It’s hard to believe that we had to wait almost two full years before traditional character meets returned to the parks, resorts and cruises. But that day finally came for Walt Disney World on April 18, 2022! Hugs were officially back! Meet and greets in the parks as we once knew them were back again and it felt like all was finally right with the world.
When the pandemic hit and the parks closed in March 2020, we all had no idea what was in store. Turns out, a lot! And even when Walt Disney World reopened in July 2020, it was still quite some time before we saw characters return to the parks. Character cavalcades, mini parades, were introduced as a way to see your favorite characters throughout the parks. And while they are a ton of fun and we hope they are here to stay, they just weren’t enough. We wanted to hug and get autographs from our favorite characters.
And now we can! Characters are back and scattered around the parks waiting to see us! So where can you find your favorites? Let’s break it down park by park.
Just a quick note, it’s important to know that character meeting times vary and change often. Remember this as you plan your day. Refer to the My Disney Experience app to check for meet times if there are any that are on your list.
Open the My Disney Experience app and select the compass map icon on the bottom of the screen. From the top drop-down select Characters. Tapping on any character will take you to an expanded screen with their specific meeting times that day.
As of this writing on May 16, 2022, here is the full list of character meets at Walt Disney World.
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Magic Kingdom
- Mickey Mouse – Town Square Theater
- Princesses – Fairytale Hall (Usually Tiana, Rapunzel, Cinderella, & Elena of Avalor)
- Anastasia & Drizella– near Cinderella Fountain
- Chip & Dale – Storybook Circus
- Captain Jack Sparrow – across from the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean
- Belle– Maurice’s Cottage near Be Our Guest
- Stitch – Rocket Tower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland
- Buzz Lightyear – Rocket Tower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland
- Country Bears – Frontierland Balcony
Epcot
- Alice & Mary Poppins – UK Gardens
- Anna & Elsa – Royal Sommerhaus in Norway
- Belle – France
- Donald Duck – Mexico
- Goofy & Pluto – near Main Entrance
- Joy – Imageworks in Imagination Pavilion
- Vanellope – Imageworks in Imagination Pavilion
- Mickey Mouse – Pixar Short Film Theater
- Minnie Mouse – World Showcase Promenade
- Mulan – China
- Aurora – France
- Snow White – Germany
- Jasmine – Morocco
Hollywood Studios
- Doc McStuffins – Animation Courtyard near Disney Junior
- Fancy Nancy – Animation Courtyard near Disney Junior
- Vampirina – Animation Courtyard near Disney Junior
- Pluto – Animation Courtyard near Disney Junior
- Sully (Monsters Inc) – Walt Disney Presents
- Mickey & Minnie Mouse – Red Carpet Dreams
- Olaf – Celebrity Spotlight
- Chip ‘n’ Dale on the Brown Derby Lawn
- Daisy Duck on the Front Entrance Balcony
- Donald Duck on the Front Entrance Balcony
- Goofy on the Tower of Terror Balcony
- Chewbacca in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Rey in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- First Order Stormtroopers in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Kylo Ren in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Vi Moradi in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Animal Kingdom
- Kevin – Discovery Island
- Russell – Discovery Island
Currently only Kevin and Russell are greeting Guests at Animal Kingdom. Hopefully in time, more characters will return. In the meantime, daily character cavalcades are still happening throughout the day. Catch them at various times as they cruise down Discovery River. Check the My Disney Experience app under the Entertainment category to find showtimes.
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These are all of the character meet & greets happening across all four parks right now. As mentioned, always refer to My Disney Experience on the day you are visiting the parks to see if there have been any adjustments made to character meets. Things do change frequently and sometimes without notice.
