Putting The Character in Disney’s Parks

For all that Walt Disney World boasts some fabulous attractions, the essential magic of a day at one of the theme parks is not so much in great rides as memorable moments – character moments.

That first look at Cinderella Castle, a wave from Tinker Bell during the afternoon parade, and a hug from Mickey. Especially a hug from Mickey (or Minnie, or Belle, or Baloo).

Simply put, character interactions are the heart and soul of a visit to Walt’s kingdom, and, for children and adults alike, these can be the most compelling and touching moments of your holiday.

It’s also good to know that virtually all the characters are now back after their pandemic-enforced reduction, and they are most definitely huggable once more!

So, how do you go about ensuring you don’t miss any of this essential magic?

Funny you should ask, as we have the answers. Finding the characters is the first thing to do, but then knowing some of the key things to say or ask, or even what to wear, can ensure that your meet-and-greet truly has that magical component.

Know Your Disney Theme Parks in Advance

For any Orlando holiday, it’s essential to do some basic ‘homework.’ Whether you spend time online or invest in a good guidebook, you’ll benefit enormously from knowing about all four of Disney’s main theme parks before you go.

The Magic Kingdom is obviously the most iconic of the quartet, with nearly all of the classic characters, and you can find Minnie and Mickey at each one. But, if you’re looking for Anna and Elsa, or Dug and Russell, you need to have done some research.

Having identified your key ‘targets’ for each park, you’ll need to know when you can find them during your visit, as not all the characters are on hand throughout the day.

For this, you should start with a quick trip to the guest relations office at each park (or City Hall at the Magic Kingdom), where they will have a list of all the characters who will be available that day, where they will be and what times they will be “on duty,” so to speak.

Epcot remains something of a temporary set-up right now, while the park’s big transformation is still under way, but it will have a fully dedicated Character Spot once the Communicore Hall section is completed later in 2023.

The Main Events for Meet and Greets with Characters at Disney

There are two basic set-ups for character interaction in each park, and it’s helpful to know which is which in advance.

For instance, you can almost always find Mickey at each park, as he (and usually Minnie as well) have a permanent hang-out in each instance: at Town Square Theater in the Magic Kingdom, inside the Magic Eye Theater at Epcot (where the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival is playing), at Red Carpet Dreams (with Minnie) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and at the Adventurers Outpost (also with Minnie) at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

The Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom locations come with the bonus of being bookable on the Disney Genie+ service each day, so you can have your visit with the Main Mouse all lined up without any queuing.

The other permanent set-piece locations are also good to know about for maximum exposure to the characters, as follows:

Magic Kingdom: Merida at Fairy Tale Garden; Cinderella, Tiana, Rapunzel and Elena of Avalor at Princess Fairytale Hall; and Belle at Story Time with Belle. Pete’s Silly Side Show, featuring Donald, Daisy, Pluto and Goofy should be back in action again soon, but the chance to meet Ariel in her Grotto remains unavailable for the time being, with no scheduled return date.

Epcot: Joy from Inside Out and Vanellope from Wreck It Ralph inside ImageWorks at the Imagination! pavilion; and Anna and Elsa at the Royal Summerhaus in the Norway pavilion.

Hollywood Studios: Olaf from Frozen at Celebrity Spotlight; the stars of Disney Junior outside the Disney Junior Play & Dance theatre; BB-8, Chewbacca and Darth Vader at Star Wars Launch Bay; and Sulley from Monsters Inc. inside Walt Disney Presents.

Animal Kingdom: Donald, Daisy, Pluto and Chip ’n Dale at Donald’s Dino Bash in Dinoland USA; and Russell and Dug from UP! in their Adventure Outpost in Discovery Island (hopefully returning soon).

After each of the main set-pieces, you’ll also find the characters in a series of more casual meet-and-greets in suitable areas of the park, like Jasmine and Aladdin near the Magic Carpets of Aladdin ride in the Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland, and Princess Aurora outside the France pavilion at Epcot.

Princess Fairytale Hall and Celebrity Spotlight are also available on the Genie+ service, hence you can also add these to your daily schedule at park opening.

Hints, Tips and Ideas for When you Meet Disney Characters

If those are the nuts and bolts of your Disney character greetings, there are also several handy tactics to know about to make your meeting truly memorable.

All the characters LOVE if you have them on your T-shirt or other apparel, and they are likely to make an extra fuss of you, so be sure to check your wardrobe in advance for that all-important Tigger shirt, princess tiara or other accessory that you can point to when you meet them.

Equally, try to have a relevant question or greeting for them that allows them to respond in character, even if it is just asking Chip ’n Dale if they have been up to any mischief recently (or, even better, which one of them has the best dance moves!).

Other obvious comments could be to ask Eeyore where his tail has gone, if Aladdin still has his magic carpet, how many push-ups Gaston can do (and ask him to prove it!), or to ask Anna and Elsa how cold it gets in Arendelle. Oh, and always greet Belle with your best French, even if it is just “Bonjour.”

Make it fun!

Just be sure to have fun with them, and they will react in a truly fun way. Remember, they see several thousand guests every day, so if you can be a bit different, they’ll take it and run with it.

Jokey characters (notably the Mad Hatter) are also up for some humorous banter, so don’t be afraid to engage them with a joke or two. After all, these are trained actors, and they revel in the opportunity to go off script but stay in character.

If your child has special needs, be sure to tell the Cast Member organising the meet-and-greet. Some characters can occasionally use sign language or other appropriate response, and Disney sets great store by its ability to go the extra mile for people with disabilities.

And there is absolutely NO age limit to meet any of the characters. Even if you’re several (or more) years past your own childhood, you are perfectly at liberty to indulge your inner child and give Mickey or Minnie a hug and have your photo taken with them.

For more details and information on Disney character experiences, visit DisneyWorld.com.

Next blog: We’ll give you the low-down on the various character meals throughout Walt Disney World and how you can make the most of them, too.

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