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Epcot characters are some of the most fun to meet in all of Disney World. There are tons of rare characters hanging out at Epcot, and you never know who you’ll stumble on.
If you love meeting less common characters or characters in special outfits, Epcot is the place for you!
Meeting Epcot characters is a bit trickier than meeting characters at other Disney parks. Many characters are in obscure locations, only greeting guests for 30 minutes at a time, and the majority of Epcot characters offer a Fastpass+ option.
Add all those factors together, and you can clearly see you need a strategy for meeting Epcot characters.
Otherwise, you’ll waste a lot of time chasing down characters and probably missing them by a few moments. You don’t want the disappointment of not meeting your favourite Epcot characters because you weren’t prepared and didn’t have a plan!
But worry not!
You’ll be an Epcot character expert by the end of this post!
You’ll know all the tips and tricks, and you’ll be able to meet every Epcot character on your list (and possibly more)!
Table of Contents
1. Don’t Neglect the Characters at Epcot’s Entrance
Most people enter Epcot and rush straight to Soarin’ or Frozen Ever After. They power walk through the entrance and past Spaceship Earth without looking around them.
That is a huge mistake because they miss one of the best and quietest opportunities to meet Epcot characters.
Basically any time of day you can mind a couple of characters meeting with guests at the entrance of Epcot.
Normally, Daisy is meeting guests on the right-hand side of the entrance and Pluto is meeting guests on the left-hand side.
The characters can change, but Daisy and Pluto are the most common characters meeting guests at the entrance to Epcot.
They can be a bit difficult to see at times- especially if you don’t know to look for them!
They’re tucked away almost in a corner on the sides of the walkway leading to Spaceship Earth.
There normally isn’t a line, so you can’t even use that as a tip-off that characters are meeting with guests.
You should definitely keep an eye out for the characters at Epcot’s entrance though! There is hardly ever a line, so you can get in and out with a great photo and new memory in just a few minutes.
Seriously!
A lot of the time it takes less than five minutes to meet the characters meeting at the front of Epcot.
It is one of the best places to meet Epcot characters because there is little to no line and doesn’t set you too far back time wise!
2. Character Spot is the Perfect Choice for Your Bonus Fastpass+
Character Spot is one of my favourite places to meet Epcot characters. You meet Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy all in one spot.
It is great fun, and the perfect way to knock a bunch of characters off your list really quickly.
There are two major problems with Character Spot though:
- It is extremely popular and normally has at least a 45-minute line
- It is considered a tier one attraction and is so not worth using your only tier one Fastpass+ selection on
That is where the bonus Fastpass+ comes in!
If you don’t know what I mean by a bonus Fastpass+, check out this article on the Epcot Fastpass+ system. It goes in depth about what a bonus Fastpass+ is and how to maximize it.
The sparks note version of the bonus Fastpass+ is that you can make a same-day Fastpass+ reservation after you used your original three pre-selected Epcot Fastpass+ selections.
Character Spot is the perfect attraction to use your bonus Fastpass+ on because it always has a line and 9 times out of 10 you’re able to snag a same-day Fastpass+ for Character Spot.
You get to meet the Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy at Character Spot without the long wait and without using your Epcot tier one Fastpass+ on it.
It is the best of both worlds and one of my favourite Epcot character hacks!
3. Characters Meet Behind the Tea Caddy in the England Pavilion
I have a bit of an embarrassing confession to make! The first time I wanted to meet Mary Poppins in the England pavilion, I almost missed out because I couldn’t figure out where she was meeting guests!
The sign showing when Alice and Mary Poppins are meeting guests is at the front of the Tea Caddy near the garden.
I assumed that since that is where the sign was, that is where they would be meeting guests.
So I got to the tea garden early hoping to be near the front of the line and waited and waited and waited.
Nobody else showed up for the meet and greet- including Mary Poppins!
This led me to wander around the Tea Caddy in search of Mary Poppins. Turns out the characters meet behind the Tea Caddy and not in the tea garden near the sign!
It was a silly mistake, but I wouldn’t be surprise to learn that a lot of other people have made the same one!
Learn from my mistake and go to the back of the Tea Caddy for the character meet and greets in the England pavilion.
It would be awful to miss out on meeting such amazing and rare characters just because you were waiting in the wrong place!
So close yet so far.
4. Plan to Meet Elsa and Anna in the Early Afternoon
I don’t have an explanation for it, but the line to meet Elsa and Anna is normally significantly shorter between 12pm and 2pm.
It may be because people are eating lunch or it is a popular time to schedule a Fastpass+, but whatever the reason, it is awesome!
I’ve used this trick three times, and I’ve never had to wait more than 10 minutes to meet Elsa and Anna.
The posted wait time was around 30 to 40 minutes each time I used this trick, but the actual wait time was nowhere near the posted wait time.
It may be a bit of a gamble to hop in line when there is a 30-minute wait time posted because it might be accurate.
Always make sure you have enough time in your schedule to wait the entire posted time just in case it is accurate.
I can’t guarantee that you will have a short wait time to meet Elsa and Anna between 12pm and 2pm, but, in my experience, it is the best time of day to meet the ladies of Frozen.
5. The Disney World App is Your Best Friend
Most people don’t use the Disney World app to its full potential. They use it to check wait times, and that’s it.
There is so much more you can do inside the Disney World app including tracking down Epcot characters.
The Disney World app has an entire section dedicated to characters. You can filter it to just show Epcot characters, and it is a game changer!
It shows you everything you need to know to plan and strategize about meeting Epcot characters.
The app shows you where different characters meet with guests and when they meet with guests.
It is essential to know when and where Epcot characters are meeting. Most of the characters that meet guests in World Showcase only meet a couple times per day and for a limited amount of time.
You need to know when and where your favourite character is meeting guests, so you don’t miss them!
The app gives you so much more information than the paper park guide does. Download the app before you arrive at Disney World. It makes your trip goes so much smoother and saves you a lot of time.
But the app does have its downsides.
It doesn’t tell you where and when every Epcot character is meeting.
The app doesn’t tell you about the characters that roam around the park or greet guests in the super secret location (see tip seven to learn where that is!).
But, all things considered, the app is an essential addition to your Disney World trip and is one of the best resources to use if you plan on meeting characters at Epcot.
Let’s Talk Internet Safety (because you’re probably not as safe as you think)
Disney offers guests complimentary wifi all across Disney property. Some of their buses even offer wifi now!
This is amazing.
Being able to connect to the internet and access the Disney World app (and social media) is essential.
But you are putting yourself at increase risk when using Disney’s complimentary wifi.
It is a public wifi network that tens of thousands of people access each and every day.
Most people use it for nothing but personal use, but there is a small percentage of people who are using the wifi to try to steal your online information.
It is shockingly easy to access and steal personal information when you’re logged into a public wifi system.
You can easily have your banking and other personal information stolen.
Nothing will dampen the Disney magic more than having to deal with your bank and locking all your cards because your banking information was compromised.
The only way you can effectively protect yourself from hackers is by installing a VPN on your phone and other devices.
It puts a private shield around your devices that makes it impossible for a hacker to access your online data.
A VPN makes public internet as safe and secure as your wifi at home where you’re the only one who knows the password.
You can protect up to six devices with one NordVPN subscription. I’ve been using their VPN for years and am nothing but happy with the product.
NordVPN often runs sales where you can save 68% off your two-year subscription, so you have no excuse not to protect your personal online information!
Seriously! What are you waiting for? Head over to NordVPN right now and start protecting your devices before you get to Disney World and leaving yourself vulnerable by using their complimentary wifi.
6. Character Dining is a Great Option
Character dining can be hit or miss, but the character dining at Epcot is some of the best in Disney World.
There are two character dining options at Epcot: Garden Grill and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
You get to meet Mickey and friends at Garden Grill and the princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
They both offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but they are quite different.
Garden Grill is a family-style restaurant where a platter of food is brought to your table. You share the food with your group and can get seconds (thirds or fourths) of any food item you run out of.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is a traditional buffet where you get up, go to the buffet to fill your plate, and return to your table.
The family-style service of Garden Grill is much better in my opinion. You don’t have to time when you go to get food based on how near or far the characters are from your table. It is also a much more relaxing experience because you don’t have to stand in line for food or interact with the other guests dining at the restaurant.
I think Garden Grill is the best character dining option at Epcot. The food is better and it is a more relaxed experience.
But if you have a princess lover in your group, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is the place to go!
It is a significantly less expensive princess dining meal than Cinderella’s Royal Table. You still meet the princesses in a castle like at Cinderella’s Royal Table, but the cost is more reasonable and more people can afford the experience.
No matter what Epcot character dining meal you choose, it is a great experience. You won’t regret it!
7. The Top Secret Place to Meet Rare Characters
Between the Canada and United Kingdom pavilions is the World Showcase Events Pavilion.
Hardly anybody visits that pavilion, but you should always take a peak down the walkway when you’re passing by.
The walkway to the World Showcase Events Pavilions is the best place in Epcot to meet rare characters.
Characters that you hardly ever seen anywhere else in Disney World like King Louise from The Jungle Book and the penguins from Mary Poppins!
You truly never know who you’ll run into, and you don’t want to miss out on anybody who meets in this walkway.
It is a treasure trove of joy for people who love meeting Disney characters!
Disney uses the walkway to the World Showcase Events Pavilion as a way to train new cast member or test out new costumes. It is super quiet and the perfect place for new cast members to get the hang of interacting with guests without being overwhelmed.
If you’re super lucky you might even catch Jack and Sally training before Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!
They don’t come out very often, but they’re out there a couple of days every summer.
The Epcot characters meeting along the walkway aren’t listed on the Disney app and don’t have a set time schedule.
You never know who will show up when, but please promise me you’ll stop if you ever see characters meeting there!
They’re some of the best character experiences you can have at Epcot and shouldn’t be missed!
8. World Showcase Characters Meet for a Very Short Period of Time
World Showcase is where you can meet some of the best Epcot characters, but it can be fairly difficult to be there at the right time if you don’t have a plan.
Characters like Aurora, Snow White, Belle, Mary Poppins, and Alice all meet in World Showcase pavilions but only for about 20 minutes at a time.
And only meet guests three to fives times a day!
That means you really have to have a plan and know what time characters are meeting in World Showcase.
Additionally, because these highly popular Epcot characters only meet for such a limited amount of time, people start lining up way in advance.
This is especially true for Snow White. I’ve seen people start lining up 45 minutes before she was scheduled to meet guests.
She’s the most popular World Showcase character, but people start lining up about 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time.
Be prepared to show up a little early if you want to meet any of the World Showcase characters.
They aren’t out for long, but they’re well worth the effort to meet!
9. Joy and Sadness and Baymax are Quietist in the Morning
Epcot is the only Disney World park where you can meet Joy and Sadness from Inside Out and Baymax from Big Hero 6.
If you’re a fan of these characters and want to meet them, the best time of day is in the morning.
Most people rush to the popular Epcot attractions like Soarin’ and Frozen Ever After and never give meeting these Epcot characters a second thought.
Don’t be that person!
There isn’t a Fastpass+ option for either Joy and Sadness or Baymax, and the lines can get painfully long.
They also move incredibly slow, so the entire waiting experience is dreadful (at best). The line can look short, but it can be deceiving. I jumped in a short(ish) line to meet Joy and Sadness one afternoon, and it took over 45 minutes.
It was painful, and there were so many better things you can do with your time!
However, if you take the time to meet these Epcot characters in the morning, you will have a significantly shorter line to contend with.
It doesn’t have to be first thing in the morning. Getting there at 10 or 11 works just fine!
Joy and Sadness and Baymax are neighbours, so you can quickly meet them back to back!
Joy, Sadness, and Baymax are some of the most fun Epcot characters to meet! I highly recommend you add meeting them to your Epcot itinerary!
10. A Lot of Characters Don’t Have Photopass Photographers
Some Epcot characters- especially characters that meet in World Showcase pavilions- don’t have photopass photographers accompanying them.
It is unfortunate, but it is a fact of life.
You never really know who will and won’t have a photographer with them.
Sometimes Mary Poppins has a photographer and sometimes she doesn’t. The same can be said for basically every other World Showcase character.
Jasmine and Aladdin and Elsa and Anna are the only World Showcase characters that are guaranteed to have a photopass photographer with them.
But fret not!
Every character has a character attendant with them.
In addition to managing the line and helping the character with anything they need, the character attendant is more than happy to take a photo of you and the character on your personal camera or phone.
They might not have the same photography skills as a photopass photographer, but you’ll get a nice photo of you and the character.
That’s what matters most!
Conclusion
There you have it! I’ve spilled all my top Epcot character secrets.
You’re in the know now and are officially an expert in all thing Epcot characters.
It is so fun to meet characters at Epcot.
There is a mix of classic characters like Mickey and Minnie, popular characters like Elsa and Anna, and rare characters like Alice and Baymax.
Epcot is without a doubt the best park to meet characters. No other park has such a variety of characters or has as many characters you can meet as Epcot.
Magic Kingdom is close, but Epcot has a few more characters.
No matter who you are or what Disney characters you love, there is a character at Epcot you’ll love.
It is so much fun to meet Epcot characters, and it is worth taking the time out of your day to meet a few of them!
