Do you want to know where you can hug characters again at Walt Disney World? Go no further!
We’ve known since the end of March that traditional character meet and greets were returning to Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and Aulani Resort beginning April 18.
And now we know which characters are giving hugs and autographs at select meet and greets and dining experiences.
To be clear, not every character meet and greet is back to normal. Some continue to meet at a distance, whereas others still haven’t returned.
When Disney first announced that we’d be able to hug characters again, they made it clear that they’d return in phases.
“While not all locations will be available immediately, we anticipate reopening in phases throughout the spring and early summer,” Disney previously stated.
To find characters in the My Disney Experience app, you can filter by characters.
- Open the MDE app
- Click on the second icon next to the home icon at the bottom of the screen
- Tap the drop down arrow at the top and select “Characters”
- Click “Filter” and filter by the park you want
- Hit “apply” and scroll
You can also use the search icon and type in “meet” for character meet and greets.
Important: unless otherwise noted, the following characters sign autographs. If a character doesn’t have a PhotoPass Photographer, the character attendant will take photos for you — just ask!
With that, here’s a breakdown of which characters you can hug. Be sure to also check the My Disney Experience app for daily meet and greet times.
Magic Kingdom
These character meet and greets are back to normal.
- Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater (available with Genie+)
- Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall (available with Genie+)
- Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall (available with Genie+)
- Anastasia and Drizella by Cinderella Fountain
- Belle at Maurice’s Cottage
- Chip ‘n’ Dale in Storybook Circus
- Captain Jack Sparrow on Adventureland Stage
These are listed in the app as “temporarily unavailable.” We imagine they’ll return eventually, but we’re not sure when.
- Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater (temporarily unavailable)
- Meet Dashing Disney Pals (Daisy and Minnie) as Circus Stars at Pete’s Silly Side Show (temporarily unavailable)
- Meet Daring Disney Pals (Goofy and Donald) as Circus Stars at Pete’s Silly Side Show (temporarily unavailable)
- Meet Ariel at Her Grotto (temporarily unavailable)
The following are listed as “sightings,” meaning you can take photos from a distance.
- Stitch at Rocket Tower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland
Epcot
These character meet and greets are back to normal.
- Meet Princess Jasmine in Morocco (find her inside the pavilion at the Lamps of Wonder location)
- Meet Snow White in Germany
- Meet Mulan in China
- Meet Princess Aurora in France
- Meet Belle in France
- Meet Alice in the United Kingdom
- Meet Mary Poppins in United Kingdom
- Meet Donald Duck in Mexico — PhotoPass available
- Meet Minnie Mouse in World Showcase
- Meet Anna and Elsa at Royal Sommerhus
- Meet a Favorite Pal (Mickey) at Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
- Joy at ImageWorks
- Vanellope at ImageWorks
- Meet Disney Pals Near Epcot Main Entrance (Goofy, Pluto)
The following are listed as “sightings,” meaning you can take photos from a distance.
- Daisy Duck in World Showcase, World Celebration
- Winnie the Pooh in Gardens near Imagination! Pavilion
Hollywood Studios
These character meet and greets are back to normal.
- Meet Sulley at Walt Disney Presents — PhotoPass available; no autograph
- Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight (available with Genie+) —pre-signed autograph cards
- Meet Disney Stars (Minnie and Sorcerer Mickey) at Red Carpet Dreams (available with Genie+) — PhotoPass available
- Meet Disney Junior Pals in Animation Courtyard — PhotoPass available
These are listed in the app as “temporarily unavailable.” We imagine they’ll return eventually, but we’re not sure when.
- Meet the Incredibles at Pixar Place (temporarily unavailable)
The following are listed as “sightings,” meaning you can take photos from a distance.
- Daisy Duck on Front Entrance Balcony
- Daisy Duck on Front Entrance Balcony
- Chip ‘n’ Dale on Brown Derby Lawn
- Goofy on Tower of Terror Balcony
- Chewbacca in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- First Order Stormtrooper in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Kylo Ren in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Rey in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Vi Moradi in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Animal Kingdom
These character meet and greets are back to normal.
- Moth from A Bug’s Life near It’s Tough to be a Bug! (only available for Earth Week celebration)
- Koda and Kenai from Brother Bear (only available for Earth Week celebration)
- Kevin and Russell from Up near the bridge to DinoLand U.S.A. from Discovery Island
These are listed in the app as “temporarily unavailable.” We imagine they’ll return eventually, but we’re not sure when.
- Meet Timon and Rafiki at Discovery Island (temporarily unavailable)
- Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost (temporarily unavailable)
Character Dining
These are the characters you can hug at character dining experiences on property.
- Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Garden Grill at Epcot
Don’t forget that you can also see characters in cavalcades, along with Magic Kingdom’s Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade and Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire.
We’ll keep you in the loop as more character meet and greets return to normal. You can also keep tabs on our character post, which we’ll update as we learn more details.
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Vicki Mammano
Monday 18th of April 2022
What about hugging the Pooh?