Meeting Disney characters has always been one of the most important, and magical parts of a visit to Disney property. In addition to meeting characters in the Disney World theme parks, you can also meet them at the hotels!
Hello, Ariel and Eric!
However, those visits are sporadic, and they are a surprise. There’s no schedule for when the Character Caravan, as it’s called, will pop up at your resort. But we have big news! Recently, Disney has begun offering scheduled character meet & greets at at least two of Walt Disney World’s hotel properties: The Port Orleans French Quarter Resort and the Wilderness Lodge Resort.
Signage for the Port Orleans offering appeared first, indicating that Disney characters (the sign doesn’t specify which characters or how many) will be appearing in the hotel lobby on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9:30 AM to 10:20 AM.
Character Meet and Greet sign at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort
Signage at Fort Wilderness appeared soon after, with similar verbiage, advertising character availability on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays between 2:30 PM and 3:20 PM.
Wilderness Lodge sign
This is a huge deal! Now you know when the characters are coming, and chances are, there will be a much shorter line than in the parks!
Hey, Mickey!
Want to plan a Disney World vacation? Don’t know where to start? You should reach out to our friends over at Small World Vacations! They are experts in planning Disney trips and can take all of the stress out of the process for you.
This is a potential game changer announcement in that it means that guests choosing to spend a day at their hotel — or even some who don’t have park tickets at all — can meet characters! Stay tuned to DFB for more on this program as it potentially rolls out to further Walt Disney World hotels!
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What do you think about Disney introducing limited character meet & greets to their hotels? Let us know in the comments below!
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Last fall, I saw Chip N Dale twice at Saratoga Springs and also at Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House. On a different trip, I saw Pluto and Donald at Wilderness Lodge. It’s an awesome way to see the characters. These “spontaneous” visits, in my experience, are less rushed and more fun! There isn’t a long line and the characters really “ham” it up!
This is great news! I hope they will add The Boardwalk. Last year, on a trip with my 3 young grandchildren, we were surprised by characters (Donald Duck and Goofy) in the Lobby before we went to dinner. The kids loved it! So did I. You’re never too old.