Credit: DisneyCharacter fans, rejoice! Three long-awaited meet-and-greets are finally arriving in Walt Disney World this summer.
Meet-and-greets can be one of the most exciting and memorable parts of your Walt Disney World vacation. Who doesn’t remember their first Mickey Mouse hug? Whether it’s collecting autographs, taking photos, or just getting to talk to the character you loved as a kid (or an adult), meeting characters can be fun for everyone in your group.
Today, Disney announced that three long-awaited characters will be making their debut at various Parks inside the Walt Disney World Resort. Some of their appearances could also mean the end of other character meet-and-greets.
To begin, Moana will begin meeting Guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom starting April 22. The title character of the hit film Moana (2016) has been hugely popular with Guests for a long time, and she’s even getting her own walkthrough attraction at EPCOT called Journey of Water. Moana has been spotted at several special events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party but has never had a permanent meet-and-greet location. Disney did not announce the specific location, but it’s possible she’ll be taking over the Character Landing area, which used to house a Pocahontas meet-and-greet. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has been notoriously slow in bringing back character meet-and-greets to the Park, with many still on socially distanced boats.
Next, the previously announced Figment meet-and-greet will finally arrive at EPCOT in the late summer. Disney told fans that Figment (who has not appeared as a meetable character in the Parks since the 2000s) would first be arriving during last year’s D23 event, but did not provide a timeline. Figment will meet Guests inside the Imagination pavilion, so it’s possible he will replace the Inside Out or Wreck-It-Ralph meet-and-greet area or serve as an addition to them.
Finally, Disney announced that Merida of the beloved Encanto (2021) will begin meeting Guests at the Magic Kingdom this fall. She will take over the Fairytale Garden area, which currently houses a Merida meet-and-greet and has for several years, which will be redesigned to look like her Casita from the film. Mirabel has been mysteriously spotted at one-off meet-and-greets at EPCOT and in cavalcades at the Magic Kingdom, so a permanent appearance was inevitable. It’s unknown if Merida will be removed or moved to another location.