When Disney World opened in 1971, spontaneous encounters with Mickey Mouse were part of the charm. But since the 1990s, if you wanted to meet characters at Disney World Resort, you had two choices: an upcharge meal, or a queue at scheduled times in the parks. Now, that’s changing.
Free-roaming characters never vanished completely. They were part of the draw of Star Wars Weekends, held at Hollywood Studios from 1997 to 2015. And “Character Paloozas” served as training grounds for characters and their security attendants.
During the pandemic, traditional Meet & Greets were on hold for social distancing. Instead, characters put on a show, separated by a natural barrier of some kind in the parks. For me, these appearances highlighted the difference that free-roaming characters bring to the parks. I took a picture of Goofy, but I don’t have any of Winnie the Pooh chasing butterflies. I was too busy smiling and watching.
Since the pandemic, I’ve seen characters often by EPCOT’s International Gateway. Unlike older Paloozas, they last longer than 15 minutes; the photos below were taken over an hour apart. These characters play with individuals and also to passers-by. Free-roaming characters are not only photo-ops; they’re part of the show for everyone.
Over the past two summers, limited appearances by free-roaming characters have been part of Disney’s “Cool Kids Summer” event. And Disney has confirmed that the free-roaming characters who began appearing when the Studios Lot Courtyard opened in May will continue.
As you might have guessed, I’m excited by this change. My opinion about the value of paying for character dining changed dramatically after a 90-minute August wait in the Florida sun so that my daughter could meet Ariel in her grotto. But pictures with the characters has never been one of our family’s key activities. Seeing them, on the other hand, is plain fun—and even better, it’s the kind of fun that you stumble upon.
