By Character greetings embody everything great about Disney vacations. Children and adults alike engage in a glorious amount of pretend, acting like the costumed characters are the people we adore from Disney stories.
As we’re about to prove, you’ll encounter an almost incomprehensible number of character greeting opportunities in and around the parks. We’ve attempted to compile a current list of all the posted ones at the theme parks, along with a few that have been perennial favorites through the years.
Please remember that any such list is incomplete, as Disney regularly changes its character lineup. Also, limited-time and rare characters pop up from time to time.
As a recent example, during the summer of 2025, all four theme parks shared an event called Cool Kid Summer. We haven’t added it in this guide since Disney hasn’t committed to offering it again, but it served its purpose.
While kids were on summer vacation, families knew they could go to Disney World, participate in games, dance, and sing with their favorite characters. Disney has perfected this sort of interactive engagement, partially during hurricane season.
We recognize that’s a strange claim, but it’s based in fact. When Disney theme parks close for inclement weather, the hotels become the action spot for vacationers.
So, Disney ships in costumed Cast Members to entertain the troops. These regrettable circumstances have led to some fascinating revelations, one of which is that guests love interacting with characters in unique settings. There’s a direct path from there to Cool Kid Summer.
Most Disney character meetings work in a much more straightforward manner. You’ll stand in line, awaiting your turn. Then, a Disney character will spend a couple of minutes taking pictures with you and maybe even entertaining your party. It often depends on the length of the line at that moment.
In other instances, you’ll bump into a character in a more casual setting. Savor those moments as they’re rarer and usually better. Don’t get us wrong, though. EVERY character encounter will entertain you and yours.
Disney takes character training seriously. Even the auditions for these parts prove quite competitive, as the company’s stringent requirements rule out most potential candidates.
Cast Members must show a flair for imitating a character’s mannerisms, but they must also fit into the costume, no small feat, as well as sign autographs appropriately. It’s a whole thing.
Before we list the specific characters, we’ll add one final tip. You’ll receive better engagement when you can converse with the character using memorable moments from their stories.
Ask Belle about the last book she read, quiz Mulan on where she learned how to fight, or tell Tiana that you’re hungry. You’ll be shocked by the level of mastery that Cast Members demonstrate when portraying Disney characters. It’s an art and one we admire greatly.
So, here are the characters you can meet at Disney World.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Daisy Duck – Tusker House
- Donald Duck – Tusker House
- Dug – Wilderness Explorers Clubhouse
- Goofy – Wildlife Express Station, Tusker House
- Kevin – Discovery Island
- Mickey Mouse – Adventurers Outpost
- Minnie Mouse – Adventurers Outpost, Tusker House
- Moana – Character Landing
- Pocahontas – The Oasis
- Rafiki – Rafiki’s Planet Watch
- Russell – Wilderness Explorers Clubhouse
- Timon – Rafiki’s Planet Watch
We’re including character meal appearances here, which means they’re not free or available to all guests. There’s also another caveat here.
Donald Duck has appeared at DinoLand USA for ages, but that themed land goes extinct in February 2026. At that point, we presume Disney will relocate him. However, we don’t have specifics about where he’ll go.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Ariel – Walt Disney Presents
- Buzz Lightyear – Toy Story Land
- Chewbacca – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Chip ‘n’ Dale – Near The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure
- Daisy Duck – Grand Avenue
- Doc McStuffins – Echo Lake
- Donald Duck – Grand Avenue
- Edna Mode – The Edna Mode Experience
- Fancy Nancy – Echo Lake
- Frozone – Pixar Plaza
- Goofy – Grand Avenue, Hollywood & Vine
- Kylo Ren – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Joy – Pixar Plaza
- The Mandalorian – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Max – Grand Avenue
- Mickey Mouse – Red Carpet Dreams, Hollywood & Vine
- Minnie Mouse – Red Carpet Dreams, Hollywood & Vine
- and Mrs. Incredible – Pixar Plaza
- Olaf – Celebrity Spotlight
- Pluto – Echo Lake, Hollywood & Vine
- Rey – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Stormtroopers – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Sulley – Pixar Plaza
- Vampirina – Echo Lake
- Vi Moradi – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Woody & Jessie – Toy Story Land
We suspect that this list speaks for itself. While many of the encounters listed here are random and thereby unpredictable, the majority are ones you’ll find at the park each day.
So, fans of character greetings will treasure the time they spend at Hollywood Studios. It’s a shockingly great place for fans of character interactions.
EPCOT
- Alice – United Kingdom Pavilion
- Anna & Elsa – Royal Sommerhus
- Ariel — Akershus
- Asha – World Showcase Plaza
- Aurora – France Pavilion, Akershus
- Belle – France Pavilion, Akershus
- Chip ‘n’ Dale – Garden Grill
- Cinderella — Akershus
- Daisy Duck – Near International Gateway
- Donald Duck – Mexico Pavilion
- Figment – Imagination Pavilion
- Goofy – CommuniCore Hall & Plaza
- Jasmine – Morocco Pavilion
- Mickey Mouse — CommuniCore Hall & Plaza, Garden Grill
- Minnie Mouse — CommuniCore Hall & Plaza
- Moana – Journey of Water | Inspired by Moana
- Mulan – China Pavilion, Akershus
- Pluto – Main Entrance, Garden Grill
- Snow White – Germany Pavilion, Akershus
- Tiana — Akershus
- Winnie the Pooh – United Kingdom Pavilion
Note that Akershus frequently swaps out Disney Princesses. So, you should check which ones are currently appearing when you plan to eat here. The other big takeaway about Disney Princesses involves their hangout areas.
When they have a home country, they host character greetings there. Some are permanent, while others occur randomly. Please check My Disney Experience, which lists the characters appearing on a given day.
Magic Kingdom
- Anastasia & Drizella – Cinderella Fountain
- Ariel – Ariel’s Grotto, Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Aurora – Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Beast – Be Our Guest Restaurant
- Big Al — Frontierland
- Captain Jack Sparrow – Adventureland
- Chip ‘n’ Dale — Frontierland
- Cinderella – Princess Fairytale Hall
- Daisy Duck – Pete’s Silly Sideshow
- Donald Duck – Pete’s Silly Sideshow
- Elena of Avalor – Princess Fairytale Hall
- Eeyore – Crystal Palace
- Goofy – Pete’s Silly Sideshow
- Jasmine – Adventureland, Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Merida – Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Mickey Mouse – Town Square Theater
- Minnie Mouse – Pete’s Silly Sideshow
- Mirabel – Fairytale Garden
- Mulan – Town Square Theater Porch
- Peter Pan – Fantasyland
- Piglet – Crystal Palace
- Rapunzel – Princess Fairytale Hall, Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Snow White – Town Square Theater Porch, Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Stitch — Tomorrowland
- Tiana – Princess Fairytale Hall
- Tigger – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Crystal Palace
- Wendell — Frontierland
- Winnie the Pooh – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Crystal Palace
So, that’s nearly 90 character greetings available at the theme parks, not counting the random appearances and ones that occur during after-hours ticketed events.
In truth, the total number of potential character encounters soars over 100, although you’d have to spend at least a couple of weeks at Disney World to do them all. Feel free to make a viral video and prove us wrong, though.