{"id":57637,"date":"2017-10-10T08:00:29","date_gmt":"2017-10-10T12:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=57637"},"modified":"2022-04-09T00:28:59","modified_gmt":"2022-04-09T04:28:59","slug":"walt-disney-world-character-meeting-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/walt-disney-world-character-meeting-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Walt Disney World Character Meeting Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

To most guests, Disney character watching is an important part of their Disney vacation. The characters\u00a0provide a link between the animated films and the theme parks, and meeting them is very similar to a celebrity encounter, a memory to be treasured.<\/p>\n

Did you know that, from hundreds of animated-film characters, only about 250 have been brought to life, and only about a fifth of them mix with guests? The others perform in parades and shows in the parks and at some resorts. Characters even appear at Disney\u2019s water parks<\/a> and sometimes meet with guests at Disney Springs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Character<\/p>\n

First Things First<\/h2>\n

Character meeting can be a wonderful experience for children, but young kids can be intimidated, even terrified, when meeting them for the first time. Many Disney characters are quite large, some like Winnie the Pooh, Tiger, King Louie, Baloo, and Genie are huge! Others such as Maleficent, Cruella De Vil, Jafar, and Lady Tremaine can potentially scare little ones.<\/p>\n

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Prepare your children before arriving at the parks. You could visit a ballpark and see how your child reacts to a team\u2019s mascot. Another\u00a0great way to show young children how the characters appear in the parks is to rent or buy a Disney SingAlong Song<\/i>s DVDs<\/a>. These programs show Disney characters interacting with real kids. At a minimum, the videos will give your kids a sense of how big the characters are. You can also watch YouTube videos<\/a> to get a sense of what to expect.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t thrust your child at the character.\u00a0If your child is shy or scared, try talking to the character while leaving the young one with another adult to observe the interaction. Face characters, those for whom no mask or headpiece is necessary, are usually less scary. Start with a\u00a0Tiana, Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel, Mary Poppins, Ariel, Cinderella, Belle, or Snow White meet-and-greet.<\/p>\n

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Character Meeting in the Parks<\/h2>\n

The fabulous five\u2014Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto\u2014are to be found pretty much in every park. But some characters, such as the Queen of Hearts, the Seven Dwarfs, Jack Skellington, or Captain Hook seldom come out.<\/p>\n

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Quite a few appear only in parades, stage shows, or during special ticketed events, such as Mickey\u2019s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey\u2019s Very Merry Christmas Party. During those events, the fabulous five appear in their Halloween costumes and holiday bests respectively.<\/p>\n

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Most Disney royalty can be found at the Magic Kingdom<\/a>, which is home to Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Snow White, Merida, Tiana, Rapunzel, and Elena of Avalor.<\/p>\n

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The Norway Pavilion at Epcot<\/a> is Frozen<\/em><\/a> Central. But Anna and Elsa also appear during the Disney Festival of Fantasy <\/a>parade at the Magic Kingdom and during the For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration<\/em><\/a> at Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios<\/a>. During the show, they are joined on stage by Kristoff.<\/p>\n

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The Studios are also home to an Olaf meet-and-greet. The summer-loving snowman meets his fans inside the Celebrity Spotlight at Echo Lake. From mid-May through mid-August, Olaf and Kristof also meet during the Frozen<\/em> Games at Disney\u2019s Blizzard Beach water park.<\/p>\n

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Aladdin and Jasmine meet at the Morocco Pavilion, Mary Poppins and Alice can be found in the United Kingdom, Mulan greets guests at the China Pavilion, Belle\u2019s\u00a0<\/i>home is in France, and Snow White meets at the wishing well in Germany. The latest additions to Epcot have been Baymax from the Big Hero 6<\/em> movie and Inside Out<\/em> stars Joy and Sadness.<\/p>\n

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Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios is the\u00a0Star Wars<\/em><\/a> characters headquarters.\u00a0Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, and BB-8<\/a> meet guests inside\u00a0Star Wars Launch Bay, while Stormtroopers (when not busy with the March of the First Order<\/a>) roam Animation Courtyard. Star Wars<\/em> character watching takes on a whole different level during the Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away<\/em><\/a> show, taking place several times at Center Stage in front of the Chinese Theater. It is the largest assembly of Star Wars<\/em> heroes and villains and is not to be missed.<\/p>\n

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Buzz, Woody, and the Green Army Men can be found at Pixar Place.<\/p>\n

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Little tykes will enjoy meeting Disney Channel characters such as Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Jake from Jake and the Never Land Pirates.<\/em><\/p>\n

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New in 2017 is the meet-and-greet with\u00a0Star-Lord and Baby Groot<\/a>. The\u00a0Guardians of the Galaxy<\/em> characters appear inside Walt Disney Presents<\/a>, formally known as One Man\u2019s Dream.<\/p>\n

The Animal Kingdom<\/a> is the only place where guests can meet Pocahontas. Jungle book characters King Louie, Baloo, Timon, as well as Flik, and Russel all made the Animal Kingdom their home.<\/p>\n\n

Character Meals are Great for Character Greeting<\/h2>\n

Character meals are bustling affairs held in hotels\u2019 or theme parks\u2019 largest full-service restaurants.\u00a0During your meal, characters circulate around, and each of the three to five characters present will visit your table, arriving one at a time to interact with your family, pose for photos, and sign autographs. Here are some of our favorites:<\/p>\n

At Hollywood & Vine<\/strong><\/a> during breakfast, small children can meet Handy Manny, Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Jake from the Disney Channel. During lunch and dinner, Guests can meet Mickey, Minnie, and more dressed in seasonal attire.<\/p>\n

The 1900 Park Fare<\/strong><\/a> breakfast at the Grand Floridian is visited by Mary Poppins, Alice, Mad Hatter, Pooh, and Tigger.<\/p>\n

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At lunch and dinner, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremain, and the two stepsisters provide the most amazing entertainment.<\/p>\n

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The Crystal Palace<\/strong><\/a> at Disney\u2019s Magic Kingdom is great for Winnie the Pooh fans as Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore are the stars here at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.\u00a0At Tusker House<\/strong><\/a> at Disney’s Animal Kingdom you can meet classic characters such as Donald, Mickey, Daisy, Minnie and Goofy\u00a0for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The buffet offers\u00a0a mix of African cuisine and standard American fare.<\/p>\n

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Little princesses will be thrilled at Akerhus Royal Banquet Hall<\/a>,<\/strong> as four to six characters chosen from Ariel, Belle, Snow White, Aurora, Mary Poppins, and Cinderella visit with guests and take children on a royal promenade through the restaurant.<\/p>\n

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The fabulous five entertains during breakfast, brunch, and dinner at Chef Mickey\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> inside Disney\u2019s Contemporary Resort.\u00a0At Disney’s Polynesian Resort guests can join Lilo and Stitch for a fun character breakfast at ‘Ohana<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Mickey, Minnie, Chip \u2019n\u2019 Dale, and Goofy bring lots of fun to diners at Mickey\u2019s Backyard BBQ<\/strong><\/a>. The show comes complete with a country band and line dancing and is held at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.<\/p>\n

New since 2017 is breakfast with Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Ariel, and Prince Eric at Trattoria Al Forno<\/strong><\/a> at Disney\u2019s Boardwalk.<\/p>\n

Character Greeting for the Wise<\/h2>\n

Families once were content to meet a character occasionally. They now pursue them relentlessly, armed with autograph books and cameras. While we love character greeting and love getting our pictures taken with the characters, we do recommend to remember to enjoy your visit and most certainly your meals. Put the camera and autograph book away, and enjoy those precious moments.<\/p>\n

For more family fun tips when visiting Walt Disney World check out\u00a0The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Did you like this article? Make sure to share it with your friends! Check below for easy ways to share!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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