Where to Find Disney Characters OUTSIDE the Parks

Did you know that you don’t even have to go to a Disney Park to meet characters?

Mickey Mouse raises his hands in greeting outside the Riviera — Credit: Disney

Character meet-and-greets are a very important part of many Guests’ Walt Disney World vacations. After all, if you’re visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth, chances are you’re going to want to meet the mouse that started it all! Other members of your party might be itching to hug a Disney Princess or swap stories with a famous Villain. There are characters for everyone at Walt Disney World, but most Guests think you have to visit the Parks to see them.

However, that isn’t true! There are actually several places beyond the Parks where you can rub elbows with Disney’s most famous characters. While many of those places are character dining locations that will require a reservation, there are even select places where you can spot a Disney character totally for free.

Resort Character Dining

Mickey and Goofy in front of Chef Mickey's — Credit: Disney

As we said, one of the easiest and most guaranteed ways to see Disney characters outside the Parks is to book character dining at one of Walt Disney World’s Resort Hotels. While character dining is also available in the Parks, it’s usually easier to book at a Resort as the restaurants aren’t as busy (with a few exceptions, like the extremely popular Chef Mickey’s or Topolino’s Terrace). Here’s a brief rundown of each character dining location at the Resort Hotels.

Chef Mickey’s: Located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. One of the most popular character dining options (and restaurants at Walt Disney World in general!) Buffet-style for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the characters here are Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, and Goofy.
Topolino’s Terrace: Located at Disney’s Riviera Resort. The character meal here is Breakfast à la Art, which is an a la carte meal inspired by the flavors of France and Italy. Here, you dine with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy in absolutely adorable artistic outfits.
‘Ohana: Located at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. The character meal here is the Best Friends Breakfast, which is a family-style breakfast of classic fare and some with a Polynesian flair. Here, you can meet Mickey, Pluto, Lilo, and Stitch!
Storybook Dining at Artist Point: Located at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. This specialty pre-fixe dinner is an incredibly immersive, Snow White-themed meal where Guests will meet Snow White, Dopey, and Grumpy and take a photo with the Evil Queen before they leave.
Cape May Café: Located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. The character meal here is Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast, which is a delicious buffet featuring Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Daisy in adorable beach attire!

Additionally, did you know there’s an official Disney character breakfast at a non-Disney Resort? On select days at the Four Seasons Orlando, you can visit Ravello for the Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy & His Pals, a prix-fixe meal featuring Goofy, Mickey, and Minnie!

Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long

Guests at around a campfire at Fort Wilderness while on their Disney World vacation. — Credit: Disney

Did you know there’s a totally free show and character experience at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground? On select nights, head to this campground Resort for Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long. This special show features a campfire where Guests can roast marshmallows and make s’mores, an appearance from Chip ‘n’ Dale to help lead Guests in a sing-a-long, and then completes with a Disney movie under the stars. It’s a fantastically fun night and totally free! You can bring your own s’mores supplies, or there are kits available for purchase.

Caravanning ‘Round The World

Pluto and Goofy outside Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa — Credit: Disney

Have you ever suddenly run into a character in the lobby of your Resort? It can happen! Disney has been known to use a themed bus or RV to occasionally bring characters for a few hours of fun at Resorts. There is no set schedule for this or guarantee it will happen, so keep an eye out for the Caravanning ‘Round the World or Disney100 RV parked outside your Resort.

Characters will also occasionally stop by Resort lobbies or pool decks prior to evening character dinners to say hello. This frequently happens at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club or Disney’s BoardWalk, but they’re not guaranteed or on a set schedule.

Finally, you may be so lucky as to one day enter your Resort lobby and see a gaggle of characters! They can often be an eclectic bunch, like Mickey, Goofy, Friar Tuck, Mr. Penguin, and King Louie… however odd the assortment, though, they’ll suddenly descend upon the Resort lobby. Spoiler alert: these surprise meet-and-greets are usually training sessions for new Cast Members, so if you run into one, be patient and congratulatory!