How To Meet Characters at Disney World

Disney theme parks have always been famous for entertainment. And how entertaining would Disney parks be without character interaction?

Any Disney trip is not complete without seeing the characters. Meeting them is almost as important as going on rides or enjoying yummy meals.

Character interaction in theme parks can be a magical experience for anyone, regardless of age. So whether you are 6 or 60, you want to meet the beautiful Cinderella, handsome Eugene, and Snow Queen Elsa.

Disney fans have been through a rough patch when character interactions were limited due to Covid 19 pandemic.

Fortunately, now Disney characters are making diverse appearances in theme parks, providing opportunities for a meet-and-greet and taking photos.

As of April 18, 2022, Disney has brought back character greetings, so you can now interact, hug and make a silly pose with your favorites!

In this article, we will discuss how you can meet Disney characters. Also will briefly have a look over the dos and don’ts of interacting with them. But before everything else, let’s start with the types of Disney characters.

Types of Disney World Characters

There are two categories of characters in the Disney World theme parks and resorts: face characters and fur characters.

Face characters adopt a fully human appearance with makeup and wigs, whereas fur characters wear mascot-style costumes with big heads.

Face characters include all Disney’s princes and princesses in addition to some live-action ones like Marry Poppins and Jack Sparrow.

Fur characters are mostly non-human, like Chewbacca, the Toy Story cast, and the Fab Five. But some fur characters are “humans,” too. These include Russel and Carl from “Up” and some others.

Here, it is necessary to note that while face characters can talk, fur characters can communicate only through body language, gestures, and motions.

As a result, the interaction heavily depends on the type of character, so get yourself ready before time.

How To Meet Characters at Disney World

Disney World doesn’t typically have roaming characters. While this occurs occasionally, Disney World characters usually greet guests in set locations with pre-set timings.

Sometimes you can go close and interact, while the other time, the character will be ready to pose in the background for your photos.

Here are the methods for meeting characters at Disney World:

1. Character Dining

There are a few different ways to meet the characters but if you are short of time, choose Character Dining.

Enjoy delicious meals and your favorite characters at the same time. At the character meal, characters will come to your table and greet you individually as you eat.

Although the characters at a certain meal are usually the same, the restaurant reserves the right to change them.

Here is a list of spots where you can have this great experience:

• Artist Point – Wilderness Lodge.
• Cinderella’s Royal Table – Magic Kingdom.
• Garden Grill Restaurant – Epcot Future World.
• Chef Mickey’s Buffet – Contemporary.
• Tusker House Restaurant – Animal Kingdom.
• Hollywood and Vine – Hollywood Studios.
• Topolino’s Terrace – Riviera Resort (Only breakfast).
• Story Book Dining at Artist’s Point.

2. Traditional Meet-and-Greet

The traditional meet-and-greet is a one-on-one interaction with a Disney World Character. Although it only lasts for a short period, the character is completely focused on you.

Plus, you have the perfect photo opportunity. So pose creatively because you will be taking a lot of photos. (We can bet!)

Don’t hesitate to interact with them. Disney characters want to get fully involved in the meet-and-greet experience and want you to participate too.

Therefore, come prepared with the questions you might want to ask the character or the poses you want to have for the pictures. In this way, you will be making the most of your trip.

Most Disney characters are usually present in certain locations. The Times Guide and My Disney Experience app will mention the times they appear so you can always double-check the day of your trip.

The characters will stay for a long time if the place is indoors, and they will visit periodically during the day if it is outdoors.

Traditional greeting allows you to talk personally to the characters, and this conversation would be more memorable than photos or autographs.

3. Character Sightings

In the My Disney Experience app, some characters are listed as “sightings.”

It means the characters will be roaming outdoors and unable to greet you personally. Instead, they will wave and possibly pose for pictures in the background.

At Epcot, you will find Winnie the Pooh. He doesn’t greet, but he frequently wanders the grassy area by the Imagination Pavilion with a net in hand, pretending to catch bugs.

4. Cavalcade

Cavalcades are similar to parades, but they are shorter and smaller. Therefore you don’t need to reserve a seat in advance to watch them.

Thanks to these mini-parades, you can frequently catch the characters in the day.

Cavalcades are a lot of fun and allow guests to wave at the characters without being confined by a strict parade schedule.

5. Disney Visa Card Greetings

If you are a Chase Disney Visa cardholder, you can have access to special character greetings.

6. Streetmosphere Parties

Characters occasionally appear in small street parties in theme parks. Although they are not much common now, these parties used to be great fun in the past.

Some of them are Hakuna Matata Time (Animal Kingdom), Incredibles Super Dance Party (Hollywood Studios), and Donald’s Dino-Bash (Animal Kingdom).

7. Party Greetings

Unique character greetings are offered for certain ticketed events.

8. RunDisney Races

RunDisney races are regarded as one of the most magical ways to get your race on in the running community.

The marathon occurs in the enchanting Disney theme parks worldwide and provides competitors live entertainment and commemorative.

Specially-themed Disney medals are awarded once the finish line is crossed.

Also, characters frequently appear along the route of RunDisney races.

So, this option of meeting characters is a win-win situation. You can enjoy the characters and stay fit too!

9. Roaming Characters

As we already discussed, Walt Disney World often doesn’t have roaming characters. They are typically found in Star Wars: Galaxy Edge. Here they are a norm.

Rest, you can also find Country Bears and a few more in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom.

10. Character Palooza

Character Palooza is a surprise meet-and-greet with the characters in Hollywood Studios.

The Dos and Don’ts When Meeting Characters at Disney World

Till now, you must have some idea about how you can meet the characters at Disney World. But how can you make it overall a pleasant interaction?

For this reason, we have covered meeting the characters’ dos and don’ts. So let’s just quickly go over them.

Dos

• Ask the characters about their movie or other characters from their world. For example, you cannot ask Elsa about a Marvel character. She won’t be familiar with that world, but you can talk to her about Olaf or Anna. Or just let her know how her story has affected you and taught you to “Let It Go”! This would certainly make her happy.
• You can carry some personalized gifts for the character. Maybe a handwritten note or a coloring book page of that character colored by your child. Characters always love and cherish the personal presents they receive.
• Before taking a selfie or posing for a picture, politely take permission from the performer. Of course, they will never say no, but this would be pleasing for them. Also, in this way, they would be more attentive towards you and may pose their signature style. Wouldn’t it be a perfect picture, then?

Don’ts

• All the performers performing as characters undergo formal training and test so they know the rules and regulations. The main rule is always to act or say as your character would and never deviate from it. This means that the performer would be unable to act as some other character or a trendy dance move from social media if a guest requested it. This also applies to inquiries that can make the character uncomfortable and possibly prompt them to act outside the characters.
• Performers are not allowed to accept expensive gifts from visitors. There is a certain price limit; if the gift’s value exceeds that, then don’t force the performer to accept that present.
• Another important rule is that performers are not permitted to hold babies. Again, staff members will let you know that holding a baby is not allowed (if needed) because they are concerned about the safety of the performer and child.
• The performers have special instructions regarding the poses too. So, when meeting characters, it’s also necessary to pay attention to where your arms or hands are placed.

It’s important to respect each performer you meet and realize that if a character claims they can’t do something, it’s likely because doing so would put their safety or job at risk.

Takeaway

So, this is all about how you can meet the characters at Disney World. We hope we have made this job easy for you and cleared any confusion you might have!