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We love Disney characters! This is one of the things that makes the Walt Disney World Resort so popular. Waving to your favorite Disney Princess during a parade or getting a hug from Mickey Mouse.
Things have certainly changed due to COVID-19. Instead of getting a hug, you are waving at a distance or getting a social distancing selfie. However, the magic of seeing your favorite Disney Characters at the Walt Disney World theme park is still there.
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Characters at Disney Parks
Magic Kingdom Park
This is our favorite Disney Park to see the Disney World characters. You can see pop up characters in Adventureland and Tomorrowland. On our last visit, we saw the Country Bears in Adventureland and Stitch in Tomorrowland. You never know which Disney Character will pop up.
“The Royal Princess Processional”
Several times daily, favorite Disney princesses travel through the streets of Magic Kingdom. Princess Merida or Gaston leads the way on a horse, followed closely by a gazebo float and crystal castle carrying Cinderella, Tiana, Belle, Jasmine, Snow White, Rapunzel and others.
“Mickey and Friends Cavalcade”
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their pals pop up throughout the day, inviting everyone to “Get Their Ears On” as they wave to guests along the park’s parade route.
Cinderella’s Evil Stepsisters
From time to time, guests in Fantasyland may spot the dastardly Anastasia and Drizella and can interact with them from afar while they’re perched on a balcony of Cinderella Castle.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
We love seeing the Disney Characters at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. Many of the character experiences are brought back from previous experiences. Did you know years ago, there was entertainment on Discovery River cruises? I love that Disney brought this back with Disney World characters.
“Donald’s Dino Boat Bash!”
Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Launchpad McQuack wave to guests from their party boat as “Donald’s Dino Bash!” moves from DinoLand U.S.A. to Discovery River.
“Discovery River Character Cruise”
Throughout the day, guests can see Timon and Rafiki or Pocahontas with Meeko, who will set sail on the parks’ waterways.
Discovery Island Drummers
These high-energy percussionists cruise along Discovery River, entertaining guests on the shore with an energetic beat.
EPCOT
“Mickey and Friends World Tour”
As guests travel around World Showcase, they may come upon Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto and Goofy all out sightseeing and waving to their friends.
“Frozen Promenade”
Queen Anna and Elsa venture into the unknown around World Showcase, journeying from country to country and waving hello to guests along the way.
You also may see a few Disney Characters pop up throughout Epcot. We were lucky enough to see Winnie the Pooh as one of the Epcot characters. You can catch him at 13:48 in the video below. It is really cute!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
You will find so many amazing characters at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You will find characters at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and parades throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is another blast from the past. When I was a Disney Cast Member at Tower of Terror, Disney’s Hollywood Studios would have daily character motorcades. I love that Disney brought this one back, too.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
While living their own adventures in a galaxy far, far away, guests are likely to come across some familiar faces as they explore Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu:
- Heroes of the Resistance, including Rey, Chewbacca and Vi Moradi, may be spotted on platforms above the garage in Black Spire Station or surveying activity around the spaceport where the Millennium Falcon has landed.
- A contingent of First Order Stormtroopers join Kylo Ren in patrolling the landing platform at Docking Bay 9 beneath their TIE Echelon assault vehicle.
“Pixar Pals Motorcade”
Some of the biggest stars from Pixar Animation Studios’ films arrive on Hollywood Boulevard, from The Incredibles to Toy Story pals and more. They’ll wave to their fans as they head down the avenue accompanied by a celebratory musical score.
“Disney Junior Stars Motorcade”
Throughout the day, Disney Junior stars including Fancy Nancy, Doc McStuffins and Vampirina will cruise down Hollywood Boulevard waving to fans from colorful custom convertibles.
Disney Character Dining
A popular activity with Disney World Characters is Character Dining. This is such a fun experience eating, while Disney Characters pop over to your table for a picture or signature for autograph books. Character meals have also changed. You will still see the Disney Characters during your meal. However, they will be at a distance. You will not be able to get a hug, but you can get a social distance selfie.
We do still love this experience. Since Disney FastPass+ reservations are no longer active due to Coronavirus, we love that you can still make a reservation for a meal to see the characters.
You can currently see your favorite characters at these three character dining locations.
- Garden Grill Restaurant
- Hollywood & Vine
- Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera
How is Disney World Different
We get a lot of questions about how WDW is different. You can click here to learn all about the changes at Disney World due to COVID-19. This will help you prepare for your Disney World vacation.
The Disney Character meet and greets are a bit different at the Walt Disney World Resort. However, you can still have a lot of fun with the Disney World Characters during your Orlando, Florida vacation.
Don’t worry, your favorite character experiences with Tigger, Woody, Ariel, Aladdin, Lilo, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Mad Hatter, Gaston, Aurora, Tinker Bell, Stitch, Peter Pan, and Buzz Lightyear will return soon.
Who is your favorite Disney World character?