Where to Meet Characters at Walt Disney World

How to Find a Favorite Disney Character in the Theme Parks

Nov 23, 2009
Debra Peterson

Find Disney Characters for Pictures & Autographs - Josh McConnell

Walt Disney World guests who want to meet characters can find them at theme park "meet and greet" areas and by dining at Disney character meals.

Part of any Disney vacation, especially for children and families, is seeing the characters. All four theme parks in Walt Disney World feature both costumed characters – such as Mickey, Pluto, and Goofy – and face characters – including princesses and pirates – in parades and stage shows. These opportunities are fun, low-key ways to see some of Disney’s biggest stars in action.

For Disney guests who would enjoy getting up close and more personal with the characters, there are several other opportunities in each park that fall broadly into three areas: informal "meet and greet" spots that feature various Disney characters; designated spots that are “home” to certain characters, and character dining experiences.

Informal "Meet and Greet" Character Spots in Disney World

"Meet and Greet" character locations are indicated on theme-park maps, with characters and times published in the supplementary Times Guide, an entertainment schedule that also provides up-to-date information on parades and shows. These materials are available at the turnstile entrances to the parks as well as at Magic Kingdom’s City Hall; Epcot’s Guest Relations; and Crossroad of the World at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS). Common meeting places, although not all, include:

Animal Kingdom: Discovery Island’s Flame Tree Barbecue stars Winnie the Pooh and friends, while Rafiki’s Planet Watch hosts various characters.
DHS: Disney and Pixar characters are found at Mickey’s Sorcerer's Hat; the Backlot area near Star Tours; along Animation Courtyard through Mickey Avenue and Pixar Place; and on New York Street.
Epcot: International Gateway and America Gardens Theatre offers various costumed characters, while character and face characters at select World Showcase Pavilions are associated with that country.
Magic Kingdom: Classic Disney characters are found at City Hall and Exposition Hall on Main Street; near Frontierland’s Splash Mountain and Tomorrowland’s Carousel of Progress; and in Fantasyland.

Characters may also be found at unexpected locations in the parks, especially near buildings or attractions with a cast-member entrance. Watch for crowds gathered where there is no attraction listed.

Designated Character Meeting Spots in Disney’s Theme Parks

Designated locations provide a permanent home in which characters welcome guests. These spots can be crowded but offer guaranteed interactions with featured characters. Magic Kingdom is busiest, especially Mickey’s Toontown Fair where its Judge’s Tent is the spot to meet the big cheese himself, Mickey Mouse.

Animal Kingdom: Camp Minnie-Mickey Greeting Trails presents different characters – frequently Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald, but also Daisy, Winnie the Pooh, Pocohontas, Timon, and Baloo.
DHS: Magic of Disney Animation building hosts classic and recent Disney characters.
Epcot: Character Spot inside Innoventions West features favorite friends, including Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Chip ‘n Dale.
Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland’s Character Festival, across from Dumbo, offers various characters; Ariel’s Grotto stars the mermaid herself, along with her friends; and at Fairytale Garden, Belle interacts with guests after Storytime.

Disney Character Dining for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

The theme parks offer character dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The primary appeal is the characters who are always in attendance and visit each table. Character meals allow guests to meet characters in a lively but non-competitive situation, which makes them choices for small children, large families, and shy guests.

Character dining meals are not included with admission, tend to be structured as buffet and family-style dining, and may be more expensive than other meals of comparable quality. Advance dining reservations (ADRs) are recommended, and characters vary from restaurant to restaurant as well as change over time. Double-check with Disney reservations online or by phone when making reservations.

Animal Kingdom: Donald’s Safari Breakfast at Africa’s Tusker House provides an American buffet breakfast with Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Goofy.
DHS: Hollywood & Vine Plan ‘n Dine offers breakfast and lunch buffets with characters from Playhouse Disney and Little Einsteins.
Epcot: Princess Storybook Dining at Askerhus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway shifts between American fare for breakfast and Norwegian food for lunch and dinner; the Garden Grill offers family-style dinners with Chip ‘n Dale.
Magic Kingdom: Cinderella’s Royal Table, mostly likely Disney World’s most popular character dining experience, offers breakfast and lunch with princesses and their escorts – reservations are necessary and should be made as far in advance as possible; Crystal Palace is home to Winnie the Pooh and the 100-Acre Wood characters.

Disney character meals are also available at the resorts, and may feature other favorite characters.

One of the highlights of a Walt Disney World vacation is meeting favorite characters for a round of autographs, pictures, smiles and hugs. Guests can plan "meet and greet" encounters by using the theme-park maps and Times Guides, and make Disney character dining reservations online or at 407-WDW-DINE (407- 939-3463.