Meeting the Disney Characters is one of the most memorable experiences you can have at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Children and adults alike will love the chance to shake hands with Mickey Mouse, swap stories with the Disney Princesses, and pose for a photo with an iconic Disney Character.
There will be plenty of opportunities for you to meet various Disney Characters throughout your holiday in Orlando, whether that’s sitting down for a Character Breakfast, saying hello at a designated meeting spot, or bumping into a familiar face as you explore the theme parks.
In this post, we’ve got all the information you need about the different ways to meet Disney Characters at Walt Disney World Resort, including Character Dining and meet and greets.
Character Dining at Walt Disney World Resort
During a Character meal, you’ll indulge in some delicious food while Disney Characters come to your table to greet you. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that the whole family will love, and it’s also one of the easiest ways to meet Disney Characters.
Character Dining is very popular and can get booked up, so we recommend making a reservation before you travel to avoid disappointment. You can make bookings up to 60 days in advance, so set a reminder to do this before your trip.
If you’re staying at one of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, then you can book up to 60 days before your arrival date for the first 10 days of your holiday. You can book online before your trip or via the My Disney Experience app when you arrive in Orlando. Take a look at our step-by-step guide to making dining reservations to get started.
Meals tend to last between one hour and an hour and a half, but you’ll have plenty of time to eat and interact with the Disney Characters without feeling rushed. The Disney Characters will stop by your table for a quick chat and to take photos.
Walt Disney World Resort Character restaurants
Here are some of the best Character Dining restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort.
Restaurant | Location | Meals | Disney Characters |
|---|---|---|---|
1900 Park Fare | Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa | Breakfast and dinner | Disney friends including Aladdin, Cinderella, Mirabel from Encanto, and Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog |
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall | World Showcase at EPCOT | Breakfast, lunch, and dinner | Disney Princesses |
Cape May Cafe | Disney’s Beach Club Resort | Breakfast | Minnie Mouse and friends |
Chef Mickey’s | Disney’s Contemporary Resort | Breakfast and dinner | Mickey Mouse and friends |
Cinderella’s Royal Table | Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom Park | Breakfast, lunch, and dinner | Disney Princesses including Cinderella |
The Crystal Palace | Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom Park | Breakfast, lunch, and dinner | Winnie the Pooh and friends |
Garden Grill Restaurant | World Nature at EPCOT | Breakfast, lunch, and dinner | Chip ‘n’ Dale, Mickey Mouse |
Hollywood & Vine | Echo Lake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Breakfast | Disney Junior stars |
Hollywood & Vine | Echo Lake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Lunch and dinner | Minnie Mouse and friends |
‘Ohana | Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort | Breakfast | Lilo & Stitch |
Ravello | Four Seasons Resort Orlando | Breakfast | Goofy and friends |
Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White | Disney’s Wilderness Lodge | Dinner | Snow White characters including Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy, and The Queen |
Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera | Disney’s Riviera Resort | Breakfast | Mickey Mouse and friends |
Tusker House Restaurant | Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park | Breakfast, lunch, and dinner | Donald Duck and friends |
Note: If you choose a restaurant in one of the Disney Parks, you’ll need a valid theme park admission ticket to enter.
Celebrating a birthday at Walt Disney World Resort
There’s no better place to celebrate a birthday than the Most Magical Place in the World! If it’s your special day while you’re visiting Walt Disney World Resort, then you can order a Mickey Mouse Celebration Cake to be served at your Character Dining meal.
Each cake serves four to six guests, and you can choose from dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate. You can also choose an engraving of “Happy Birthday” or “Congratulations.”
You can order celebration cakes when you book your dining reservation or order in person at the restaurant at least four days before your meal.
Restaurants where you can enjoy a celebration cake with Character Dining include:
- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
- Cape May Café
- Chef Mickey’s
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- The Crystal Palace
- The Garden Grill
- Hollywood & Vine
- ‘Ohana
- Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera
- Tusker House Restaurant
Where to meet the Disney Characters at Walt Disney World Resort
The Disney Characters at Walt Disney World Resort tend to stick to organised meet and greets. This means that they will have a fixed location for a set period of time. While there, you can queue up to wait your turn to meet them.
There are some Character Meetings which are permanent and likely to be there day-in-day-out, while there are others which are a little more ad-hoc. You won’t need to book Disney Character meet and greets. All you need to do is join the line.
Meet and greets usually last for a few minutes, and in that time, you can take pictures and get autographs.
Here’s a list of some of the Disney Characters you can meet at Walt Disney World Resort.
Character | Theme park | Location |
|---|---|---|
Alice from Alice in Wonderland | EPCOT | United Kingdom at World Showcase |
Anna and Elsa from Frozen | EPCOT | Royal Sommerhus at World Showcase |
Ariel from The Little Mermaid | Magic Kingdom Park | Ariel’s Grotto |
Belle from Beauty and the Beast | EPCOT | France at World Showcase |
Cinderella | Magic Kingdom Park | Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland |
Princess Jasmine and Aladdin | Magic Kingdom Park | Adventureland |
Chewbacca from Star Wars | Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Animation Courtyard |
Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Goofy | Magic Kingdom Park | Storybook Circus in Fantasyland |
Disney friends | Magic Kingdom Park | Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A. |
Donald Duck | EPCOT | Mexico at World Showcase |
Mickey and Minnie Mouse | Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park | Adventure Outpost on Discovery Island |
Mirabel from Encanto | Magic Kingdom Park | Fairytale Garden in Fantasyland |
Mickey Mouse | Magic Kingdom Park | Town Square Theater on Main Street, U.S.A. |
Peter Pan | Magic Kingdom Park | Fantasyland |
Princess Jasmine from Aladdin | EPCOT | Morocco at World Showcase |
Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog | Magic Kingdom Park | Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland |
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger | Magic Kingdom Park | Near the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Fantasyland |
Where to find locations and times for Character Meetings
Once you get to Orlando, you can download the My Disney Experience app. All the information for Disney Character meet and greets will be on here, including timings and locations, so be sure to check each day to help inform your plans.
We’ve also got more information on meeting the Disney Princesses here.
Meeting Disney Characters at the Walt Disney World Resort hotels
If you’re staying at one of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, then meeting the Disney Characters here is a lovely, relaxed way to do it. Characters visit every Disney Resort hotel during the week. There are usually signs in the lobby with a character schedule on them, so you can check here.
How else can I see Disney Characters at Walt Disney World Resort?
It’s not just meet and greets and Character Dining – you’ll get to see the Disney Characters in other ways throughout Walt Disney World Resort. Here are some ideas for where to find them:
Parades
You can see the Disney Characters winding through the park on elaborately decorated floats alongside a soundtrack of your favourite Disney songs and original music. Parades take place daily.
Parade | Theme park | Disney Characters |
|---|---|---|
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade | Magic Kingdom Park | Disney Characters from your favourite films, including Tangled, Peter Pan, and The Little Mermaid |
Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade | Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom Park | Disney and Pixar Characters from Toy Story, The Incredibles, Encanto, and Coco |
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away - Debuting 20th July 2025 | Magic Kingdom Park | Disney Chatacters including The Blue Fairy, Peter Pan, and Elsa |
As well as these permanent parades, there are also two seasonal parades which you can see if you visit during Halloween or Christmas, with a ticket to one of the special seasonal events in Magic Kingdom Park:
- Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade (during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party)
- Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Time Parade (during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party)
Shows
Of course, Disney Characters also appear in the live musical Broadway-style shows. Add a couple of these to the agenda as they’re not only a great way to see Disney Characters, but they’re also a good opportunity for a sit-down break during the day!
Show | Location | Disney Characters |
|---|---|---|
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration | Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Frozen Characters including Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa |
Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage | Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Beauty and the Beast Characters |
Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire | Magic Kingdom Park | Mickey Mouse and friends, Tiana and The Princess and the Frog Characters, Rapunzel and Flynn from Tangled, Olaf, Anna, and Elsa from Frozen |
Enchanted Tales with Belle | Magic Kingdom Park | Belle from Beauty and the Beast |
Fantasmic! | Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Mickey Mouse and Characters from Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Moana, and Frozen |
Character Sightings
On the My Disney Experience app, Character Sightings are noted. This means that the Disney Characters can be seen in an area. While you can’t meet them, they will wave, or they might pose in the background of your pictures.
These Character Sightings are rare, so keep your eyes peeled for them!
Top tips for meeting the Disney Characters
1.Leave meetings until later on in the day
People tend to get excited when they first see a Disney Character and get straight in the queue. This can make them busier in the morning. For those Disney Characters that have all-day meet and greets, try to wait until the afternoon to see them. The rides and attractions are busier at this time, so hopefully the meet and greets will be quieter.
2.Arrive early for meet and greets
If you can, try to get to a meet and greet location a few minutes before the Disney Character is scheduled to arrive to get yourself a good place in line.
3.Pick up an autograph book
If Disney Characters are your number one priority, then the first thing to do is to get an autograph book from one of the shops. This means that you’ll be ready as soon as you bump into a Disney Character!
Now you’ve got all the information you need, it’s time to get excited to meet the Disney Characters! If you haven’t booked your trip to Orlando yet – what are you waiting for? Check out our ticket and hotel packages, and let the fun begin!
