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. While not all of these changes are always popular with guests, Disney is constantly making adjustments to try and make character offerings as diverse as possible while still keeping things running efficiently around the parks.
This month, Disney brings back wandering characters in a big way for a limited time at select hotels and resorts, annual passholders get a special meet and greet opportunity with some favorites from Disney’s Animal Kingdom, plus a long lost favorite returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the end of the month.
1. Special annual passholder character meet and greets coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Beginning August 29th Disney will have the following special character meet and greets around Disney’s Animal Kingdom just for annual passholders:
- Meet Baloo near Creature Comforts from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
- Greet Jane and Tarzan near Island Mercantile in Discovery Island from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
2. Wandering characters come to Disney resorts
Image: Disney
Disney is bringing back wandering characters for a trial run this fall at some of its resort hotels! Here’s what characters are meeting guests, and at which resort:
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge: Chip and Dale can be found in and around the lawn area at Wilderness Lodge.
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort: Chip and Dale will be interacting with guests at the Contemporary Resort playing lawn games like corn hole.
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: Lilo, Stitch, Mickey, and Pluto canl be found in the lawn outside of the Great Ceremonial Hall.
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: Pooh and Tigger can be found around the various sidewalks at the resort, whereas Mary Poppins can be found by Main Pool topiaries. Alice and the Mad Hatter will be found in and around the Mad Hatter Tea Party pool.
- Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts Daisy, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy will be in and around the pool area ready to catch some sun with guests.
- Disney’s BoardWalk Resort Daisy, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy will also be around the pool area at the BoardWalk to partake in the fun.
3. Star Wars characters wandering around
And speaking of wandering characters, it looks like this concept may be coming back to Disney’s theme parks in a small way inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Characters like Chewie and Rey wander around this land, talking to guests, fixing up the Millennium Falcon and more, all while staying hidden from the Stormtoopers who patrol this area. Though these characters might stop and take a photo with you, they aren’t really there to pose with guests, and instead feel like a way to make this land feel more “lived in” and help sell the “story” of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
4. Darth Vader returns to Star Wars Launch Bay
Image: Disney
On August 29, the same day next month that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens Disney will be closing the Kylo Ren character meet and greet at the Star Wars Launch Bay, presumably due to Kylo Ren’s presence inside this new land. Kylo Ren will then be replaced at the Star Wars Launch Bay by original trilogy villain Darth Vader.
