NEWS: Several New Character Meet & Greets at WDW

Meeting and interacting with Disney and Pixar characters is often a highlight for many guests visiting Disney World. Anytime new characters are introduced, it’s an opportunity for new photos and autographs for fans. We’re excited for several new character offerings around Disney World and expect you may be as well. All the details below.

1 – Kevin from Disney•Pixar’s “Up” at Discover Island in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

You can now find Kevin, the large and exotic bird from Disney•Pixar’s “Up,” daily on Discovery Island at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. She (Kevin actually ends up being a “she”) wanders around and interacts with guests. Fans of the film can also find Senior Wilderness Explorer Russell and his furry friend Dug at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, greeting guests and discovering various species of birds from around the world in the “UP! A Great Bird Adventure” live show. Guests can visit Russell and Dug daily on Discovery Island.

2 – Ralph and Venellope Move to a New Greeting Location in Epcot

Ralph and Venollope, from “Ralph Breaks the Internet”, have a new greeting location in Epcot. Disney Cast Member Shawn Slater shared that “the staff of the Imagination Institute is now conducting a new experiment, creating a portal into other dimensions. That portal has opened a window on the internet for Ralph and Vanellope to step through, right into the ImageWorks area of the Imagination! pavilion, where you can meet with them every day.” Ralph and Vanellope greet guests daily.

In case you missed it…

3 – Now More Than Ever Limited-Time Character Greetings. 

As part of the Now More Than Ever Event, there are three limited time character greetings running through September 30.

Mike and Sulley

Returning to Hollywood Studios, Mike and Sulley, from Monsters Inc. are back! These lovable characters can be found in Walt Disney Presents where you’ll greet them on the Scare Floor with a door behind them. The room is large and both Mike and Sulley are ready to give out big hugs. You may want to get your scare face on because you’ll likely be asked to “scare” for the camera! Just beyond the exit, you’ll find plenty of Monsters Inc. and Monsters University merchandise including scrunchies, keychains, cards, apparel, socks, and stuffed animals.

Edna Mode

Pixar Place is now home to the Incredible Celebration, which includes the Enda Mode Experience. This area is a testimony to the incredible designer and includes some of her most famous designs and other items celebrating Edna Mode. The queue includes cards and well wishes to the designer including a thank you card from Mrs. Kapuski’s 3^rdGrade Class! At the end of the queue, you’ll be able to greet Enda and take some fabulous photos, darling. Be ready to strike a pose.

Mickey and Minnie

Over at Magic Kingdom, you’ll be able to greet Mickey and Minnie together, in their special celebration outfits. As part of Mickey and Minnie’s surprise celebration, you can visit the Celebration Station at Town Square Theater. It’s a party and the room is decorated with balloons and streamers. Mickey and Minnie wear birthday hats as part of the celebration! This meet and greet is very popular with FastPasses becoming increasingly difficult to get for this meet and greet. Wait times for this special experience usually over 45 minutes so plan accordingly!

RELATED ARTICLE: Top 10 Most Popular Characters at Walt Disney World

by Mike and Jamie Sylvester

Stop for a moment and think of your absolute favorite Walt Disney World character. Maybe you’re thinking of the tall and awkward Goofy, the sweet and timeless Snow White, or even the ever so cruel Maleficent. Whoever your favorite may be, chances are you can picture what they are wearing, their mannerisms, and can hear their unforgettable voice. Walt Disney World allows memorable characters to come to life, right out of a film or book, to stand among us! It’s no wonder Disney fans (young and old) wait in lengthy lines to see characters. So, before you head out for a character hug and selfie… here are the top ten most popular characters you’ll currently find at Walt Disney World so you can be prepare for that magical meet and greet!

Keep in mind – character meet and greet locations are subject to change. Check your Times Guide and My Disney Experience App to confirm location and appearance times before firming up plans.

10 – Special Ticketed Event Characters

If you’re looking for that super unique character, your best bet is to visit Magic Kingdom during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP). During these special ticketed events, guests have a chance to meet and greet characters – some of which are not available on a daily basis to the general admission guest. The only negative is that you can plan to wait in LONG lines during the parties to see these popular characters. The most popular we’ve seen recently at both MNSSHP and MVMCP include the Seven Dwarfs (and we mean ALL seven together) and Moana. At MNSSHP, you can expect to find that Jack Skellington and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas are very popular, as is Lotso from Toy Story. We especially love seeing Mickey and his pals dressed in their holiday best for these parties!

9 – Baymax, Sadness & Joy

Epcot’s Character Spot is a great place to visit with Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. While Character Spot is a popular place it does have a FastPass option available and the line typically moves quickly. Across the way however, Baymax from Big Hero 6 and Sadness and Joy from Inside Out are available for a meet and greet! There are no FastPass options on this side, so the wait tend to get lengthy. Baymax is available in his own line off to the left, while Sadness and Joy are in a line off to the right as they meet and greet together. The key here is to arrive early to move through the lines quickly!

8 – Lilo and Stitch

Lilo and Stitch are a dynamic duo that seem to appeal to the masses! While Lilo has a spunk about her, she is that perfect friend to her crazy but cute alien buddy, Stitch. If you’ve seen the movie, chances are you remember the quote, “Ohana means family.” So, join the family at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for a memorable Best Friends Breakfast featuring Lilo & Stitch at the Ohana Restaurant. This is the one place on property to see both Lilo and Stitch during your meal. If you need a Stitch fix however without a meal, you can head over to Magic Kingdom’s Stitch’s Great Escape where he is currently available for a meet and greet.

7 – Chip and Dale

Which is your favorite… Chip or Dale? Well, you don’t have to pick just one because these two are together for meet and greets! Our favorite place to spend time with Chip and Dale is at Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. A great character meal with Chip and Dale is located at the Garden Grill Restaurant at Epcot. Outside of these two options, you can usually spot Chip and Dale at the occasional meet and greet at Hollywood Studios near Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. They’ve been known to show up on Main Street U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom as well as at Epcot outside of the Character Spot heading towards The Land.

6 – Chewbacca

Chewbacca from Star Wars is fairly new to the meet and greet scene, but wow is he an awesome one! He’s as tall as you’d imagine and his full body of hair is super soft for a big squeeze! The best part however is how he talks to guests. With all his “grrrwaaaaaarggggh”, “aaararrrgwwwh”, and “wwwrrrrrgwwwrrrr”… you can’t help but walk out of his meet and greet wishing you could bring him home with you! Wear a Han Solo or Princess Leia shirt and he’s sure to notice. The only place at the moment to meet Chewbacca is at the Star Wars Launch Bay in Hollywood Studios. The line might seem long but it does move quickly. Don’t forget to meet Kylo Ren and BB-8 while you’re there.

5 – Cinderella

Of all the Disney Princesses, Cinderella is probably the most well-known. She has a sweetheart, beautiful blonde hair, a gorgeous blue gown, and a couple of pet mice that we’ve all grown to love. Plus, Walt Disney World’s most iconic symbol is the Cinderella Castle! The most amazing place to meet Cinderella is at Cinderella’s Royal Table located inside Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom. If you aren’t able to snag a reservation to this extremely popular restaurant, you can meet Cinderella at the Princess Fairytale Hall near the Castle. At this location, Cinderella has a meet and greet with Princess Elena from the Disney Channel series, Elena of Avalor. FastPasses are available for the Princess Fairytale Hall! Outside of Magic Kingdom, a popular place to find Cinderella is at Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare inside Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. In Epcot, you can find Cinderella at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall for another character dining experience. As you can see, she’s one busy Princess!

4 – Belle and Beast

If there’s any Disney couple to fall in love with, it’s this one. Beauty and the Beast’s relationship may have started off rocky in the film… but thankfully they work things out! Their relationship blossoms and it shows love goes way beyond appearances. Unfortunately, the only time you will SEE Belle and Beast together is during the Festival of Fantasy Parade at Magic Kingdom. This is just seeing them go on a float… no meet and greets with both of them together. Aside from that, you can say hello to these two individually. The best place to spend time with Belle is at her own attraction called Enchanted Tales with Belle at Magic Kingdom. Join her in her cottage for a fun, interactive experience where she is wearing her yellow gown. Belle is also available in her yellow gown at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot. Another location to meet Belle in Epcot is in France where she holds a meet and greet in her blue, town dress. The Beast is available in one spot only! He resides in his castle which holds the popular Be Our Guest Restaurant. The Beast is in the library awaiting meet and greets during dinner only. You must have a dinner reservation to see him. He is popular that people were making dinner reservations, ordering dessert only, then going to see him. Because of this, Disney is changing the Be Our Guest dinner experience from an a la carte menu to a prix fixe menu that will include 3-courses for one set price.

3 – Anna & Elsa

What would a most popular character list be without Queen Elsa and Princess Anna?! These sister have been popular since the movie, Frozen, debuted in 2013. With Frozen 2 on the way in 2019, we suspect their popularity will remain. Disney Imagineers reworked the Norway Pavilion at Epcot from the Maelstrom attraction to a Frozen Ever After attraction. Plus, they added a special meet and greet location for Anna and Elsa called Royal Sommerhus. There are no FastPasses for this meet and greet so arrive early to avoid lengthy lines! You can also spot Anna and Elsa at Magic Kingdom’s Festival of Fantasy Parade, but no character meet and greet is available for them at Magic Kingdom.

2 – Gaston

It slightly irritates us that a Villain gets second place as what we feel is the most popular character list. With that being said, meeting Gaston is a highlight of any visit to Magic Kingdom! Gaston greets guests just outside of Gaston’s Tavern, near the restrooms. He’s somewhat tucked away and can be missed by passerby’s that usually only notice him because they notice the crowd of onlookers. He speaks the truth as you would suspect and still thinks of himself as the greatest gift to this world. Muscles flexed, perfect jet-black hair, and a ridiculous smile – it’s hard to decide if he’s one you want to roll your eyes at or wrap your arms around. Nevertheless, Gaston is popular! He’s a blast to see in action and totally worth the lengthy wait. No FastPass here, so be prepared to block out some time for this not-so-humble Villain!

1 – Mickey Mouse

No surprise here, right?! THE Mickey Mouse takes the number one spot on the most popular characters at Walt Disney World. While there is no shortage of places to meet Mickey, he still has long lines of people waiting to get that memorable photo and Mickey Mouse autograph. At Magic Kingdom in Town Square Theater, for a limited time (through September 30, 2019) you can meet Mickey with Minnie as part of their birthday celebration! At Epcot, guests can see Mickey at the Character Spot in his normal wardrobe or join him for a character meal at the Garden Grill Restaurant as Farmer Mickey. At Hollywood Studios, meet Sorcerer Mickey at his finest at Red Carpet Dreams near Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. Mickey is also available at Hollywood and Vine Restaurant for a character meal. Animal Kingdom’s Adventurers Outpost is a fun place to see Mickey with Minnie in their adventurer gear. Mickey is also available at Tusker House Restaurant in Animal Kingdom for a character meal there. Outside of the four theme parks, Mickey puts on his chef hat at Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Chef Mickey’s. You can also see him relaxed in a Hawaiian shirt at Ohana’s breakfast. As you can see, there is no shortage of places to spend time with Mickey… and he shows up in more places than listed here!

Which of these popular characters is your must-see? We’d love to hear from you!