Character meet and greets are a big part of what makes a trip to Walt Disney World so special, and in recent months Disney has taken it upon themselves to make a number of improvements and changes to each park’s character line-up, including adding new experiences, making changes to the lineup and more.
This month, one of Disney’s most popular characters ever moves into Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a limited time alongside some long-lost friends, new character outfits celebrating the Disney100 milestone appear at hotels across the resort, plus an Imagineer teases all-new characters could be coming soon to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!
1. Moana, Tinker Bell and more move into Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a limited time
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is celebrating its 25th anniversary with an exciting addition – Moana will make her debut appearance on Discovery Island starting from April 22. The popular Polynesian princess and voyager will be greeting guests and sharing her inspiring story of adventure and courage with them. The timing of Moana’s arrival is perfect for the park’s anniversary celebration, and will also give the character a great place to see guests before the opening of Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana at EPCOT later this year.
Though Moana’s addition was previously announced, several surprise character appearances have been appearing spontaneously at the park as well. Tinker Bell, Fawn, and Baloo, were seen greeting guests and adding a touch of magic to the park’s festivities on April 16. More surprise character appearances could be on the way, so if you’re heading to Disney’s Animal Kingdom this week, make sure you keep an eye out!
2. Rare characters set to appear on the Discovery Island Character Cruise flotilla for the Disney’s Animal Kingdom anniversary celebration
In addition to the character meet and greets on land, from now through April 23, visitors to Disney’s Animal Kingdom can also experience an even more magical Discovery Island Character Cruise flotilla as a variety of unique characters join the waterway procession to celebrate the park’s 25th anniversary. These characters, which recently included beloved figures from the Brother Bear series, will wave and interact with guests on the walkways as they pass by.
There’s no telling who will be on the flotilla throughout the day, so guests will definitely want to stay close to Discovery River this week if they want to catch a glimpse of some rare characters. These flotilla appearances are typically unscheduled and start and end in the Discovery River Amphitheater. They go completely around Discovery Island so that guests all over the park have the opportunity to see the characters.
3. Donald, Goofy and Pluto debut blue and silver Disney100 character outfits at resort hotels as part of spontaneous Character Caravan
The Disney100 celebration at Walt Disney World is adding even more magic to the Character Caravan, as the roaming RV now features characters like Donald, Goofy and Pluto wearing their silver and blue Disney100 costumes. The Character Caravan is a spontaneous surprise for guests staying at the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, as it travels throughout the day to different resorts, offering unexpected meet and greet opportunities to guests at the hotels.
So far, the characters have visited the Yacht and Beach Club, as well as Disney’s BoardWalk Hotel, and will likely visit other destinations in the near future as well. Currently, there are no plans for these characters to appear in the parks, but that could change in the near future as the Disney100 celebration continues to ramp up at Disney Parks around the world.
4. More Star Wars characters from Disney+ shows could be coming to Galaxy’s Edge in the near future
The Mandalorian fans went wild when Din Djarin appeared at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge last month for a limited time promoting the third season of the Disney+ series, and now it looks like more characters from the expanded Star Wars universe on Disney+ could be on their way. At the Disney Parks panel during the recent Star Wars Celebration, Imagineer Scott Trowbridge teased new characters coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. No specifics were given, but these could include characters from upcoming series like Ahsoka or The Skeleton Crew, which make their series debut this year, or Andor, which is debuting its second season in 2024. Fans have even speculated that Bo-Katan from Star Wars Rebels, who has figured heavily in The Mandalorian Season 3, could also make an appearance at some point.
5. Garden Grill family style character breakfast returns to EPCOT in June
In a new character dining update, it has been confirmed that family-style breakfasts dining will once again be available at Garden Grill at EPCOT beginning on June 14. Characters that typically appear at this location include Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale. However, the lineup is subject to change and guests may see different characters during breakfast compared to lunch or dinner.
According to Disney’s official website, the price for this dining experience will be $42 per adult, and $27 per child aged 3-9. Menu items available for the family-style “harvest feast” include Mickey Waffles, scrambled eggs, potato casserole, cinnamon breakfast loaf, and grilled flank steak with ranchero sauce. Reservations are available now on the restaurant’s website for this returning experience.
6. Figment meet and greet confirmed to be coming to the Imagination pavilion sometime this summer
It has been confirmed that Figment, EPCOT’s beloved purple dragon, will be making an appearance at the Imagination! Pavilion later this summer. This meet and greet was first announced by Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro at last year’s D23 Expo. Figment has been a fan-favorite since the original Journey into Imagination attraction opened at EPCOT in 1983, and his presence has become synonymous with the pavilion, so it is definitely exciting to hear that this character will be able to meet guests face to face in this area. A firm date for this brand new character experience should be announced in the coming weeks.
