Welcome to our home for all things Disney World characters. If you’re here, that probably means you or someone you’re traveling with is interested in meeting some characters on your next trip. Well, good news! Here, you’ll find everything you need to make those magical meetings happen – including expansive guides for every park and all your character favorites.
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
What to Expect In This Guide
On this page, we’ve listed all of our Walt Disney World character guides. We have complete character guides for each park (with locations, costumes, and tips), plus, we’ve put together individual guides for specific characters, too.
Our individual character guides cover everything from where to meet the characters to attractions and shows they’re featured in. We definitely try to cover all the bases so you don’t miss a thing.
Basically, all of these handy guides will teach you everything you need to know about the characters at Walt Disney World. Including tips like how to use the My Disney Experience app to locate them in the parks.
Park Specific Character Guides
Looking for where to meet characters in each park? Check out our park-specific guides. There, we list every meet-and-greet and character dining option available in each park, making it easy to catch up with your Disney favorites!
- Magic Kingdom Complete Character Guide
- Epcot Complete Character Guide
- Hollywood Studios Complete Character Guide
- Animal Kingdom Complete Character Guide
Special Event Character Guides
There are a few events where you’ll be able to meet characters you may not get to meet during the regular park day. Here are the guides for those:
- Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Character Guide
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Character Guide
- Complete Guide to Jollywood Nights (Including Characters)
Guides by Character
If you have a favorite character, you’ll want to explore our individual character guides. They show every spot you can meet or see that character, including attractions featuring their imagery. Consider these guides your one-stop shop for all your favorites!
If we’re missing one of your favorites, please let us know in the comments or drop us an email, and we’ll add it to the list of ones to create!
- Anna, Elsa, and Olaf
- Disney Junior characters (Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, and more)
- Figment
- Jack and Sally
- Mickey Mouse
- Moana
- Princesses
- Seven Dwarfs
- Stitch
- Winnie the Pooh and Friends
Character Dining
We can’t forget character dining. From breakfast to dinner, dining with the Disney characters is usually on the agenda for a Disney World trip.
We have a guide that takes a comprehensive look at all your character dining options, including price, meal type, and, of course, which characters make appearances. Check it out!
Character Experience Essentials
These links all take you to the important character adjacent info you’ll want to know in order to make the most of your experience:
- 9 Ideas for Character Autographs. Autographs are a popular (and inexpensive!) souvenir. Here are some unique ideas you can try on your next trip.
- How PhotoPass Works. PhotoPass is the photography service offered by Disney. Many character meet and greet locations offer PhotoPass, so you’ll want to know how it works before your trip.
- How Memory Maker Works. Memory Maker is a product you can purchase from PhotoPass. It basically will give you access to all of your PhotoPass pics (otherwise you pay for the photos one by one). If you are planning to meet a bunch of characters, then this add-on can be well worth your money.
- How to use My Disney Experience to Find Characters. Most character meet and greets have their schedules listed in the My Disney Experience app. Here’s how to find them.
- Where to find the Disney Visa Character Spots at Disney World. If you have a Disney Visa, you’ll have access to 2 private character meet and greet locations. Here’s where they are and who you can meet there.
Our Best Tips for Meeting Disney World Characters
Check the My Disney Experience App first thing in the morning. The My Disney Experience App will only show you appearances that have yet to happen, and after the last appearance of the day, that character won’t appear in the app anymore. So, if you’re trying to plan out in advance who you want to meet, check the app first thing in the morning when all appearances are still listed.
Arrive early for meet-and greets. To save on waiting, to be afraid to rope drop a character. Especially for popular characters, queues can get long. Arriving early can help you beat the crowds and spend more time interacting with the characters instead of waiting.
Book your character meals early. Character meals are a fantastic way to meet multiple characters in a more relaxed setting, but they are popular and reservations can be limited if you wait too long. Be sure to make reservations well in advance to ensure you get what you want.
Autographs make for a great souvenir. Don’t forget to be prepared! Bring along an autograph book and a clickable sharpie or a pen that’s easy for characters to handle. Some guests bring creative alternatives like pillowcases or photo mats for signatures, so if you’re feeling fancy, don’t be afraid to give that a try!
Consider purchasing Memory Maker. If you know you’ll be meeting lots of characters, consider purchasing Memory Maker. That way you can download all your pics and you won’t have to buy them individually.
Character Meet and Greet FAQs
Where can I find specific Disney characters in the parks?
Character locations and appearance times can be found on the My Disney Experience app, which is updated regularly.
Are there opportunities to meet characters outside of the parks?
Yes, several Disney resorts offer character dining experiences where you can meet characters during meals. These are available to all guests, not just those staying at the resort.
How long are the wait times to meet characters?
Wait times can vary greatly depending on the character and the time of day. Popular characters like Elsa and Anna may have longer wait times. Visiting characters during parades or shows can reduce waiting and there are a few places (like Princess Fairytale Hall) where you can use Genie+ to reduce your waits, too.
Can I get autographs from Disney characters?
Absolutely! Most characters are available for autographs during meet-and-greets. Be sure to bring an autograph book and a pen that’s easy for characters to handle. For the few that can’t sign autographs, they usually do something fun like have a stamp or hand out a postcard.
Do all the parks have characters?
Yes, characters appear in all four Disney World parks, but not all characters are available in every park. Specific characters are often tied to their thematic locations; for example, Star Wars characters are primarily found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
What is the best time to meet Disney characters?
Early morning or late evening tend to have shorter lines. Additionally, dining with characters during meal times is a great way to meet them without the typical park queues.
Are there any characters that only appear during special events?
Yes, certain characters, like Jack Skellington and Sally from “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” typically only appear during special events such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Also, unique character pairings (like the princesses with their respective princes) typically only happen during special events, too.
Can adults meet characters without children?
Yes! You definitely can. Many adults enjoy meeting their favorite characters just as much as children do. Just don’t be creepy with them or ask them to do anything to break character.