Disney World Characters: Guide For 2022

Meeting and seeing characters at Disney World in Orlando Florida has been through a lot of pandemic changes. We get a lot of questions about Disney World characters. Readers wonder will the character experience still be magical? Wondering what character interactions will look like on your Disney vacation? We go into detail and walk you park by park through our Walt Disney World character guide.

Disney Character meet and greets originally returned in October 2021 in a socially distanced way. Then on April 18th traditional character meet and greets started returning but there are a still a few experiences that aren’t back. Now that the characters are in fixed locations it also makes planning easier. On a recent visit in May we did still see some character pop-up greetings which I was thrilled to see. In my opinion one of the best pandemic Disney changes was having characters just appear around the park. It added to the magic. Here’s where you can meet Disney characters at Walt Disney World Resort.

Things to Know About Character Experiences at Disney: 2022

For the majority of last year character experiences at Orlando’s Disney World were limited to flotillas, motorcades, cavalcades, pop-up sightings and a limited number of character breakfasts due to the pandemic. As characters make their way back into Disney daily life there are a few things to keep in mind.

Character experiences are back to traditional meet and greets.

You may be asking, “Can Disney characters give hugs”? Yes! Hugs are back. In fact my fellow travel writer and I got one of Olaf’s warm hugs during our May trip.

Can I get character autographs?

Autographs are hit or miss. We saw some characters doing them and some meet and greets were giving out stickers instead. You can certainly plan to get autographs but just know it may not happen with each character.

Will I need to wear a mask?

This has become a common Disney question. The easy answer is rules change. We’re sharing what is current but definitely check the site closer to your trip!

(Updated 5/27/2022) Face coverings are optional for Guests in both outdoor and indoor locations, as well as Disney transportation. It is recommended Guests who are not fully vaccinated continue wearing face coverings in all indoor locations, including indoor attractions and theaters and on enclosed transportation.

How do I make a reservation for a Disney World characters Meet and Greet?

As we predicted when writing this article back prior to the relaunch- the meet and greets have made it onto Genie+. If you’re utilizing Genie+ (see our full Genie+ guide here) you can set a return window for the following character attractions.

• Mickey at Town Square Theater (Magic Kingdom)
• Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall (Magic Kingdom)
• Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall (Magic Kingdom)
• Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight (Hollywood Studios)

Ways to Minimize Disney World Character Meet and Greet Wait Times

There are a few other strategies for getting a jump on the meet and greet lines.

• Stay on property. Not only do on property guests get into the parks a little bit earlier, but you’ll get earlier access to Genie Service/Lightning Lanes than those staying off property.
• Make early dining reservations. This is one of the most talked about “secrets” for getting into the park early. Dining reservations can be made at Cinderella’s Royal Table for an hour before the park opens. You’ll enter the theme park through a special line. Keep in mind though that this is a pretty pricey way to get in early and there’s no guarantee that you’ll be done eating in time to get to the attraction before others entering at rope drop.
• Lines tend to die down a bit during nighttime shows. If you’re already seen the fireworks or can park hop, this can be a good time to visit characters. It’s a better bet for those with older kiddos as some little ones may be pretty tired by this point in the day.
• Go during parades. Disney’s Festival of Fantasy parade provides a great window to jump into line. This is especially true if you have multiple Magic Kingdom days planned. Watch the parade one day and visit the princesses on the other.
• Be sure to utilize the My Disney Experience app to its potential. Disney’s Genie Service is a great (free) vacation planning tool! Even if you don’t pay for Genie+ you can put in your priorities and Genie will help you fit them in at the most opportune times.

How to Use MyDisneyExperience to Find Characters

The MyDisneyExperience App is vital to locating characters. In addition to timed meet and greets, there are numerous other pop up sightings, cavalcades and more. A lot of folks have said that they’re a bit confused about how to know what is happening when and where. You’ll find them listed in the app under the entertainment section. Here’s how to find that:

1. On your app look at the icons along the bottom of your phone. Next to the home button is a location pin button. Click on that.
2. In the top left corner apply filters for the Disney park you’d like to look at.
3. Click the middle drop down menu and select Entertainment.
4. It will automatically show you the map version of the results. Click the top right hand corner on Show List to see them in list format. It’s much easier to browse. Flotillas, character cruises, cavalcades, motorcades, distanced meets and more will show up here.

TravelingMom Tip: You’ll probably laugh but we recommend practicing some selfies. Yes, we said practice taking selfies. We all want those great Disney character pictures but the set up is definitely different. Selfie sticks still aren’t allowed at Disney World or Disneyland so do a quick photo shoot at home to figure out the best way to hold your phone for a good shot! We highly recommend a Pop Socket or similar item so you can prop your phone up or get a good grip. 

Disney World Characters at EPCOT

EPCOT is still doing some “pop up” style meets. You can see them on your My Disney Experience app. They usually have many many times throughout the day. In the pin on the app be sure to check both Character and Entertainment dropdown menus. They can be listed as both. Also keep your eyes peeled as you head around for these unique photo opportunities.

EPCOT Characters in World Celebration Area

In the World Celebration area you can look for:

• Goofy (near EPCOT Main Entrance)
• Pluto (near EPCOT Main Entrance)
• Winnie the Pooh (sighting in Gardens near Imagination)
• Joy from Inside Out (ImageWorks)
• Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph (ImageWorks)
• Minnie Mouse (World Showcase Friendship Ambassador Gazebo- across from boat launch)

Nothing is confirmed yet but I am hoping that with the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind we see some Marvel characters. Groot photo ops would be amazing!

Characters in the World Showcase

The following characters are the ones we usually see in the World Showcase.

• Donald Duck (Mexico Promenade)
• Anna and Elsa (Royal Sommerhus in Norway)
• Mulan (China Gardens)
• Snow White (Germany Wishing Well)
• Jasmine (Morocco)
• Belle (France Promenade)
• Princess Aurora (France Fragrance Gardens Gazebo)
• Daisy Duck (International Gateway)
• Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland (United Kingdom Courtyard)

Where to Find Characters at Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has several scheduled opportunities for character meet and greets. Chewbacca and other Star Wars favorites haven’t returned for official character meet and greets just yet.

Red Carpet Dreams

Located on Commissary Lane, this Disney World character meet traditionally included both Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. However, now Minnie will be going it solo at Red Carpet Dreams.

Animation Courtyard Character Meets

Kids can see some of their favorite Disney Junior characters in the Animation Courtyard, located on the right after you walk down Sunset Boulevard in front of the Disney Junior Dance Party building. The courtyard has cute little sets for some favorite Disney Junior characters including Vampirina in her Scare B&B, Doc McStuffins in her backyard playhouse clinic and Fancy Nancy at her play palace. Pluto also appears here.

Celebrity Spotlight

Your kiddos will melt when they see Olaf at this character meet and greet near Echo Lake. The great news is that this is the only Hollywood Studios meet and greet that you can book using Genie+ which saves time spent in line! Be aware that every time the Frozen Sing Along lets out this line swells. Try to join during a show or you may end up waiting longer.

Walt Disney Presents

You can head right next to the Animation Courtyard to meet James P. Sullivan (Sulley) at Walt Disney Presents.

Pixar Pals Motorcade and Mickey and Friends Motorcade

Other character interaction opportunities exist at Hollywood Studios. The Pixar Pals Motorcades heads down Hollywood Blvd roughly once an hour and includes Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Edna Mode, Sully and Toy Story friends Woody and Buzz Lightyear. The Mickey and Friends motorcade follows the same route and features some classic characters.

Character Sightings at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has also kept some of the character sightings. Goofy can be seen on the Tower of Terror balcony, Daisy and Donald Duck are on the front park entrance balcony, and Chip and Dale pop up on the Brown Derby lawn.

TravelingMom Tip: While the Star Wars characters aren’t available for meet and greets, if you’re a Disney Visa Cardmember you can stop by the Animation Courtyard Star Wars Launch Bay daily for a special photo opportunity. The characters will be digitally added to free photos they take of you. 

Spotting Star Wars Characters in Galaxy’s Edge

If you’re exploring Batuu you may catch a glimpse of characters like Chewbacca, First Order Stormtrooper, Kylo Ren, Rey, and Vi Moradi. We had no trouble spotting multiple characters during our last few trips.

Character Meet and Greets at Animal Kingdom

At this time no official character meet and greets have been announced for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We’re hoping that the return of Pocahontas to Discovery Island is coming shortly. This popular meet and greet already has an outdoor setting so we’re a little surprised it wasn’t rolled out in October 2021.

Kevin from Up has returned to Discovery Island though! We always loved seeing him wandering around.

Be sure to check on the MyDisneyExperience app for character sighting opportunities like Mickey and Friends Flotilla (Mickey, Minnie and Pluto), Goofy & Pals Set Sail (Chip, Dale, and Goofy) and Discovery River Character Cruise (either Pocahontas or Lion King characters), Donald’s Dino Bash Flotilla (Donald, Daisy and Launchpad McQuack- not every day). Most of these will be listed under the Entertainment dropdown menu.

Disney Princess Meet and Greets and More at Magic Kingdom

Princess Fairytale Hall at Magic Kingdom

You’ll find the Disney Princess character meet and greets back at the Princess Fairytale Hall. This experience is located in Fantasyland just behind the castle, across from the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (currently unavailable) and the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. In pre-Covid times the waits for this meet and greet could be extensive. Princess visits are available to select a time slot for using Genie+. If you won’t be utilizing Genie+ we recommend having a strategy for these meet and greets if you don’t want to wait for 2 hours to see Jasmine and friends.

Our recommendations are:

1. Book an early Magic Kingdom breakfast. You’ll get in before rope drop. Eat fast. Head over as soon as you’re done. Not worth it if you’re a resort guest because you’re only buying yourself 30 minutes to eat before you’d be able to exercise early entry.
2. Stay in a Disney resort. Arrive for early entry (30 minutes before the park opens). Be there early, line up and be ready to hustle. It’s not on the early attraction list but we expect it to be added once it officially launches. Worse case scenario you stand in line for 30 minutes until it opens. Still less than the 1-3 hour wait times we’re used to seeing.
3. If you’re visiting MK more than once and have seen the parade or the nighttime show, go during it. Lines should be significantly shorter if you line up while folks are hunting down seating ahead of a parade or show.

Which Princesses are at Princess Fairytale Hall in Magic Kingdom?

If you’re wondering which princesses you may be able to meet at Princess Fairytale Hall, we’ve got the list for you. Princesses at the Princess Fairytale Hall in Magic Kingdom include- Cinderella, Elena of Avalor, Tiana and Rapunzel. Sleeping Beauty (Aurora) has also been featured there on occasion. If you’re looking for Disney World characters Anna and Elsa, they’ve moved over to EPCOT.

One fun thing that we always did with my girls was wear princess dresses to our meets. The photos were adorable. If you plan to have your little wear a Disney costume please note that we HIGHLY urge buying it in advance of your trip. It will save you a bundle. I’ve outlined Disney essentials that we buy before our trip to save big in this post.

Town Square Theater at Magic Kingdom

We covered the princesses first because we get the most questions about their meet and greets, but let us be realistic, Mickey is still much loved and much visited. Mickey Mouse at the Town Square Theater will be a special character sighting opportunity during Disney’s 50th Anniversary Celebration because he’ll be in his EARidescent outfit. This character experience is located just inside the gates of Magic Kingdom on Main Street U.S.A. Look to the right after you go under the railroad. It’s a quick one to jump in line for the second you get in the gates.

Other Disney World Character Opportunities at Magic Kingdom

In addition to the newly returning meets Magic Kingdom has a lot of other opportunities to see characters.

• Captain Jack Sparrow (Adventureland stage)
• Buzz Lightyear and Stitch (sightings at Rocket Tower Plaza Stage)
• Chip and Dale (Storybook Circus)
• Belle (Maurice’s Cottage)

Princesses appear at the train station bridge near the front of the park to wave. We’ve spotted Mulan, Tiana and more there. Also look in the MDE app for A Royal Princess Processional times. These are great opportunities to see princesses and occur every few hours. Tinker Bell also heads out on some days to visit along the typical parade route. You can look up times for the day of your visit for the Mickey Celebration Cavalcade and Magic Kingdom Cavalcade. Look around the castle to spot the stepsisters everyone loves to hate. Anastasia and Drizella are absolutely hilarious.

Some Disney World character interactions at Magic Kingdom are still unavailable. Gaston and Peter Pan haven’t returned to Fantasyland just yet.

Disney World Character Meals

One other way to ensure you see characters is to book a character breakfast or other meal. Please be sure to carefully read character experience descriptions ahead of time though. Character meals are limited right now. Available characters may be different within the same restaurant during different meal periods. Some meals that traditionally featured characters are open right now with no characters. For the most up to date feedback on Disney character meals, we recommend joining our Disney Facebook group where you can hear feedback from recent visitors.

TravelingMom Tip: Make sure that you’re aware that kids pricing for character meals is only for kids age 3-9. Kids 10+ are billed as adults. If you have a child under 3, they can eat off your plate or they’ll bring out something for them on request at no charge.

Currently the following character meals are available (May 2022):

Topolino’s Terrace- Flavors of the Riviera (Breakfast)

Topolino’s located at the Riviera Resort is one of the most sought after character dining experiences at Disney. This means that reservations can be hard to come by, especially right when the window opens up. Persistence is key here. Don’t worry if you don’t get the reservation right off. Many people snag them closer to their trip dates as people change their plans.

Pros of character meals at Topolino’s are the food (great), the ability for each family member to order their own meal and the Skyliner access to get to Disney parks afterwards.

Cons of character meals at Topolino’s include the dress code which can be a bit challenging for families (no tank tops or flip flops) and the need to move a car if you’ve driven and parked for a meal.

Characters at Topolino’s Terrace are Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy. They are all dressed in unique, artsy costumes.

Cost of Topolino’s Character Meal: Breakfast a la Arte is $42/adults and $27/kids. Specialty drinks can add on to that cost.

Chef Mickey’s (Breakfast and Dinner)

Located at the Contemporary Resort, this popular character meal is another coveted reservation. As with Topolino’s, if you don’t get a reservation at first keep trying. More become available closer to the date as people’s plans change. You can also sign up for a Mousewatchers Dining Subscription. They’ll send you text alerts as reservations open up so that you can snag them. Chef Mickey’s used to be buffet style and has pivoted to family style due to Covid.

Pros of Chef Mickey’s include its location outside of the parks (no ticket needed), family style dining that keeps the food coming, dinner availability and accessibility to the monorail.

Cons of Chef Mickey’s include food quality (feedback consistently rates it below Topolino’s) and family style service (yes it can be a pro and a con) if you have kids who like to order their own food.

Characters at Chef Mickey’s the original fab five – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto.

Cost of Chef Mickey’s Character Meal: Breakfast is $42/adults and $27/kids.  Dinner is $55/adults and $36/kids. Specialty drinks can add on to that cost.

Garden Grill Restaurant (Lunch and Dinner)

I have a soft spot for Garden Grill. My first trip to Disney was in high school in the 90s. We ate at Garden Grill. I’m an avid gardener and Living with the Land is one of my favorite Disney rides. It’s a recipe for success for me. Reservations at Garden Grill are a bit easier to snag. Located in the World Nature neighborhood of EPCOT in the Land pavilion, you do need to have both a park ticket and park reservation to eat here.

Pros of Garden Grill are the availability of a lunch character meal, family style dining and changing scenery as the restaurant rotates through different scenes. I feel the need to say here that I’ve been unable to dine in other rotating restaurants. I can do a roller coaster but the slow rotation usually kicks off nausea for me. I’ve found Garden Grill tolerable. The rotation is slow.

TravelingMom Tip: One reason I’d recommend Garden Grill is the booth style. With social distancing requirements in place, I know some younger kiddos don’t understand that they can’t run up to characters. The booths at Garden Grill allow you to put kids on the inside so you can block their escape. At most other character meals they’re able to tuck and roll from their own seats to make a run for it.

Cons of Garden Grill are the cost. Since both meals are more substantial than eggs and waffle breakfast, you’ll pay a little bit more. Dining is family style which again can be a challenge for some families with pickier eaters. Of all the character meals this one is going to be challenging for pickier kids. The menu is vegetable and herb heavy. Even the meats are less familiar ones for little kiddos and you may spend your time begging them to eat the expensive food.

Characters at Garden Grill are Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Chip and Dale.

Cost of Garden Grill Character Meal: Both Lunch and dinner are $55/adults and $36/kids. The menu for both is the same – Chip ‘n’ Dale Harvest Feast.

Hollywood & Vine (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Hollywood & Vine requires both a park ticket and a park reservation to access. Be aware Hollywood & Vine is one of the restaurants where the characters are different depending on the time of day. Many folks aren’t prepared for this and end up disappointed when the characters they see aren’t who they expected.

Pros at Hollywood & Vine are that all meals are available for character dining, shared appetizers with individual entree choice and character variety based on day part. You could eat breakfast and dinner here and it would be a totally different experience. We’ve also heard anecdotally that the character interaction at this meal is above and beyond others. There is a dance party theme for breakfast that kids love and the pictures from these meals are always super cute.

The only major con for this character meal is simply the amount of time spent dining in a park that has so many high wait time rides. With reservations starting 30 minutes before the park opens, you’re not going to be able to rope drop and beat anyone to rides here.

Characters at Hollywood & Vine are Disney Junior characters for breakfast. Breakfast includes Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, Fancy Nancy and Goofy. Lunch and Dinner characters are Minnie and friends. Most people have reported seeing Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Pluto and Goofy but we’ve heard a few Pluto or Goofy instead of both situations. The best part about Hollywood & Vine lunch and dinner is that the characters change costumes seasonally so you can see them dressed up for Halloween, Christmas and more.

Cost of the Hollywood & Vine Character Meal: Breakfast is $42/adult and $27/kids. Lunch and dinner pricing and menus are the same $55/adults and $36/kids.

Tusker House Restaurant (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Located inside the Africa section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Tusker House used to be a buffet style character meal. It has now pivoted to family style. All three meals are available as character meals. You do need to have both a park ticket and park reservation to eat here. This specific character meal is often mentioned as a favorite with diners calling out the fantastic cast members they interacted with.

Pros at Tusker House are the super cute safari style outfits of the characters, the ability to break up the day in a park that requires a lot of walking and the opportunity to try different foods.

Cons are food your kiddo may or may not eat if they’re picky. If you do have pickier eaters, we’d recommend breakfast.

Character at Tusker House are Mickey Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck and Goofy.

Cost of Tusker House Character Meal: Breakfast is $42/adult and $27/kids. Lunch and dinner pricing and menus are the same $55/adults and $36/kids.

Story Book Dining at Artist’s Point (Dinner)

This Walt Disney World resort option is located at Wilderness Lodge. Dinner is the only meal offered and it features Snow White, The Queen, Dopey and Grumpy. While the website says that the character experience is modified we’ve heard extremely good feedback from those that have gone, including rave reviews of the food options.

If you’re heading to Wilderness Lodge try to time your dinner so that you can get out in time to see Disney’s Electrical Water Pageant, one of our favorite nighttime shows.

Cost of Story Book Dining Character Meal: Dinner is $60/adults and $39/kids

Do you have a favorite character experience? Let us know if we’ve missed one of your must do items!