Everywhere You Can See Characters At Walt Disney World

One of the reasons why many of us enjoy visiting the most magical place on earth is thanks to the characters at Walt Disney World.

We love to see them. We love to wave to them. We love to take photos with them. Not only do they star in some of our favorite films and television series, but they also make the experience special. And you know what? The parks would not be the same without characters.

And, as of April 18, 2022, traditional meet and greets are back to normal, including character greetings and dining experiences.

Disney announced on March 31 that traditional character meet and greets are returning to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and Aulani Resort as early as April 18.

Per Disney, “While not all locations will be available immediately, we anticipate reopening in phases throughout the spring and early summer.”

We’ve gathered everywhere you can see characters at Walt Disney World, including cavalcades and other sightings. Let’s dive in!

In this article

What Is A Cavalcade?

Cavalcades are like a parade, but smaller and shorter. This means you don’t have to save a seat beforehand to catch them.

These mini-parades allow you to see characters quickly and multiple times a day.

Cavalcades really are a lot of fun and provide opportunities to wave to characters without feeling tied down to a parade schedule.

You can even easily catch one as you’re on your way to hop in line for an attraction or grab a bite to eat.

Here’s a brief breakdown of why cavalcades are magical and why we love them so much.

Cavalcades are smaller, providing a more intimate experience. You won’t be stuck in the 2nd or 3rd row of a crowd – you’ll be front row with lots of opportunities to wave – and for the characters to wave back.
They are quick – no standing in the hot sun for an hour. You get a dash of magic and then you move along to your next adventure of the day.
Cavalcades bring these magical character sightings into parts of parks we haven’t seen before like seeing Chip ‘n’ Dale dressed up as dinosaurs sailing by on a boat.

How Do You Know When A Cavalcade Is Coming?

jessie in pixar cavalcade hollywood studios

Your biggest clue is music! Not only will you hear a shift in the park area music, but it will also be a bit louder.

Before you’re even able to see a cavalcade you’ll likely hear it first.

You can also check the My Disney Experience app for cavalcade schedules in the “Entertainment” section. They usually run about every 15 minutes or so.

Here’s how you can find cavalcade schedules in the My Disney Experience app.

Open the app. Click the pin symbol at the bottom (second one from the left)

my disney experience app - magic kingdom wait times

Tap the arrow next to “Wait Times” at the top of the screen. Select “Entertainment”.

Tap “Show List” on the right at the top of the screen. Scroll to find the cavalcade schedules.

magic kingdom entertainment in my disney experience app

You can also “Filter” for the cavalcade schedule of the park you’re visiting. Simply hit “Filter” in the top left of the screen and select the park you want. Then hit “Apply” at the bottom of the screen.

Where Can You See Cavalcades At Each Park?

timon and rafiki animal kingdom cavalcade

There are specific locations to catch the cavalcades. Let’s take a look.

Important: Epcot no longer has cavalcades.

Magic Kingdom

Cavalcades starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom).

Hollywood Studios

The cavalcades start at the front of the park and runs down most of Hollywood Boulevard before turning left and heading towards The Backlot Express.

Animal Kingdom

The cavalcades float around the entire Discovery River.

Catching cavalcades on the Discovery River can be tricky. You sometimes have to be in the right place at the right time. But here are our favorite spots to see characters float by on boats.

Bleachers near Expedition Everest: The seating from Rivers of Light is a great place to catch the Character Cruises, but they can get quite hot during the middle of the day. And now that Disney KiteTails shows here, you can catch the cavalcades and the show all in the same place.
Near the Caravan Stage Theater: Across from where Feathered Friends in Flight! takes place, there’s a seating area that offers a good view of the river and the cavalcades.

animal kingdom discovery river amphitheater cavalcade

Flame Tree Barbecue: The Quick Service spot in Discovery Island has some great food and an even more amazing view of Expedition Everest and the river, meaning you have the perfect spot for both the cavalcades and KiteTails.
Bridges: Most of the bridges will give you a unique angle to shoot photographs as the characters pass below.

Are There Differences Between Park Cavalcades & Characters?

While all of the cavalcades are pretty much similar (they transport characters around the parks to wave to guests in a convenient and quick way), they all do it with different modes of transportation.

Magic Kingdom: Standard parade floats
Hollywood Studios: Cars, aka Motorcades
Animal Kingdom: Boats, aka Flotillas
Epcot: None (no more cavalcades)

Of course, each park also has different characters for guests to experience.

Do Disney Characters Sign Autographs?

Yes! Disney characters are signing autographs at Walt Disney World.

However, not every character can sign autographs, including:

Baymax
The Beast
Buzz Lightyear (uses stamp)
Olaf (pre-signed autograph card)
Ralph and Vanellope (pre-signed autograph card)
Mike and Sulley
The Incredibles

pluto meet and greet - hollywood studios

Read more about Disney character autograph ideas

Will Cast Members Take Photos With Guests’ Phones?

Yes, Disney PhotoPass Photographers aren taking guests photos with select Disney characters, including:

Meet Donald Duck in Mexico at Epcot
Meet Sulley at Walt Disney Presents in Hollywood Studios
Meet Disney Stars (Minnie and Sorcerer Mickey) at Red Carpet Dreams
Meet Disney Junior Pals in Animation Courtyard

If a character doesn’t have a PhotoPass Photographer, the character attendant will take photos for you — just ask!

Are Characters Part Of Genie+?

Yes, select meet and greets can be used with the Disney Genie+ system.

These include:

Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall (Magic Kingdom)
Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall (Magic Kingdom)
Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater (Magic Kingdom)
Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight (Hollywood Studios)
Meet Disney Stars (Minnie and Sorcerer Mickey) at Red Carpet Dreams (Hollywood Studios)

Read more about touring strategies with and without using Genie+

Can You See Characters At Resorts?

Goofy and Pluto on the lawn of the Contemporary

As far as we know, this fun character opportunity isn’t going anywhere.

In what is a super cute addition to onsite Disney Resort hotels, sometimes you can spot members of the Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Donald)!

Keep your eyes peeled for the “Caravanning ‘Round the World” shuttle at your resort, because that usually means characters are hanging about for some socially-distant fun.

Currently, the characters can be seen in their new EARidescent costumes for the 50th anniversary.

Is Character Dining Available?

You bet character dining is available at both resorts and the parks, along with character hugs and autographs.

Here is where you can currently experience character dining:

Magic Kingdom: Cinderella’s Royal Table (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and Be Our Guest (lunch, dinner)
Epcot: Garden Grill (lunch, dinner)
Hollywood Studios (both at Hollywood & Vine): Disney Junior Play n’ Dine (breakfast), Minnie’s Seasonal Dine (lunch, dinner)
Animal Kingdom: Tusker House (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
Contemporary Resort: Chef Mickey’s (breakfast, dinner)
Riviera Resort: Topolino’s Terrace (breakfast)
Four Seasons Resort: Ravello (breakfast)
Wilderness Lodge: Story Book Dining at Artist Point (dinner)

You can read more about character dining at the parks below under each park section. For more information, be sure to check out our reviews of the modified character dining that we’ve personally experienced so far.

Now, let’s check out where you can see all of the current cavalcades and characters at Walt Disney World…

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom Cavalcades

Magic Kingdom formerly had a lot of cavalcades offering many opportunities to see a range of characters.

But, with the park going back to pre-pandemic operations, many of the cavalcades are no longer running. There are a couple you can still catch, though.

Here are all of the former and current cavalcades at Magic Kingdom.

Mickey Celebration Cavalcade (For The 50th Anniversary)

mickey's celebration cavalcade 50th anniversary magic kingdom

Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, and Chip ‘n’ Dale on two tiered floats (it’s from the Move it! Shake it! Mousekedance it! Parade) and a crew of dancers accompanied by the special 50th anniversary anthem, “Magic Is Calling”
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade

Characters: Nearly 30 characters, including Miguel from Coco, Nick and Judy from Zootopia, Baloo and King Louie from The Jungle Book, Miguel from Coco, José Carioca and Panchito from The Three Caballeros, Merida, Moana, The Incredibles, and more (features “the most characters of any cavalcade to date”)
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Mickey & Friends Cavalcade (Currently Unavailable)

Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto on a tiered float (it’s from the Move it! Shake it! Mousekedance it! Parade) and a crew of dancers
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Tinker Bell & The Lost Treasure (No Longer Running)

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure Cavalcade

Characters: Tinker Bell
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

A Royal Princess Processional (No Longer Running)

Characters: Aurora, Ariel, Jasmine, Belle, Princess Elena, Snow White, Cinderella, Mulan, and The Fairy Godmother (on the mirror float), Princess Merida (on her horse Angus), Rapunzel and Tiana (on the gazebo float); sometimes the princesses will walk instead of riding on the float
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Merida looking quite Brave on Angus.

Magic Kingdom Cavalcade (No Longer Running)

Characters: Moana, Alice, Peter Pan, Aladdin, and Mary Poppins all on a float resembling a stack of wrapped gifts (it’s from the Move it! Shake it! Mousekedance it! Parade), Gaston on horseback
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Disney Friends Cavalcade (No Longer Running)

Characters: Max, Clarabelle Cow, Panchito, José Carioca, and Stitch on a float resembling a stack of gifts (it’s from the Move it! Shake it! Mousekedance it! Parade), and a crew of dancers
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Parades

Currently, there is one parade running at Magic Kingdom — Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade!

And the good news is the parade runs alongside the cavalcades, meaning yet another opportunity to see characters during your visit.

You can check the My Disney Experience app for that day’s parade time.

Festival of Fantasy (Available with Genie+)

anna and elsa festival of fantasy parade

Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, Elsa, Belle, the Beast, fire-breathing dragon Maleficent, and more
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Traditional Character Meet & Greets

You can hug the following characters, take photos, and have them sign autographs (unless otherwise noted).

Mickey Mouse At Town Square Theater
(Available with Genie+)

mickey mouse 50th anniversary outfit town square theater

Characters: Mickey Mouse in his 50th EARidescent outfit
Where: On the righthand side of Town Square next to Tony’s Town Square Restaurant

Disney Princesses At Princess Fairytale Hall
(Available with Genie+)

princess tiana meet and greet at magic kingdom

Characters: Tiana, Rapunzel, Elena, and Cinderella
Where: In Fantasyland across from Prince Charming Regal Carrousel and near The Friar’s Nook

Step Sisters

Characters: Anastasia and Drizella
Where: You can find them behind the castle near the Cinderella fountain

Belle at Maurice’s Cottage

Characters: Belle (PhotoPass available)
Where: inside Maurice’s Cottage in Fantasyland (Enchanted Tales With Belle remains temporarily unavailable)

Chip ‘n’ Dale

Characters: Chip ‘n’ Dale
Where: In Storybook Circus near Pete’s Silly Sideshow

Captain Jack Sparrow on Adventureland Stage

Characters: Jack Sparrow
Where: on the Adventureland stage across from the entrance of Pirates of the Caribbean

Other Character Opportunities and “Sightings”

Even with character meet and greets back to normal, there are still some character “sightings” for guests to enjoy.

You can actually have 1-on-1 time with select characters — but at a distance. This means no hugging or autographs.

stitch sighting in my disney experience app

Most of these experiences don’t have PhotoPass photographers, so you’ll need to take photos/selfies with your own camera and/or mobile device.

You can check appearance times for in the My Disney Experience app.

Pooh Friends In Front Of Crystal Palace

rabbit, piglet and eeyore crystal palace

You can also sometimes catch the gang on the porch outside of their old hangout, The Crystal Palace restaurant.

Characters At The Main Street Train Station

characters in 50th outfits at magic kingdom train station

Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Chip ‘n’ Dale, Pooh and Friends
Where: on the balcony of the Main Street train station

Let The Magic Begin Welcome Show (Begins 5 Minutes Prior To Official Park Opening)

let the magic begin welcome show magic kingdom

Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Chip ‘n’ Dale, and a crew of dancers
Where: on the stage in front of Cinderella Castle

Country Bears

Characters: Country Bears
Where: on the balcony above The Country Bear Jamboree

Buzz Lightyear & Stitch at Tower Plaza Stage

Characters: Stitch and Buzz Lightyear (alternates between the 2)
Where: At Tower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland

Main Street Philharmonic

Characters: The Main Street Philharmonic band
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom); sometimes they’ll play on the stage in front of Cinderella Castle

Live Entertainment

The following live entertainment show means you can see characters and enjoy a show all at the same time.

You can always check the My Disney Experience app for the daily live entertainment schedule.

Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire

Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Tiana, Prince Naveen and Louis from The Princess and the Frog, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from Tangled, Elsa, Anna and Olaf from Frozen (this is a special 50th edition with EARidescent costumes and an all-new original song called “Where the Magic Feels Like Home”)
Where: Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage

Magic Kingdom Character Dining

Magic Kingdom is currently home to 2 of the character meals you can find on property right now – Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Royal Table.

Unlike other meals where multiple characters are present, Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Royal Table each only have 1: The Beast and Cinderella, respectively.

Check out our latest Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest reviews for more details on each experience.

Note: It remains unclear if these character dining experiences are offering traditional character meet and greets, along with whether or not the usual princesses are returning to Cinderella’s Royal Table. We’ll update as soon as we learn more.

Seasonal Character Experiences

As we’ve said, one of our favorite things at the parks is the parades. And this was especially true of the seasonal parades offered during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

While the full parties continue to be unavailable at Magic Kingdom, in 2021 there was an opportunity to see pieces of the popular Boo to You Parade at Disney Boo Bash After Hours and also the return of Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Time Parade at Disney Very Merriest After Hours!

Halloween Cavalcades 2021

The following spook-tacular cavalcades were only available during the Boo Bash After Hours event.

Jack’s Nightmare Cavalcade

jack and sally at magic kingdom's boo bash 2021

Characters: Jack Skellington, Sally, and Oogie Boogie atop a Nightmare Before Christmas themed float
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Mickey’s Happy Halloween Cavalcade

Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto in costume on a tiered float (it’s from the Move it! Shake it! Mousekedance it! Parade) and a crew of dancers
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Disney Villains Halloween Cavalcade

villains cavalcade magic kingdom boo bash

Characters: Jafar, Evil Queen, Dr. Facilier, Queen of Hearts, and the Bowler Hat Guy on a villains themed float
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Maleficent

Characters: The fire-breathing dragon float from the Festival of Fantasy parade
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade

This holiday parade typically runs during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, but Disney also made it a feature of the first Very Merriest After Hours event in 2021.

This also marked the official return of parades at Disney World since the resort reopened in July 2020.

goofy float mickey's once upon a christmastime parade

Sometimes Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade even runs during regular park hours around the last two weeks of December.

Characters: A range of characters wearing holiday attire on festive floats, including Mickey, Minnie, Olaf, Toy Soldiers, Reindeer, and more (yes, even Santa Claus!)
Where: starts at the back of the park near Splash Mountain in Frontierland and moves towards the front, exiting next to the Main Street Fire Station (this is the standard parade route in Magic Kingdom)

Santa Claus Daytime Sighting

In addition to modified meet and greets at Very Merriest, Santa Claus also made appearances during the day at the Liberty Square Gazebo in Magic Kingdom. You coul find appearance times in the My Disney Experience app.

santa claus meet and greet very merriest after hours

Character Hug Graphic

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Epcot