Love them or hate them, characters are an undeniable part of the Walt Disney World experience. Whether you like walk around experiences, prefer a leisurely character meal or don’t mind waiting in line for a formal meet and greet, there are several dozen character experiences currently around the resort for guests to check out.
However, even though Walt Disney World’s current character lineup is certainly impressive, there have been a staggering amount of characters over the years that have been lost to time. Whether its waning popularity, technical suit issues or even lost rights, here are ten “retired” characters that we’ll probably never see at Walt Disney World ever again (as much as we’d want to!)
1. The Orange Bird
Though the Orange Bird was all but erased from the Magic Kingdom more than two decades ago, this character has made quite the comeback in recent years, with Orange Bird merchandise available all around Walt Disney World. However, though you can bring home any number of Orange Bird keepsakes now, one thing you still can’t do is actually meet the Orange Bird!
Back when this character first started appearing at Walt Disney World, he was a popular walk-around character that would interact with guests around the Sunshine Tree Terrace. However, now the only Orange Bird you can find there is the stoic one behind the counter, which is definitely a shame.
2. Dreamfinder
Much like the Orange Bird, Dreamfinder enjoys a cult-like popularity among long-time Disney fans. Though this character has long since been removed from Journey into Imagination, Dreamfinder has appeared on merchandise and has even made his debut in comic book form in recent years, despite not featuring in an attraction or meeting guests for more in more than two decades. Though we’d love to see this character return to Epcot at some point, it seems very unlikely considering how long he’s been gone…
3. Quasimodo, Esmerelda or Clopin
Image: Disney
Though villain Frollo is a fixture at Halloween events at Walt Disney World (including Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party) the main characters of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, including Esmerelda, Quasimodo and Clopin have not been seen in quite a long time, only briefly making appearances at a few limited-time rare character events over the years. In fact the last time these characters appeared at Walt Disney World in some meaningful way was back when the Hunchback of Notre Dame show occupied the Premiere Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
4. Disney Fairies
Image: Disney
At the height of their popularity, the Disney Fairies (along with Tinkerbell) appeared regularly at their own meet and greet space in Adventureland, (where the forthcoming Skipper’s Canteen is now under construction). However, in 2014 Tinker Bell moved to the Town Square Theater on Main Street and left all of her fairy friends behind. Though you can still find plenty of Fairies-themed merchandise around Walt Disney World, if you are hoping to actually meet Silvermist, Iridessa, Rosetta, Fawn, or any of the other citizens of Pixie Hollow, you’re unfortunately out of luck as these fairies have flown back to thier home and seem unlikely to return.
5. Louis the Alligator
While Dr. Facillier is a fixture at villains-themed events, and Tiana and Naveen meet guests every day at the Magic Kingdom, one character from animated favorite The Princess and the Frog has been shuttered away, seemingly for good: Louis the Alligator. Interestingly, the last time this character made an appearance was during an ABC Christmas parade. However, Louis hasn’t actually met guests in more than three years, and probably won’t be back at the parks in any meaningful capacity anytime soon.
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Back in 1990, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a regular fixture at Disney-MGM Studios, performing musical numbers on the street and meeting guests for pictures and autographs. Unfortunately, this only lasted until 1996, when the Turtles license was lost. Though it seems weird now thinking about these iconic characters meeting guests in a Disney park, this meet and greet experience was definitely one of the most popular in the park during the early 1990s.
7. Power Rangers
Image: Steve Langguth, Flickr (license)
Disney acquired the rights to the Power Rangers characters back in 2001, and the characters appeared in the parks soon after, complete with their own car, music and special effects. However, in 2010 Disney lost the rights to these characters, and the Power Rangers disappeared forever from Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
8. Val the Velociraptor
Last year, Disney’s Animal Kingdom ran an interesting test that saw human character Professor Woodson paired with a tame (but loud!) Velociraptor named Val who enjoyed roaming around the park meeting people. Though this meet and greet experience only lasted a few weeks, it was quite unique, not only because of the velociraptor costume, but also because it featured a pair of original characters not inspired by a Disney film. Unfortunately this character experience was cancelled after less than a month, reportedly because some children were frightened of the character. You can check out a video above to get a feel for the truly unique nature of this character meet and greet experience.
Though these our our top most-missed characters at Walt Disney World, there have been dozens of characters forced into retirement over the years. Which character do you miss the most?
