Finding Your Favorite Characters: Character Meet & Greets at Walt Disney World

Having said that, we have no kids, but you can often find us hanging out, waiting to meet some of our favorite Disney characters. And over the years, we've learned one or two things about finding the characters in a Disney park.

The first thing we do before we even head out on a vacation is to decide exactly how much of a sport we're going to make our character hunt this time around. We've had vacations where we've only seen the characters at the meals that we've booked with them, while on other occasions, we've chased them down at every signing we've seen, aiming to fill our autograph books as much as we can. Of course, if you choose the latter approach, you need to appreciate that';s going to cut into your vacation time, and may leave you with less time for riding attractions.

If you decide to go for the first approach, then hunting down your characters is simple. You need do no more than grab your PassPorter's Walt Disney World (you do have a copy, right?) and turn to the Feasting and Snacking chapter. Take a look at what meals tickle your tastebuds, and whether the characters there are ones your family will want to see, and go ahead, and book it.

Magic Kingdom - new meet and greet area
Interactive posters in the new meet and greet area for characters in Town Square. - photo by chezp

PassPorter's Walt Disney World 2013 Guidebook Available for 15%-35% Off! Purchase includes a free Online Edition!

What about if you're on some serious commando character hunting, seeking every single one in sight in every park? Although this sounds exhausting, this can be a huge amount of fun, as we discovered on one of our vacations. We made a vow to try and fill as much of our autograph books as possible, and we did it, all but about four or five pages. It was hard work, and we definitely needed a plan!

You’ll find that the major characters, the likes of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto all draw huge crowds. It's no coincidence that they're often positioned at the entrance to parks to help distract people from their thoughts of hitting the first ride of the day. It all helps to control visitor traffic. Here, some decisions are needed. Do you want to enjoy Soarin' or Expedition Everest with little or no wait? If so, you need to hit them early on or grab FASTPASSes. If not, then you can enjoy some character time.

Pick your lines carefully, and if they're all pretty long, then think about whether you all want to be in the photo. If not, then you can always split up.

Don't assume that the character meet and greets, such as the ones in Town Square, Future World in Epcot or the Character Landing in Animal Kingdom will be mobbed. We've found exceptionally short waits at all of these locations. It's worth taking a look. Where there's a line for more than one set of characters, then sometimes you'll find one line is very long, while another is pretty short. While the princesses were mobbed, the last time we visited Town Square, we saw Mickey and Minnie with only a five minute wait.

Keep your eyes peeled for characters, and learn where they hang out. They can be devious sometimes! While much of the time they will be obvious, we've found Aladdin and his friends hidden away at the back of Epcot's Morocco, Buzz Lightyear and Woody at the entrance to Tomorrowland, and even the Queen of Hearts wandering around in the walkway behind the Epcot Character Spot.

If you want to get a heads up, then check out Steve Soares' excellent website, or ask when you arrive at a park. These days, character hunting is so much easier, with details printed of where you can find them, and when. If you don't see your favorite on the list, it's still worth double checking, as things can change. As soon as you've got those details, make sure you're in line before your chosen character comes out. Trust me, once they're out, everyone will make a beeline for them, and you don't want to join the line, just to be told by a Cast Member that the queue has been closed ahead of you. We’ve had that happen to us on many occasions, and it's not a good position to be in, particularly if you have a child with you and you have to explain to them that you can't see Princess Aurora, Stitch, or Chip and Dale.

It’s also worth knowing that the characters come out in different garb, depending on the season. During the holidays, you'll often find them dressed up for Yule. One of my favorite memories is of Donald in his seasonal lumberjack outfit, while we were also lucky enough to snag Belle on a cold day close to Christmas in her beautiful (and no doubt warm!) red dress, which was a rare and wonderful photo opportunity for me. Don't forget that, as a Christmas treat, the characters may also visit the on-site resorts, most commonly the deluxe ones.

Sometimes, you get unusual sightings at certain times of the year. The classic example has to be Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, the only time you can usually guarantee a chance to meet all seven of the dwarves, rather than just Dopey on his own. Easter brings out Mrs. Bunny, while if you like a new character, then the chances are, unless they become exceptionally popular, your best bet is in the six months or so after their movie debuts. You don’t see much of Koda and Kenai from Brother Bear or Wall-E any longer.

The true moral of character hunting is like just about everything else Disney. Do your homework beforehand, thinking about which ones you're most desperate to see, then try and find them when crowds are low, first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Keep your eyes peeled for any unexpected sightings, and plan ahead. Oh, and good luck with your character hunting -- it's a huge amount of fun, and very rewarding, if you decide to take the challenge on.



Magic Kingdom - inside the Crystal Palace
Familiar faces inside the Crystal Palace. - photo by chezp

About the Author: Cheryl and husband Mark live in England and love to travel, particularly to Disney, and they have made numerous visits to destinations across America and Europe. They recently completed their tour of every Disney theme park around the world, which culminated in their visit to Japan, including the Tokyo Disney Resort. Click here to view more of Cheryl's articles!

Related Links:
Enjoying the Japan Pavilion at Epcot - A World Showcase Favorite last updated 2/24/2011
The Parades of the Magic Kingdom - A Plethora of Processions last updated 01/22/2009
Epcot's World Showcase - Pavilions vs. The "Real" World last updated 01/29/2009
Recent Changes to Disneyland - Part 1 last updated 02/12/2009
The Seas With Nemo And Friends - In Love With The Living Seas last updated 4/23/2009

---

Reader Comments:

There's a character greeting spot that no one knows about. Tigger actually comes out to pull people in. Winnie is there and Eeyore too. No lines! Go through main entrance and take first path to your right. Before you go over the bridge to Dinoland there is a hidden path on your right. That's where Pooh and his friends are.

     Pattirose52 on November 3, 2012 @ 6:49 pm

Here's a great website for finding characters: Disney World Character Finder Utility - presented by WDW Insiders

It's especially useful for finding rare characters if you already have signatures of the main characters many times over.

     ahava on November 4, 2012 @ 4:28 pm

View all 2 comments in forum thread

So what do you think? Click here to share your comments, feedback, and experiences on this article and topic!

(Note: You must be a member of our PassPorter Message Board Community to leave comments. Join today for free!)

---

Updated 11-02-2012 - Article #866 

Read additional articles from PassPorter.com

Subscribe to our free e-mail newsletter, PassPorter News, published for more than 55,000 opt-in subscribers worldwide. As an added bonus for subscribing, you will receive a 20% discount coupon for the PassPorter Store -- no catch! E-mail Address: First Name: E-mail Format: -Text/Don't Know   -HTML    We respect your privacy and never sell or rent our subscriber list. Subscribing will not result in more spam! We guarantee it.

Copyright 1999-2012
by PassPorter Travel Press, an imprint of MediaMarx, Inc.