Where in the (Walt Disney) World are the Characters?!

There is so much to consider when planning your ultimate Walt Disney World vacation. One topic that is polarizing is Characters. So, I want to take a moment to help you decide if that is something you want to focus on during your next trip! It is so helpful to know where they are and when to prioritize them. We missed Woody on our last trip (which was a big deal to my youngest son) because I didn't realize he had been moved from Magic Kingdom to exclusively to Hollywood Studios. It's just nice to be prepared!

So, where in the World is Carmen Sandiago the Characters?! Haha - childhood reference there...

Photo Pass 

A lot of my friends who love to see the characters prioritize the Photo Pass which allows you to capture all the wonderful Meet & Greet experiences. We loved this on our last trip, but it is not always worth the extra cost. If you aren't going to see a lot of characters, it isn't going to be worth. All of the Photo Pass Photographers are happy to take a picture with your phone/camera as well. While the rides and a couple character meals come with photos, you can always purchase them separately! 

Autographs 

When my husband and I go to WDW we rarely ever see any characters. We may stop in to see Mickey Mouse in Town Square on Main Street (sometimes he talks!). It feels nostalgic and fun, but otherwise we do the characters for the kids. Consider packing a brand new pack of fabric or permanent markers to have the characters sign something fun!  Maybe a hat, shirt, backpack, book or even an Autograph/Photo book! As long as no one is wearing it, they can sign it! I have even seen creative ideas like photo frame mats and (unbreakable) ornaments. There are endless possibilities to make a keepsake for your kids. 

We love the pillowcases my mom made for the kids for our most recent trips. With characters being a high priority, they were perfect. Grandmas are the best! The kids love them and it is a constant reminder of the wonderful memories associated with our trip. 

Where in the World are the Characters?! 

There are so many Characters in Walt Disney World and they are constantly changing. I will try to keep this up to date as best as I can, but they frequently move characters to keep the park flow.  The locations each character is at the park tend to change too, so make sure you confirm times and location on your times guide when you enter the park each day.

So, where in the (Walt Disney) World is Carmen Sandiago are the Characters?! (Haha - childhood reference there...)

Characters in Alphabetical Order

• Aladdin & Jasmine
• EPCOT: World Showcase - Morocco
• Magic Kingdom: Adventureland
• Alice
• EPCOT: World Showcase - United Kingdom
• Anastasia & Drizella
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Anna
• EPCOT: World Showcase - Norway
• Ariel
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Aurora 
• EPCOT: World Showcase - France
• Baloo
• Animal Kingdom: Asia
• Baymax (Rumored to return soon!) 
• EPCOT: Future World - Character Spot
• BB-8 (Launch Bay) 
• Hollywood Studios: Animation Courtyard - Launch Bay
• Belle 
• EPCOT: World Showcase - France
• Buzz Lightyear 
• Hollywood Studios: Pixar Place
• Magic Kingdom: Tomorrowland
• Cars' Cruz Ramirez
• Hollywood Studios: Pixar Place
• Chewbacca 
• Hollywood Studios: Animation Courtyard - Launch Bay
• Chip & Dale
• Hollywood Studios: Commissionary Lane
• Magic Kingdom: Main Street
• Cinderella
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Daisy Duck 
• Hollywood Studios: Hollywood Blvd
• Magic Kingdom: Storybook Circus
• Doc McStuffins
• Animal Kingdom: Rafiki's Planet Watch
• Hollywood Studios: Animation Courtyard
• Donald Duck
• EPCOT: World Showcase - Mexico
• Hollywood Studios: Hollywood Blvd
• Magic Kingdom: Storybook Circus
• Elena
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Elsa 
• EPCOT: World Showcase - Norway
• Fairy Godmother
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Flik
• Animal Kingdom: Discovery Island
• Guardian's of the Galaxy 
• Hollywood Studios: One Man's Dream
• Gaston
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Goofy
• Animal Kingdom: Dinoland
• EPCOT: Future World - Character Spot 
• Hollywood Studios: Commissionary Lane
• Magic Kingdom: Storybook Circus
• Jake (Never Land Pirates) 
• Hollywood Studios: Animation Courtyard
• Joy & Sadness (Inside Out)
• EPCOT: Future World - Character Spot
• King Louie
• Animal Kingdom: Asia
• Kylo Ren (Launch Bay) 
• Hollywood Studios: Animation Courtyard - Launch Bay
• Mary Poppins
• EPCOT: World Showcase - United Kingdom
• Magic Kingdom: Liberty Square
• Merida
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Mickey Mouse
• Animal Kingdom: Discovery Island - Outpost
• EPCOT: Future World - Character Spot
• Hollywood Studios: Commissionary Lane
• Magic Kingdom: Main Street - Town Square
• Minnie Mouse
• Animal Kingdom: Discovery Island - Outpost
• EPCOT: Future World - Character Spot
• Hollywood Studios: Commissionary Lane
• Magic Kingdom: Storybook Circus
• Mulan
• EPCOT: World Showcase - China
• Olaf
• Hollywood Studios: Commissionary Lane
• Peter Pan
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Pluto
• Animal Kingdom: Dinoland
• EPCOT: World Showcase - Entrance
• Hollywood Studios: Animation Courtyard
• Magic Kingdom: Main Street
• Pocahontas
• Animal Kingdom: Discovery Island (near Dinoland)
• Rafiki
• Animal Kingdom: Rafiki's Planet Watch
• Rapunzel
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Russell
• Animal Kingdom: Discovery Island
• Sofia the First
• Hollywood Studios: Animation Courtyard
• Snow White
• EPCOT: World Showcase - Germany
• Magic Kingdom: Main Street
• Stitch
• Magic Kingdom: Tomorrowland
• Tiana
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Tigger
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Timon
• Animal Kingdom: Discovery Island
• Tinkerbell
• Magic Kingdom: Main Street - Town Square
• Winnie the Pooh
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland
• Woody 
• Hollywood Studios: Pixar Place

Hopefully this will help you find the characters of your or your kids' dreams! It is nice to know which Characters overlap in multiple parks. If we can, we tend to spend an extra morning at a park if the characters are important to the kids - especially at Magic Kingdom. There are SO MANY characters there. Also consider checking out my post Character Meals Superlatives to see some of the meals that have characters in them! Saved us lots of time and energy searching for the characters in the parks!  Please let me know if I missed any - comment below! 

(updated 11/1/17)

Organized by park:

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Blvd 

• Daisy Duck
• Donald Duck

Pixar Place

• Buzz Lightyear
• Woody 
• Cars' Cruz Ramirez
• Guardians of the Galaxy (One Man's Dream) 

Animation Courtyard

• Doc McStuffins
• Jake (Never Land Pirates) 
• Pluto
• Sofia the First
• BB-8 (Launch Bay) 
• Chewbacca (Launch Bay) 
• Kylo Ren (Launch Bay) 

Echo Lake/Commissionary Lane

• Olaf
• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Chip & Dale
• Goofy

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Rafiki's Planet Watch

• Rafiki
• Doc McStuffins

Discovery Island

• Timon
• Flik
• Russell 
• Pocahontas (near Dinoland)
• Mickey Mouse (Outpost)
• Minnie Mouse (Outpost) 

Asia

• Baloo 
• King Louie 

Dinoland 

• Goofy
• Pluto

EPCOT

World Showcase

• Alice (United Kingdom)
• Mary Poppins (United Kingdom)
• Princess Aurora (France)
• Belle (France)
• Aladdin & Jasmine (Morocco)
• Snow White (Germany)
• Mulan (China) 
• Anna (Norway)
• Elsa (Norway)
• Donald Duck (Mexico)
• Pluto (Entrance to World Showcase)

Future World: Character Spot

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Goofy
• Joy 
• Sadness
• Baymax (rumored to return soon) 

Magic Kingdom

Main Street 

• Mickey Mouse
• Tinkerbell
• Pluto
• Chip & Dale
• Snow White

Adventureland

• Aladdin
• Jasmine

Liberty Square

• Mary Poppins

Fantasyland

• Peter Pan
• Cinderella
• Elena
• Tiana
• Rapunzel
• Tigger
• Winnie the Pooh
• Gaston
• Fairy Godmother
• Anastasia & Drizilla
• Ariel
• Merida

Storybook Circus

• Minnie Mouse
• Daisy Duck
• Donald Duck
• Goofy 

Tomorrowland

• Stitch
• Buzz Lightyear