Where to Find Characters at Disney World

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One of the fun and unique parts of a Disney World vacation is meeting the characters. For many kids, seeing their favorite character up close is the highlight of their trip. We love meeting the characters while we are at Disney World. So, what characters are available? Where can you find them? Here is a list to help you find the characters at Disney World your kids want to meet. To improve your character experiences, see my tips for meeting the characters at Disney World.  

Please note that not all characters are available for meet and greets.  And some of them are only out during special events, such as the Halloween or Christmas parties. This list includes all the ones that are out during normal park hours. Also, remember that Disney is always changing the lineup of characters who are out and their locations.  So, this information is accurate as of this posting, but it is always subject to change.  For the most up-to-date information on characters at Disney World, please see Kenny the Pirate’s website.  Now, bring on the characters! (Updated July 17, 2019)

Mickey and Pals

Mickey and pals are some of the easiest characters to find in Disney World. Most of them are found in all four parks. They all make appearances at various character meals as well.

Mickey Mouse

• In the Magic Kingdom, find Mickey with Minnie in their party outfits in his dressing room at the Town Square Theater.  
• In Animal Kingdom, he appears with Minnie at the Adventurer’s Outpost in their safari outfits.  
• At Hollywood Studios, he appears as Sorcerer Mickey across from ABC Commissary.  
• In Epcot, he is in his normal outfit in the Character Spot. Character Spot is closing on September 8, 2019. After that, Mickey will move to a temporary spot in Innoventions West and then to a new permanent location in the Imagination pavilion.    
• At Chef Mickeys’ in the Contemporary Resort, he dressed as a chef.  
• At Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House, he is in his safari outfit.  
• During breakfast at ‘Ohana in the Polynesian Resort, you can see Mickey wearing his Hawaiian clothes.  
• He appears for lunch and dinner at Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios.
• At Garden Grill in Epcot, he is dressed as a farmer.

Minnie Mouse

•  In the Magic Kingdom, Minnie is decked out with Mickey in their party suits in Town Square Theater.  
• At Animal Kingdom, she is in the Adventurer’s Outpost with Mickey in their safari outfits.  
• At Hollywood Studios, she is in her fancy dress on Commissary Lane.  
• In Epcot, she appears at the Character Spot in her normal outfit. Character Spot is closing on September 8, 2019. After that, she will relocate to the World Showcase Gazebo.  
• She throws themed lunch and dinner parties at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios.  
• Minnie is in her beach clothes during breakfast at Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club Resort.
• She is dressed as a chef at Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort.

Donald Duck

• Donald appears as a snake charmer in the Storybook Circus area of the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland.  
• He is hosting Donald’s Dino-Bash in Dinoland in the Animal Kingdom. 
• In Hollywood Studios, he is near the park entrance in his sailor outfit.  
• In Epcot, you will find him in Mexico dressed as a caballero.  
• He also appears at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom in his park ranger suit.  
• At Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Resort, you can see him in his chef’s costume.  
• At Cape May Cafe in the Beach Club Resort, you can see him in his beach clothes during breakfast.  
• Find him during lunch and dinner at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios.

Daisy Duck

• You can see Daisy dressed as a fortune teller in the Magic Kingdom in the Storybook Circus area of Fantasyland.  
• Daisy is in Epcot in her pink dress in World Showcase Plaza. After September 8, 2019, she will move to the American Adventure pavilion.
• In Hollywood Studios, she is near the front of the park in her pink dress.  
• Find her at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom.
• During lunch and dinner, she is at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios.

Goofy

• In the Magic Kingdom, Goofy appears in Storybook Circus dressed as a stunt pilot.  
• You can find him in Epcot’s Character Spot. Character Spot is closing on September 8, 2019. After that, Goofy will move to a temporary spot in Innoventions West and then to a new permanent location in the Imagination pavilion.  
• At Hollywood Studios, he hangs out on Grand Avenue.  
• At Animal Kingdom, he is in Dinoland.  
• He is at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom.
• Meet him during breakfast, lunch and dinner at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios.  
• See him as a chef at Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Resort.
• He is in his beach outfit at Cape May Cafe in the Beach Club during breakfast.
• He also appears at Garden Grove in the Swan Hotel.

Pluto

• Pluto can be found at the Magic Kingdom in Storybook Circus.  
• In Animal Kingdom, he meets in Dinoland.  
• At Hollywood Studios, you can find him in Animation Courtyard.  
• In Epcot, he is near the park entrance.
• He appears at Garden Grill in Epcot.
• He can be found at Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Resort.
• During breakfast, he is at ‘Ohana at the Polynesian Resort.
• Find him at Garden Grove in the Swan Hotel.

Chip and Dale

• In Hollywood Studios they are on Grand Avenue.  
• You can see them in Animal Kingdom in Dinoland USA in their dinosaur costumes.
• See the duo at Garden Grill in Epcot.
• They also appear at the Garden Grove in the Swan Hotel on Friday nights.

Princesses

If princesses are on your list of characters to find at Disney World, you are in luck. They are pretty easy to find.

Cinderella and Prince Charming

• Cinderella meets her royal subjects at Princess Fairytale Hall in the Magic Kingdom.  
• You can also see her at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom.
• She sometimes appears at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot.  
• Find Cinderella and Prince Charming during dinner at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian.

Snow White

• You can meet Snow White in the Magic Kingdom next to City Hall.  
• You can also see her in Epcot in Germany.  
• Additionally, she appears at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom.
• Find her at Akershus Royal Banquet in Epcot.
• She is at Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge.

Sleeping Beauty

• Princess Aurora is at the gazebo in the France pavilion in Epcot.  
• You can also see her at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom.
• Find her sometimes at Akershus Royal Banquet in Epcot.

Belle and Beast

• Belle meets in Epcot’s France pavilion along the water under a tree.
• You can also see her at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom.
• Find her sometimes at Akershus Royal Banquet in Epcot.
• The only place to meet the Beast is after dinner at Be Our Guest restaurant in the Magic Kingdom.  He is in his study.

Ariel and Prince Eric

• Meet the red-headed mermaid in her grotto in the Magic Kingdom in Fantasyland.  
• She also appears at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot
• Sometimes, she is at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom.
• During breakfast, you can see her and Prince Eric at the Boardwalk Resort’s Trattoria al Forno.

Jasmine and Aladdin

• Aladdin and Jasmine meet guests in the Magic Kingdom at the Agrabah Bazaar in Adventureland. This is the only place to see Aladdin.  
• Find Jasmine Epcot’s Morocco pavilion.  
• You can see Jasmine sometimes at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom.
• She is also at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot.

Anna and Elsa

• Anna and Elsa meet at the Royal Sommerhus in Epcot’s Norway.  

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider

• Rapunzel can be found in Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom.  
• She also appears occasionally at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom.
• Find both Rapunzel and Flynn Rider during breakfast at Trattoria al Forno in the Boardwalk Resort.

Mulan

• Mulan greets guests in the China pavilion at Epcot.  

Merida

• Merida appears in the Magic Kingdom in Fantasyland in Fairytale Garden.

Tiana

• Princess Tiana can be found in the Magic Kingdom at Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland.

Pocahontas

• You can find Pocahontas at Animal Kingdom on Discovery Island.

Winnie the Pooh and Friends

Winnie the Pooh

• You will find Winnie the Pooh near his ride in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom.  
• You can also find him at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom.
• Coming soon: Winnie the Pooh will be meeting in the back of the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot. We don’t have an official start date yet on this one.

Tigger

• Tigger also meets near the Winnie the Pooh ride in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom.  
• He is also at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom.
• In the past, Tigger has joined Pooh in the United Kingdom pavilion of Epcot. We don’t yet know if he will be there when Pooh returns to this spot in the near future.

Eeyore

• The only place to see Eeyore is at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom.

Piglet

• The only place to see Piglet is in the Magic Kingdom at Crystal Palace.

Toy Story Toys

Woody & Bo Peep

• Woody currently greets fans in Hollywood Studios’ Toy Story Land with Bo Peep.  

Buzz Lightyear

• Find Buzz in the Magic Kingdom next to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland.  
• You can also see him in Hollywood Studios in Toy Story Land.

Green Army Men

• There are usually one or more green army men roaming around Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios.  

Disney Junior Friends

Doc McStuffins

• You can meet Doc in Animation Courtyard in Hollywood Studios.  
• She also appears during breakfast at Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios.  

Sofia the First

• You can join Sofia for breakfast at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios.

Elena of Avalor

• You can meet Elena in the Magic Kingdom in Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland.

Fancy Nancy

• Find Fancy Nancy in the Animation Courtyard at Hollywood Studios.

Vampirina

• Vampirina meets in Hollywood Studios’ Animation Courtyard.
• She is also at breakfast at Hollywood and Vine.

Cars

Cruz Ramirez

• Find Cruz Ramirez outside of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy in Hollywood Studios.

DJ

• DJ also meets outside of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy in Hollywood studios.

Star Wars Characters

You can find a few Star Wars characters in Hollywood Studios. Please note that these meet and greets and/or locations may change after Star Wars: Galaxy Edge opens in Hollywood Studios on August 29, 2019.

Kylo Ren

• Kylo Ren can be found in Star Wars Launch Bay.
• Starting August 29, 2019, Kylo Ren will be moving to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Darth Vadar

• Beginning August 29, 2019, Darth Vadar can be seen in Star Wars Launch Bay.

BB-8

• Find BB-8 in the Star Wars Launch Bay in Hollywood Studios.

Chewbacca

• Chewbacca is also in Star Wars Launch Bay.

Storm Troopers

• Storm Troopers can be found in or around Star Wars Launch Bay. They may or may not stop for a picture with you.

Other Characters

Alice

• Alice is in front of the Mad Tea Party in the Magic Kingdom.
• She is in the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot.  
• You can also see her during breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian.

Mad Hatter

• Normally, the Mad Hatter can only be seen at breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian.

Mary Poppins

• Mary Poppins meets people in the Magic Kingdom near the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe.
• You can also find her in the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase.  
• Another place to see Mary is during breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian.

Gaston

• You can meet Gaston in the Magic Kingdom near his tavern in Fantasyland.    

Peter Pan

• Peter Pan is located in the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland near Peter Pan’s Flight.

Tinkerbell

• The only place to meet Tinkerbell is in Town Square Theater in the Magic Kingdom.

Olaf

• Meet Olaf in Hollywood Studios on the way to Star Tours.

Evil Queen

• The Evil Queen can only be seen regularly at Artist Point in the Wilderness Lodge.

Dopey & Grumpy

• Currently, the only place to see any of the dwarfs on a regular basis is at Artist Point in the Wilderness Lodge. There, you can see Dopey and Grumpy.

Baymax

• Baymax meets guests in Epcot in Innoventions West across the breezeway from Character Spot.  
• Character Spot will be closing on September 8, 2019. As of now, there is no word on Baymax being available after that date.

Joy and Sadness

• Joy and Sadness meet together in Epcot across the breezeway from Character Spot.  
• The Character Spot is closing on September 8, 2019. As of now, it appears that Sadness will be leaving then. Joy will still be out, but her new location has not yet been announced.

 Stitch

• Stitch can be found at the Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland across from Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.  
• He also appears during breakfast at ‘Ohana at the Polynesian Resort.

Lilo

• Lilo is only available to meet during breakfast at ‘Ohana in the Polynesian Resort.

Lady Tremaine & the Stepsisters

• Lady Tremaine and the stepsisters can be found during dinner at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian.

Edna Mode

• Edna Mode meets guests near the entrance to Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios.

Captain Jack Sparrow

• Captain Jack can be seen in the Magic Kingdom near Tortuga Tavern.

Mike and Sulley

• You will find Mike and Sulley in Hollywood Studios on the way to the Toy Story Land.

Russell and Dug

• You can see Russell and Dug from Up in Animal Kingdom in a little area near the entrance to It’s Tough to be a Bug.  

Ralph & Vanellope

• Ralph & Vanellope are located in the Imagination Pavilion in Epcot’s Future World.

Launchpad McQuack

• Find Launchpad in Dinoland USA in Animal Kingdom.

Scrooge McDuck

• See Scrooge McDuck in Dinoland USA in Animal Kingdom.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are lots of characters in the parks for you to meet.  I definitely recommend taking some time on your next trip to meet your favorite characters.  They can add an extra element of fun to your trip.  This list will help you find characters at Disney World.  For more on character dining, see my list of character meals at Disney and the best character meals for boys. Happy travels!

P.S. Want even more help planning your Disney World trip? You can get our Disney Trip Planning Worksheet, Packing List for Disney Trips, and other Disney planning tools in our Travel Resource Library. See how to get the password and free instant access to the library in the box below.

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