Walt Disney World boasts dozens of thrilling attractions and top-notch restaurants, but it’s the lands and the characters who “live” there that truly make the parks a magical place. Whether it’s a hug from Mickey Mouse, a high five from Chewbacca, or quick chat about gumbo with Tiana, the interactions with our favorite characters bring the story to life and bring out the kid in all of us.

Where and When Can I Meet my Disney Friends?

All four theme parks will have character meet and greets throughout the day, and there a few different ways you can say hello. Some are available to meet continuously at indoor locations, like Mickey and Friends at EPCOT, the Princesses at Fairytale Hall at Magic Kingdom, and Anna and Elsa at Royal Somerhaus in the Norway Pavilion at EPCOT. Others will meet periodically throughout the park at designated spots with set times for guests to line up to meet them, like Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios. Others are considered “roaming” and will be in a general area at a designated time but do not have a line for guests, like the Star Wars characters in Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios.

Character schedules are listed in the Disney World app. The app is dynamic, so times will disappear throughout the day as the set times begin so that you see what is still scheduled in real time. If you have a certain couple of characters you’d really like to meet, check the app a day or two before your visit so that you can get an idea of the entire schedule for the day. (Times are subject to change, so check the morning you head to the park as well.)

Aside from the “all day” characters like Mickey and Friends, the scheduled meet and greet set times generally wrap up between 4pm – 5pm, with the “roaming” characters hanging out a bit later into the evening. In general, you’ll want to plan to meet characters earlier in your day.

• Open the Disney World app
• Tap on the map pin icon at the bottom of your screen
• Tap on “characters”
• Tap on “show list”

This will give you a list of all of the characters available for meet and greets at the parks (left image below). To see the characters at one specific park, go to the “locations” drop down menu and select your park of choice (right image below).

You can tap on a character and see where they will be located and when their set begins (left image below). Tap on “find on map” to see the exact location on the map (right image below).

At the end of the day, the characters will no longer show up in the app as an offering since their set times are all done for the day. In the Judy Hopps example above, I took the screenshot at 1:05pm, so all of the earlier times are gone. If you are scrolling on your phone at night planning out your park day, you will not see any characters listed. Set a reminder to check the character times in the morning and take a screenshot of the ones you’d like to see. You can then factor that into your plans to make sure you can say hi to your favorite Space Ranger! (Or – let your travel agent know that you or your kiddo is a huge Donald Duck fan (he’s #1!) so they help you plan out your day.)

Pro Tip: Very popular characters can have a line start to form 10 to 15 minutes before their set time begins. Characters like Moana, Buzz Lightyear & Woody, and Captain Jack Sparrow can draw quite a crowd, and I highly recommend arriving at least 10 minutes before the posted set time begins for these headliners. Character attendants will shut off the line after a certain point when the number of guests waiting will fill the allotted meet and greet time, and the line can sometimes close right at the posted start time.

Autographs and Pictures

Kids of all ages can collect character autographs at meet and greets. The majority of characters will autograph for you, with a few notable exceptions who do not:

• Star Wars characters at Hollywood Studios
• Beast at Be Our Guest Restaurant
• Starlord roaming by Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Kevin from Up!

A couple of characters like Buzz Lightyear and Figment will give you a card with their name stamped on it instead of signing an autograph book. Princess Belle signs autographs in EPCOT, but is not able to after Enchanted Tales with Belle at Magic Kingdom. Her autograph is on the bookmark you receive, and she is available for pictures after the story ends.

It’s helpful to have a good-sized pen or marker (especially for our friends with gloved/mitten-hands) and an autograph book that you can easily open and close throughout the day. I like hard-binder books rather than spiral-binder books, so the spiral doesn’t get caught as you flip through it and take it out of your bag or stroller throughout the day.

Disney PhotoPass Service is available at character meet and greets, and character attendants can also help with taking pictures with your own device. The great news is — you can use PhotoPass regardless of whether you’ve purchased it in advance. If you see in the app that you have some fantastic shots that you want to keep, you can purchase PhotoPass during or after your trip. Either way, the character attendants can take a few pictures with your phone or camera as well, so you’ll have those on your device. (I also love to ask for a quick selfie with the characters too –it’s always fun to try to get Mickey’s entire head in the shot!)

Make Smalltalk

If you really want to lean into the fun and make believe at Walt Disney World, chat up the characters as if you live in their world. “Face characters” who portray a “person” character will talk with you within their canon/story. For example, you can ask Belle if she’s read any good books lately or if her dad has a new invention coming out soon. You can ask Moana what her favorite island is (probably Motunui), or tell Alice you’d like to visit Wonderland with her someday, and they will engage with you on that topic.

I once showed Pocahontas a small change purse that I have had since childhood (that I got with the movie VHS)! She asked me what I keep in it (obviously because Pocahontas’ tribe does not have currency), and I explained what coins are used for. She then told me that Meeko would probably like to shake it around and make noise with what’s inside. It was really neat!

The “head characters” who portray other animated characters like Mickey Mouse, Goofy, or the Pixar Pals will interact with you through mime, sometimes with their character attendants filling in the communication gaps if needed. I always ask Frozone if he can help us out a little bit with the heat in Florida (I’m sure he and Elsa have never heard that one before), and he’ll act out his response. When visiting Edna Mode, tell her she embodies the height of fashion. You can let Buzz Lightyear know that you heard that morning’s briefing from Star Command and will be at the rendezvous point later, and see how he reacts.

Characters know their own story and closely related stories but not those outside their universe. For example, Princess Aurora and Cinderella know each other, but they won’t know who Joy and Sadness or Luke Skywalker are. Most likely, they’ll simply respond with “I don’t know who that is.”

Are there any other ways to meet characters at Walt Disney World?

If you want to level up your character interactions, you can make a reservation at one of the many character dining restaurants across property.  Character meals are one of the most relaxing ways to meet your Disney pals, and since you have to eat throughout the day anyway, you might as well manga with Mickey. These restaurants are generally buffet-style service, which allows the characters to roam around the restaurant while you leisurely enjoy your meal. If a character hasn’t stopped by yet, just ask your server or a character attendant (in a blue shirt) if Goofy could pop over, and they’ll help out.

If someone in your group is excited to meet lots of Disney Princesses, the breakfast buffet at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway Pavilion at EPCOT is a fantastic choice. This is also a great way to meet characters who do not typically hang out in the parks. Over at Wilderness Lodge Resort, guests can meet the Evil Queen and a few of the Seven Dwarfs at Story Book Dining at Artist’s Point, who are otherwise only available at certain special events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Random character pop-ups at resort lobbies have been ongoing for a while, but scheduled resort visits will become more common as Cool Kids’ Summer returns, with character meet and greets available at:

• Pop Century Resort
• Art of Animation Resort
• Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
• Caribbean Beach Resort

This is a great way to meet some of your favorite pals at your home away from home. You may also see unscheduled appearances at your resort any time of the year.

Though not a true meet and greet — one of the easiest ways to see characters is a quick hello during the parades and cavalcades offered at Magic Kingdom. The Festival of Fantasy Parade steps off at 12p and 3pm daily, and the Adventure Friends Cavalcade runs in the evening at 5:10p and 6:25p. Top off your night with Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away at 8:15p and 10:30p. These parades offer a chance to wave “hi” to dozens of character friends on gorgeous floats. With so much to do during your day at the park, this can be a great way to get your character fix while taking a rest from rides.

You’ve Got a Friend in Me

The character experiences really do add so much to immersive feeling at the Disney Parks, and this was painfully apparent during the phased reopening after the pandemic, when guests could not interact with characters in the same way. Being able to give Mr. Incredible a high five, or get a huge hug from James P. Sullivan, or have a moment with Mickey to tell him about your day at the Magic Kingdom, enhances the experience for kids and adults alike. And let’s face it, there are certain characters who hold such a special place in our hearts that even the most stoic of visitors will have to smile, laugh, and have a jolly holiday – looking at you, Mary Poppins.

Want to say hi to some childhood friends at the Most Magical Place on Earth? Let’s start planning your Magical Quest today!