If your family is anything like my family, then meeting Characters is high on your priority list when you visit Walt Disney World Resort.
Characters meet at all four Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) and at some of the restaurants at the Deluxe resorts. Some characters meet all year round, while some are only available to hang out with for limited time, special event, like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
There are two types of characters you can meet at Walt Disney World: face characters and fur characters. Face characters are characters whose faces you can see and they can talk to you, like Ariel or Peter Pan. Fur characters wear full body suits including headpieces, so they cannot talk to you, like Mickey or the Beast.
All the of the characters who meet outside are walkups which means you should expect a line. Most of the characters who meet indoors have the option of walkup or using a FastPass (the most notable exception to that being Anna and Elsa at the Royal Sommerhus, who are walk up only.) Characters indoors tend to meet throughout the entire day, while characters you see outdoors typically meet in the late morning to early afternoon.
Quick tip: if you see characters walking, they cannot stop and take a picture with you. They’ll wave or say hello, but if you want a picture or autograph, you’ve got to go to their official meeting spot. If you want to know who is meeting where grab a Character Times Guide on your way into the parks. They are located with the maps. Or check the listing on your MyDisney Experience App. Under “wait times”, choose “characters” and a screen will pop up with your various character options for the day. You can even filter it by park!
While some characters meet at several parks, there are a few who are exclusive to one particular park. As of right now there are nine characters you can only meet at the Magic Kingdom. There are an additional six characters that you can meet at a table service meal as well as in the Magic Kingdom, but more about them in another post.
Gaston
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World
- Who: Gaston, from “Beauty and the Beast”
- What: Face Character
- Where: Near Gaston’s Tavern, in Fantasyland. Almost directly behind Seven Dwarves Mine Train, you can’t miss it. There is a giant statue of Gaston.
- When: Usually 10am-4pm, but be sure to check the Character Times Guide.
- How…long do lines get: Pretty long. Gaston is a very outgoing fellow. He has a lot to say about dogs and children, books with no pictures, and how to use antlers in all of your decorating. He’s a popular character with a limited meeting window, so your best bet is to be their first one there, or expect to be in line for a bit.
- FastPass: No.
Merida
- Who: Merida, from “Brave”
- What: Face Character
- Where: At the Fairy Tale Garden, in Fantasyland. To the right of Cinderella’s Castle, across from Cosmic Ray’s Starlight, nestled into a beautiful little alcove.
- When: Usually 9am-6pm, but be sure to check the Character Times Guide.
- How…long do lines get: Not terrible. The last time we met Merida, we waited about 25 minutes. This was well worth it to us because of the queue and the character herself. Fairytale Garden is Merida’s specific spot, tailored to her, she wasn’t just plopped down there are told to say hi to folks. As such, the decorations are beautiful and specific to the film. There queue starts in the shade next to Fairy Tale Garden and continues into even more shade on a stone walkway that leads you into what looks like an outdoor part or Merida’s castle.
- FastPass: No.
Peter Pan
Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
- Who: Peter Pan, from “Peter Pan”
- What: Face Character
- Where: Near his ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, in Fantasyland. To the left of the ride itself, across from the Tangled restrooms.
- When: Usually 1pm-5pm, but be sure to check the Character Times Guide.
- How…long do lines get: This is a toss up. We’ve seen crazy lines and we’ve seen like two families waiting. It seems like many people don’t know Peter is there, but because of the nearby stroller parking and restrooms, foot traffic can lead to longer lines on a busy day when families are looking for something to do while they wait to redeem their Haunted Mansion or Peter Pan’s Flight Fast Passes. This is one I would recommend playing by ear when you’re in that area.
- FastPass: No.
Princess Elena
Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
- Who: Princess Elena, from “Elena of Avalor”
- What: Face Character
- Where: At Princess Fairytale Hall (not to be confused with Fairytale Garden), in Fantasyland. Behind Cinderella’s Castle, across from Prince Charming’s Carousel, in between Sir Mickey’s and the Friar’s Nook.
- When: Usually from when the park opens to about 30 minutes before closing, but be sure to check the Character Times Guide.
- How…long do lines get: Long. Elena and Cinderella share a meeting hall, which means you’re waiting for both. Both princess are extremely popular, so those lines can get long. The good news is, the queue for this one is indoors, so you can beat the heat. Even better news, there is FastPass available so is Elena is one of your must sees, I would definitely recommend using a FastPass.
- FastPass: Yes.
Princess Tiana
- Who: Princess Tiana, from “The Princess and the Frog”
- What: Face Character
- Where: At Princess Fairytale Hall (not to be confused with Fairytale Garden), in Fantasyland. Behind Cinderella’s Castle, across from Prince Charming’s Carousel, in between Sir Mickey’s and the Friar’s Nook
When: Usually from when the park opens to about 30 minutes before closing, but be sure to check the Character Times Guide. - How…long do lines get: Slightly less long than the waits for Cinderella and Elena. Tiana shares her hall with Rapunzel, and while both are popular, they’re not quite as new as Elena or as classic as Cinderella. Same deal with the indoor queue and the FastPass perks.
- FastPass: Yes.
The Fairy Godmother
- Who: The Fairy Godmother, from “Cinderella”
- What: Face Character
- Where: The turrets that separate original Fantasyland from New Fantasyland, between Pinocchio’s Village Haus and Seven Dwarves Mine Train, OR behind Cinderella’s Castle. She’s been known to meet in both.
- When: This is a tricky one, because she does not meet everyday. When she is out, it’s usually in the morning to afternoon. Check the Characters Times Guide and the My Disney Experience App.
- How…long do lines get: Loooooong. This is a very popular character who doesn’t meet often, located in a high traffic area of Fantasyland. You’ve got parents with little ones who are waiting for older siblings to be done with Mine Train, folks who just ate at Pinocchio’s or Friar’s Nook, and a lot of traffic coming from the Carousel, a popular ride that holds a lot of people. But it’s totally worth it, in my humble, because she is so kind and warm and brings a different kind of energy than a lot of other face characters.
- FastPass: No.
Tinkerbell
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World
- Who: Tinkerbell, from “Peter Pan”
- What: Face Character
- Where: Town Square Theatre, on Main Street USA, on the right when you enter the park.
- When: Usually from when the park opens to about 30 minutes before closing, but be sure to check the Character Times Guide.
- How…long do lines get: Not too bad, actually. I suspect this because Tink shares the Town Square Theatre with Mickey Mouse himself and because you can FastPass your meet with her. Which I would do after you redeem your first three FastPasses, because she has a lot of FastPass availability throughout the day. She also has one of the immersive character areas, with everything oversized to make you feel as tall as a fairy, too. Even if you’re not a huge Tinkerbell fan (which, really, who isn’t?) It’s worth it for the awesome environment.
- FastPass: Yes.
The Beast
- Who: The Beast, from “Beauty and the Beast”
- What: Fur Character
- Where: Be Our Guest Restaurant
- When: Dinner only, which starts at 4pm.
- How…long do lines get: So, this one is a bit tricky, since you can only meet the Beast if you are dining at Be Our Guest, which can be a hard thing to do since it’s so popular. However, if you do manage to get reservations, make sure to stop in with the Beast after you eat. He meets in his own private area near the entrance, and because he meets all throughout the meal, the line tends to not be that long at any given time.
- FastPass: No.
Of the characters who you can only meet at the Magic Kingdom, who is your must see? How do you want to meet that you haven’t yet? Do you have any great stories with any of these characters? I’d love to read them in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!