Walt Disney World may look different these days but there are still many opportunities for you to see your favorite characters! While the select character dining that is open is currently a modified experience and all normal hug character meet and greets are temporarily paused, check out this list of the top 4 ways to see catch those characters live, and even snap a picture with your favorite!
1. Modified Dining Experiences
While the vast majority of character dining meals are on pause there are a few restaurants in Walt Disney World where you can catch a glimpse of your favorite characters. Cinderella’s Royal Table, Garden Grill, Toplino’s; Occasionally, the Beast makes an appearance at Be Our Guest and coming soon - Chef Mckey’s!
In the past, characters came around to every table while you were dining and signed autographs, posed for pictures and gave a quick hug. To keep with physical distancing guidelines, characters will still make rounds and you can wave from a distance. You can still snap a picture as they will stand a safe distance behind you for the selfie or family picture!
2. Character Pop-Ups
Guests should keep their eyes open when they are walking around any of the parks. Characters have been known recently to pop up all over the place! Winnie the Pooh has been caught trying to catch butterflies over by The Land Pavilion in Epcot and Chip and Dale have been spotted setting sail by Tom Sawyer’s Island in The Magic Kingdom. The surprise of spotting these characters just being silly is almost better, in my opinion, than some of the staged meet and greets of the past.
3. Pop-Up Parades
All official parades are temporarily paused but Disney does have pop-up parades. When you hear the parade coming, guests are encouraged to find a circle on the parade route and stand on it to help with physical distancing.
While certainly not as grandiose as the normal parades, only having a few of their floats at a time, it is almost more fun! The impromptu and surprising nature of them makes it feel extra special, like you’re privy to something out of the ordinary that none all will see. It depends on the cavalcade coming, but there is the chance you may see many of your favorite characters, including some of the more elusive characters not seen too often!
4. Modified Meet and Greets
There are still official opportunities to snap that coveted picture with characters. While there are no set locations or hours for these to keep with minimizing crowds, next time you see a pop-up character put on a quick dance routine in one of the parks, stick around after. Cast members may allow anyone watching to line up and take a picture from a safe distance.
While these are all certainly different ways of experiencing the magic, they are still magical - maybe even more so because of the surprise element!
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