No matter what age you are, getting to meet your favourite Disney characters will be one of the highlights of your trip for sure! Mia was nervous, but excited when she was 18 months..then at 3 years old, she was over the moon and couldn’t wait to get everyones autograph!
Disney has been strategic over the years, placing characters at different parks so there is always someone different to see. So if your family is looking forward to one or two specific characters, be sure to check what park they will be at..they aren’t guaranteed to be at Magic Kingdom. For example, Anna and Elsa from Frozen can only be found at Epcot!
Characters you can meet at Magic Kingdom
Characters you can meet at Epcot
Characters you can meet at Animal Kingdom
Characters you can meet at Hollywood Studios
Characters you can meet through Character Dining
For the more popular characters (Mickey, Minnie, Rapunzel, Cinderella etc) they are in designated indoor locations with a nice backdrop. These are considered “Disney experiences” and you can use your fastpass on them! We were pleasantly surprised to see that several of them allowed you to use 1 fastpass to see 2 characters!
For example, Cinderella and Elana were in the same room, so there is only one line up..the same was with Rapunzel and Tiana! If you happen to find the line is really short when you arrive, you can change your fastpass using your app..that way you don’t waist it!
It is hugely popular to get the characters autographs. You can get an autograph book while you are at the park, but I would recommend going to target or walmart the night before..they have a big selection for a fraction of the price, you can get special pens and everything.
Mia even found it fun to practice her own autograph while waiting in line! (Activities for waiting in line)
Once we got home, I knew that the autograph book wouldn’t last, so I took pictures of all the signatures she got and made a keepsake book to give her for christmas. This is the best souvenir we have from that trip. You can use any website that makes photo albums (walmart, costco, blacks) I found that shutterfly has disney settings and stickers you can add to really capture the disney feel. This site is from the states, so be mindful of the exchange rate..but I found it was totally worth it!
Also at Disney’s Fort Wilderness camp ground, they seasonally (usually fall and winter) will do campfire songs with Chip and Dale..you can bring marshmallows to roast over the fire and stay for a free Disney movie afterwards. This is a completely free experience that you don’t need to show a ticket for or spend any money to enjoy!
Character Dining: Another way to get to meet some characters is through the character dining experience. There are several restaurants in the parks that you can sit and eat and relax, and they characters will come to you!
*Be sure to make a reservation as soon as you start planning your trip! Character Dining restaurants can fill up months in advance..so even if you think you might change your mind, try and get a reservation using the disney go app and you can always remove it later if you decide not to go. Keeping that in mind..if you are un able to get a reservation because they are all full, check back 48 hours and 24 hours before you spend the day at the park, a lot of times plans will change and reservations get cancelled.
*pro tip: reservations can be tricky for the really popular character dining spots. Check out MouseDining.com you can enter your party and the dates you are interested in going and what restaurants you want to go to..and they will send you an alert when when a reservation becomes available!!
In Park Character Dining Experiences
Magic Kingdom
| Restaurant | Character Experience |
| Be Our Guest | The Beast |
| Cinderellas Royal Table | Ariel, Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White and Jasmine |
| Crystal Palace | Eeyore, Piglet, Winnie The Pooh and Tigger |
Epcot
| Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Norway Pavilion) | Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Aurora and Ariel |
| Garden Grill (Land Pavilion) | Pluto, Mickey, Chip and Dale (dressed and farmers) |
Hollywood Studios
| Hollywood & Vine (Disney Jr Play ‘N Dine Breakfast) | Typically Vampirina, Fancy Nancy, Doc McStuffins, and Roadster Goofy |
| Hollywood & Vine (Minnie’s Seasonal Dine Lunch & Dinner) | Typically Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy (dressed seasonally) |
Animal Kingdom
| Tusker House | Mickey, Donald and Goofy (dressed for a safari) |
There are also restaurants that are on the Disney property but not in the parks that you can get the same experience! So you don’t actually have to buy a park ticket to get to meet the disney characters. You also don’t need to be a guest staying at the resort to eat at the restaurants..although it would be a good idea to get a reservation ahead of time.
Not in a theme park
| Restaurant And Location | Character Experience |
| 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian Resort (Supercalifragilistic Breakfast) | Typically Mary Poppins, Alice, The Mad Hatter, Tigger, & Winnie the Pooh |
| 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian (Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner) | Typically Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella |
| Artist Point, Wilderness Lodge Resort | Snow White, Evil Queen, Dopey, and Grumpy |
| Cape May Café, Beach Club Resort (Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast) | Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Daisy (dressed in beach attire) |
| Chef Mickeys, Contemporary Resort | Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, and Goofy (dressed as chefs) |
| Garden Grove, Swan Hotel | Goofy, Pluto, Chip, and Dale |
| Ohana, Polynesian Resort | Mickey, Stitch, Lilo, and Pluto (dressed in floral print & leis) |
| Ravello, Four Seasons Resort (Thur., Sat., & some Tues.) | Goofy, Mickey, and Minnie |
| Trattoria al Forno, Boardwalk Resort | Ariel, Prince Eric, Rapunzel, & Flynn Rider |
| Topolino’s Terrace, Riviera Resort | Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy (dressed as artists/dancers, etc.) |
Mom life eh 