Meeting Disney characters is one of the highest-rated activities among all age groups who visit Walt Disney World. To those who love them, the characters in Disney’s films and TV shows are as real as family or friends; never mind that they were drawn by an animator or generated by a computer.
By extension, the theme park personifications of the Disney characters are just as real: It’s not a guy in a mouse costume but Mickey himself; she’s not a cast member in a sequined fish tail but Ariel, Princess of Atlantica. Meeting a Disney character is an encounter with a real celebrity, a memory to be treasured.
Some characters who don’t have dedicated spaces appear only in parades or stage shows. Performance times for all of the shows and parades are listed in the My Disney Experience App. Be aware that the characters bug out for parades and other special performances. Check the app for performance times and plan accordingly.
Other characters appear only in locations consistent with their starring roles. The Fairy Godmother, for example, is often near Cinderella Castle in Fantasyland, but she too wanders at times. Mary Poppins can be found in the garden of the England pavilion at EPCOT.
Preparing Your Children to Meet the Characters
There are two kinds of Disney characters: fur characters, whose costumes include face-covering headpieces (including animal characters and humanlike characters such as Captain Hook), and face characters, who wear no mask or headpiece, such as the Disney princesses and princes, Aladdin, Mary Poppins, and the like.
Disney makes its most popular characters available in dedicated meet-and-greet venues in each theme park, and at Disney Deluxe resorts that host character meals. Gone are the days of characters spontaneously wandering in parks. If you see a Disney character walking through the park, they are likely walking with a purpose and aren’t stopping for interactions.
Only face characters speak. Because cast members couldn’t possibly imitate the furs’ distinctive voices, it’s more effective for them to be silent. Nonetheless, fur characters are warm and responsive, and they communicate effectively with gestures. Most of the furs are quite large; a few, like Sully from Monsters, Inc., are huge. Small children don’t expect this, and preschoolers especially can be intimidated.
On first encounter, don’t thrust your child at the character; rather, allow the little one to deal with this big thing from whatever distance feels safe. If two adults are present, one should stay near the youngster while the other approaches the character and demonstrates that it’s safe and friendly.
Be aware that some character costumes are cumbersome and make it hard for the cast members to see well. (Eyeholes are frequently placed in the mouth of the costume or even on the neck or chest.) Children approaching the character from the back or side may not be noticed, even if the child touches the character.
A child should approach a character from the front, but occasionally, not even this works—Donald and Daisy, for example, have to peer around their bills. If a character appears to be ignoring your child, the character’s handler will get its attention.
It’s OK for your child to touch, pat, or hug (but not hit or punch) the character. Understanding the unpredictability of children, characters will keep their feet still, particularly refraining from moving backward or sideways.
Be forewarned that character encounters can give rise to a situation during which small children sometimes get lost. There is usually a lot of activity around a character, with both adults and children touching the character or posing for pictures. In the most common scenario, the parents stay in the crowd while their child marches up to get acquainted. With the excitement of the encounter, all the milling people, and the character moving around, a child may get turned around and head off in the wrong direction. Our recommendation for parents of pre-schoolers is to stay with the kids when they meet the characters, stepping back only long enough to take a picture.
Rarely seen characters are one of the highlights of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Long lines form early for the stars of the party, such as Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs and Jack Skellington and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Most characters will pose for pictures or sign autographs, but note that costumes can make it difficult to wield a normal pen. Some can’t sign autographs at all, but they are always glad to pose for photos.
Walt Disney World has numerous character-greeting locations. The table below lists some of them by park and character. Note: Characters are subject to change, so check before you head to the parks. During these meet-and-greets, characters often engage in dialogue appropriate to their storylines, which surprises many people.
Disney characters appear at meals served in full-service restaurants at the theme parks, and Deluxe resorts, among other locations. Currently, character-dining experiences are available only at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (EPCOT), Cape May Cafe (Beach Club Resort), Chef Mickey’s (Contemporary Resort), Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom), The Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom), Garden Grill Restaurant (EPCOT), Hollywood & Vine (Disney’s Hollywood Studios), 1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian Resort), ‘Ohana (Polynesian Village Resort), Ravello (Four Seasons Orlando), Story Book Dining at Artist Point (Wilderness Lodge Resort), Topolino’s Terrace—Flavors of the Riviera (Riviera Resort), and Tusker House Restaurant (Animal Kingdom).
Character meals provide a familiar, controlled setting in which young children can warm gradually to the characters. All meals are attended by several characters.
Character meals are bustling affairs. Character breakfasts offer a fixed menu served family-style or as a buffet. Whatever the meal, characters circulate around the room while you eat. During your meal, each of the characters present will visit your table, arriving one at a time to cuddle the kids (and sometimes the adults), pose for photos, and sign autographs.
Keep autograph books (with pens) and cameras handy. For the best photos, adults should sit across the table from their children. Always seat the children where characters can reach them most easily. If a table is against a wall, for example, adults should sit with their backs to the wall and children should sit nearest the aisle.
Many children expect to bump into Mickey the minute they enter a park and are disappointed when he is not around. If your children are unable to settle down and enjoy things until they see Mickey, simply ask a Disney cast member where to find him. If the cast member does not know Mickey’s whereabouts, they can find out for you in short order.
Families once were content to meet a character occasionally. They now pursue them relentlessly, armed with autograph books and cameras. While we love character watching 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.
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