasy Parade
In addition to the Cavalcades, the Magic Kingdom hosts a wonderful parade 2 times every day called the Festival of the Fantasy Parade. Here you will be able to see many types of characters in one place.
Similar to the Cavalcades, you will not be able to meet and greet any of the characters. It is simply a watch and wave parade, however, the characters do as much as they can to make it personal by pointing and waving and doing other mannerisms. Many of the following characters can be seen at this parade:
- Micky Mouse
- Minnie Mouse
- Donald Duck
- Daisy Duck
- Belle and the Beast
- Cinderella and Prince Charming
- Peter Pan
- Captain Hook
- Aurora
- Prince Philip
- Maleficent Dragon
- Pinnochio
- Dumbo
- Tiana and Prince Naveen
- Anna and Elsa
- Flynn Rider and Rapunzel
- Ariel
- Pluto, Mad Hatter
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Character Dining Restaurants information
The following restaurants all have different characters available for meet and greet. Some are only Character Breakfasts or Dinners and some have characters present at all meals.
As always, if you are looking for a specific character and have a must-meet list, please call Disney for further information.
Please note: Specific Characters May Change Without Notice.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Location: Epcot
Service: Buffet
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Characters: Snow White, Jasmine, Princess Aurora, Bell, Mary Poppins
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Location: Disney’s Magic Kingdom
Service: Menu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Characters: Cinderella
Notes: Cinderella’s Royal Table used to have several princesses during your meal. Since the pandemic this character meal has been not consistent with meet and greets. Currently you can meet Cinderella prior to your meal. Be sure to check before booking.
Chef Mickey’s
Location: Contemporary Resort
Service: Buffet
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Characters: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald, Goofy and Pluto
We share even more about Chef Mickey’s here!
Cape May Cafe
Location: Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Service: Buffet
Meals: Breakfast is the only meal with characters
Characters: Minnie Mouse, Donald, Daisy and Goofy
Notes: Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast is the place to be for the characters
Hollywood and Vine
Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Service: Buffet
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Characters: Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, Roadster Goofy at breakfast and Micky Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto at the other meals.
Notes: Disney Junior Play ‘n Dine Breakfast and Minnie’s Seasonal Dine for lunch and dinner
Tusker House Restaurant
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Service: Buffet
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Characters: Micky Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Goofy
Notes: Characters dress in safari clothes
Garden Grill
Location: Epcot
Service: Buffet
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Characters: Micky Mouse, Pluto and Chip and Dale
Notes: Rotating Restaurant
Artist Point – Story Book Dining with Snow White
Location: Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort
Service: Menu
Meals: Dinner
Characters: Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy and the Evil Queen
Notes: Elegant. Check out our full review here (we loved it!)
Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera
Location: Disney’s Riviera Resort
Service: Menu
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Characters: Micky Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck
Notes: Fireworks view in the evening
The Crystal Palace
Location: Disney’s Magic Kingdom
Service: Buffet
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Characters: Winnie the Pooh and friends including Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore
Notes: Window table can get glimpses of the Main Street Parade and Fireworks in the evening
‘Ohana
Location: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Service: All you can eat feast
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Characters: Micky Mouse, Stitch, Lilo and Pluto during breakfast
Notes: Hawaiian style “Churrascaria” type of service for dinner
Be Our Guest
Location: Disney’s Magic Kingdom
Service: Menu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Characters: Beast
Notes: This is not a meet and greet at your table. Guests can view the Beast as he makes his way through the castle during the meal.
Trattoria al Forno
Location: Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Resort
Service: Menu
Meals: Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast
Characters: Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Ariel, Prince Eric
Notes: Characters are currently not available, check here for updates.
1900 Park Fare
Location: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
Service: Buffet
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Characters: Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine and Cinderella’s Stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella
Notes: Characters are currently not available
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney pals featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse – located at Adventures Outpost
Chip ‘n’ Dale – located in DinoLand U.S.A.
Daisy Duck – located in DinoLand U.S.A.
Donald Duck – located in DinoLand U.S.A.
Kevin – located on Discovery Island
Russell – located on Discovery Island
Moana – Discovery River
Special Event Character Interactions
Characters can also be found at Disney Special events. You can find the Special Events Calendar here.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is an extra pay event but will have characters that are not your typical main Disney characters.
Included in the lineup has been:
Gaston, Jack Skellington and Sally, Aladdin and Abu, The Disney Genie along with Jasmine and Jafar, Queen of Hearts.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is similar to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party with rare character sightings, including:
- Santa Claus
- Flynn Rider
- Mary Poppins with Bert
- Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum
- Prince Eric and Ariel
- Moana
- Jack Skellington
runDisney Events
runDisney events also will give us some fun character meet and greets that are a bit out of the ordinary. Those include:
- Carabelle
- Woody and Bullseye
- Pinocchio
- the Seven Dwarfs
- Jiminy Cricket
- Atta and Flick
- Sebastian
- Mike and Sully
- Star Lord and Gamora
- Judy Hops and Nick Wilde
Hopefully you are well equipped to head out to the parks and dining areas to see your favorite Disney characters.
Don’t forget your autograph book and remember to do your homework before heading out to the parks so you are sure your favorite character is there!