Character Questions/Favors

[jnjusoioa]

Hi All,
I am planning a trip down to the World and I am just curious as to your best kept character secrets that you will please share with me, locations, times of days, etc. I am making this I think a real character hunting experience and would like to see as many different characters as I can, I know a lot of times they will be kept from the general walkways so you might have trouble spotting them so I am just curious as to where you have seen some characters, etc. All help is greatly appreicated for this character nut. Thanks.

 

[jnjusoioa]

Also where do the characters hide at each park on rainy days???

 

[makinorlando]

Here's a quick list that i can think of off the top of my head - not all inclusive by any means - Each map that you get in the parks has a Mickey Glove that points to the Meet and Greet locations...

Magic Kingdom -
Town Square when you first enter the park -lots of different characters
Adventureland - near Pirates of the Caribbbean and near the Magic Carpets (usually Jasmine and Aladdin)
Tomorrowland - across from or near Stitch's Great Adventure
Toon Town - this is a great location - Town Hall of Fame Tent- three separate lines/rooms - Classic Disney/Pooh & Friends/Princesses and Mickey Mouse in the Judge's Tent
Fantasyland - near Tea Cups - Tweedle Dee and Dum and White Rabbit

EPCOT - best place by far for classic characters
Character Connection - West side innoventions - near Fountain View Restaurant
You can usually find characters in each country in WS

AK -
Front Entrance
Rafiki's Planet Watch
Camp Mickey Minnie
Discovery Island

MGM
Near the big hat
Front Entrance
Across from the Commisary - Monster's Inc
Streets of America - Power Rangers
Mickey Ave (between Back Lot Tour and Millionaire) Sorcerer Mickey is in a building,
Across from that there are "trailers" Donald Duck has been seen by us there, and Jo Jo and Goliath from Playhouse Disney some times...
Al's Toy Barn - Buzz, Woody, Jessie, Green Army Men
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[loopner67]

Hi All,
I am planning a trip down to the World and I am just curious as to your best kept character secrets that you will please share with me, locations, times of days, etc. I am making this I think a real character hunting experience and would like to see as many different characters as I can, I know a lot of times they will be kept from the general walkways so you might have trouble spotting them so I am just curious as to where you have seen some characters, etc. All help is greatly appreicated for this character nut. Thanks.

I thought Animal Kingdom was a *great* place to meet characters. There were "different" characters out in the front both days we went there - Launchpad McQuack, Turk, The Fox from Robin Hood, King Louie and a bear who's name I cannot remember for the life of me (he might be from Song of the South). Inside the park, Camp Minnie/Mickey is a good place to meet Donald, Goofy, Minnie and Mickey (We even met Pluto there). Near their meet and greets, we saw the two "Brother Bears". Walking towards Africa, we saw Flik (from a Bug's Life) and got our pics taken. I've also heard that Stitch can be found in Africa. On your way into DinoLand, there's an entrance to a character landing where we met Tigger, Eeyore, Pooh and Piglet with very little lines. I much preferred meeting these characters in AK vs. in ToonTown in MK. Also, if you take the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch, you can meet Rafiki and Stanley.

In Epcot, try the Character Connection in one of the Innoventions buildings - the one near "club cool" on the right side going towards "The Land". We met Mickey, Donald, Pluto and Goofy in there and I hear sometimes, out in the lobby, there are other characters to meet. We were hoping for The Incredibles.

Going around the World Showcase, there are meet and greets with a BUNCH of different characters near the countries. We saw Snow White, Jasmine & Aladdin (in Morrocco), Belle & the Beast (France), and a few others (that I can't remember right now - sorry!).

In MGM - you can go back behind where Muppets 3D is and find Woody, Jessie, Buzz and even a Green Army man walking around. Keeping walking toward the end of Streets of America and you can meet the Power Rangers. Cool! Then, you can go around past the BackLot tour and walk up Mickey Avenue. We met Sorcerer Mickey, saw Donald AND Daisy, JoJo and Goliath. Also, one street over, on Commissary Lane, I've heard you can meet The Monsters Inc guys (wish we had seen them!). After the little movie in the Magic of Animation Studio, we were able to meet Chicken Little and Abby (the Ugly Duckling).

Also, if you like Stitch, we were able to meet him at the breakfast in Ohana, POLY hotel. (Lilo, too!).

Hope this helps!

 

[jnjusoioa]

Thank you so so much for these great response's, please keep them coming, I love reading them and they are so helpful for me with my upcoming trip. Thanks so much, hope to hear more.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Hey! I know I said some of these in a PM to you, but I state what we know for everyone to see!

The ToonTown Train Station/Teardrop at Magic Kingdom is a GREAT character place, if it's being used! It was used alot in January, but it may be seasonal, so not sure if it's used as much during certain times of the year. And for whatever reason, I seen it used most often on Fridays, though that could be coincidence. Some patterns we noticed was some characters come out at 11:00, greet for roughly 20-25 minutes then leave, then some more come out at 11:30 till almost noon. At noon they are all gone, then MAYBE reappear again at 1:00 and 1:30. One time I did see the group come out at noon, so it can vary! In the two groups, there could be different characters in each, and some overlap, too. We seen up to 10 characters in each group! And on other days, we seen as few as two. So it is really hit-or-miss!!

Looking for characters too close to the parade is awful, as many leave! When I am on my character hunts, I usually stop looking around 2:30ish, as all the spontaneous characters seem to leave around then. The stationary characters would still be meeting no matter what (like the ToonTown Hall of Fame characters).

Time of day matters. The only really good character hunting place in the late afternoon/early evening is Epcot's World Showcase. The other parks do have characters out that late, but they are usually the stationary predictable ones, like Sorcerer Mickey at MGM. Late extra Magic Hours would have some characters out and about, but we usually don't stay for those so don't know much!

The entrance to Animal Kingdom rotates characters in and out, roughly every half hour, though it could vary. The middle of the day seems to be a nice time to find them, after everyone is already in the park, and before everyone leaves around the parade or closing time. I watched this location many times, and sometimes they have different characters rotating in and out, and sometimes it is the same ones every day. You never know!

The Epcot's Character Connection's back hall is a place to find non-common characters. You can enter this area from the outside through a sliding door, so you don't have to go through the line and see the commons to get there.

I really admire the OP's dedication to finding those characters!! After your trip, I hope you write a trip report about who you see!!

 

[jnjusoioa]

Sue,
Thank you once again, I so enjoy talking to you, I always learn something new from you each time. I will surely write a trip report after my trip stating who I see, and I will send you a PM too and let you know, I am really hoping to catch some good ones, but we will see. But hoping for the best. I think I might send you a quick PM again as I have a few more questions, sorry to be such a pain I just really want this trip to be filled with as much character interaction as it can be.

Anyone else feel free to share your stories, it is always good to hear where others have seen characters, etc.
Thanks everyone.

 

[jnjusoioa]

Anyone else have any character secrets to share.

 

[makinorlando]

Hey! I

Hi Sue - the Character Guru or Godess of Autographs!

I see you are planning a trip in May... I'm going to follow you all around the parks!!!! You are a character magnet!!!!!

 

[jnjusoioa]

Just bumping this up to see if anyone else has any great character hunting advice.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Hi Sue - the Character Guru or Godess of Autographs!

I see you are planning a trip in May... I'm going to follow you all around the parks!!!! You are a character magnet!!!!!

Yes, continue bowing before me!! And continue ....

Yep, hoping to go in May!! My car somewhat died today, so that throws a small kink in my plans to get there! It only had 200,000 miles on it!!

All our characters we found over I guess about 10 trips, so that sure helped! Though my last trips I don't think I was attracting enough characters - I got to repolarize my character magnets somehow!! I am sure there are a few others out there with more characters and autographs (probably those very fortunate locals!!) but I think I am the only one insane enough to write a 150 page website dedicated just to them!

 

[tmt martins]

If you have a Disney VISA you can get some all to yourself in Epcot at the MEET & GREET

 

[donnab2005]

We leave for WDW in about a week and my daughter loves to character hunt. So I am definately interested in these tips.

 

[laluna]

Hello! Returned two weeks ago and our mission (set by my 4yr old daughter )was to meet all of the Disney Princesses!!!! Feedback as follows:

Belle - in France at the World Showcase with the Beast, although he goes later on in the day. Unfortunately Belle in her gold dress evaded us.

Sleeping Beauty - in France and again in the Princess Room at Mickey's Toon Town

Cinderella - Princess Room Toon Town

Snow White - Princess Room Toon Town The queues are always huge for the princesses but we went at 10am as sson as it opened and there was no wait.

Jasmine - Morocco at Epcot and by the Flying Carpets in Adventure Land, MK

Ariel - in her Grotto at MK Fantasy Land

Mulan - China, Epcot

Pocahontas - Rafiki's Planet watch, AK.

We found that the ones at Epcot tend to appear from 1pm onwards. I did ask a cast member about the whereabouts of some of them and they were always helpful. Was amazed at how they get into character, particularly, Snow White and Ariel.

We were disappointed not to find Meg from Hercules. Although she appears at the end of Fantasmic, we were advised that she is on holiday at present!

Generally, didn't have too much trouble finding a good selection of characters. Happy hunting!

Laluna

 

[dimoe]

I loved hunting for characters and it was a highlight of my first trip to disney last May. Some of the places you have mentioned I am not sure where they are and want to find them next time we go this Dec. Okay where is the raindrop at Mk? Is there characters at the trainstation stop of toontown? I have read this a few times since coming back. Also I have read about epcot character connection where abouts is this? Also on a post just above it said that you could skip the regulars /common characters by goign thru a sliding door where abouts is this in epcot?
thanks so much for the info . We got lots of autographs considering we didnt know really where to look they seememd like they were everywhere when we went. I know now that we could have got a few more if we had known some spots. We learnt about some character spots on the family tour that we had missed when visiting mk but it was our last day . Next time we vowed we would do a walk through where we went for the tour to find all the autograph characters we missed.
thanks for all your help
Diane