Stitch – Epcot

Today is another piece of topiary that is not listed on the map. In fact if you look at the map in the Mission Space area you will see that there are no markings for anything special. Located to the right of the Mission Space entrance is Stitch. Surrounded by a cluster of red flowers Stitch is very impressive. Look at his teeth! This Disney Character topiary is another that is overlooked and you can spend a lot of time with him taking photos at many different angles.

Characters of Bambi – Epcot

Today’s Disney Character hunt characters are not on the map. I was surprised to find in Canada Bambi, Thumper and Flower from Disney’s Bambi. Set right in the middle of Canada you will find the three stars. They are not a popular stop on the topiary scavenger hunt, in fact many people almost miss them while they are taking pictures of Canada. While I was taking my shots I heard a little girl tell her mother after she spotted me leaning over the little fence to take photos… “Oh… there is Bambi!” If you want to get a good shot without many people of Disney Character topiary this spot is your best bet. A lot of people walk by but there are not many stoppers.

Let’s Get Moving –Epcot

Another great place to find Disney Characters depicted in topiary is in the Imagination Walkway. Here you will find Goofy, Donald, Pluto , Minnie and Mickey all playing their favorite sports. This is not just a place where you can see classic Disney characters doing their favorite outdoor activities it is also a place where little ones can also play. There are structures to climb on and outdoor work out equipment. One of the favorites that I saw a line for was the mini stair steppers perfect for children 2-5 years old. The space is small so for the photo hunters it might be best to take your shot and then move on.

Simba’s Birthday Celebration – Epcot

Brand new to the International Flower and Garden Festival there is a character topiary scavenger hunt for families. At the festival information center cast members will hand you a list of the items to find on your scavenger. This week I thought I would take you on a character topiary hunt around Epcot. First up this week a little lion whose birthday celebration was depicted in topiary. Simba’s Birthday Celebration is a beautiful collection of several pieces of topiary located in the World Showcase Plaza. Directly in the middle (as you are walking into the World Showcase) is the main scene. Rafiki holds up samba while Mufasa and Sarabi watch. Then to the left Scar and Zazu sit and to the right Timon delivers the birthday feast while Pumba rocks a cool hair do…



This collection of Lion King topiary is not hard to spot and is a popular destination for many Disney Character Topiary Scavenger Hunters.

Character Greetings at Disney Hotels

Finding Disney Characters at Disney Hotels is a little more difficult than at the parks. There are no set times or characters for the hotels but I have been to a few of the Disney hotels and here is what I found. During the Christmas season you are more likely to see characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto roaming the lobbies of the hotels. I have seen them in Animal Kingdom Lodge and The Contemporary. At or near the character dining restaurants you are more likely to see characters as well. For example in the Polynesian you will find Lilo and Stitch. Over at the Swan and Dolphin outside the Garden Grove you will see Timon, Chip and Dale, Goofy, and occasionally Mickey Mouse. The key to finding characters at the Disney Hotels is to always make sure you have a camera and follow the running children (they always seem to find the characters first).

Character Greetings at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is one park where I need to definitely spend more time. I have only seen a couple of characters at the Front Entrance of Hollywood Studios but there are so many more Disney Characters to encounter in the park. Below is a list of the most common Disney Characters you will run into…

Front Entrance:
There are a number of characters that can show up occasionally at the Front Entrance. I have seen Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, the Queen of Hearts and characters from Robin Hood and Pluto.

The Magic of Disney Animation:
Stars of Bolt daily from 10:30am to 1:30pm and 2:10pm to 6:00pm.
The Incredibles can be found here daily from 11:35am to 2:30pm and 3:45pm to 7:00pm
Mickey Mouse can be found in this area daily 10am – 7pm.

Streets of America:
Characters from Monsters Inc can be found daily from 11-2:40pm and then again at 3:40-6:15pm.

Backlot Tour:
Power Rangers can be found daily at 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am and then again at 12:30 and 4:30pm.

Journey Into Narnia:
Prince Caspian hangs out in this attraction daily 10am to 6pm.

Luigi’s Garage:
Meet the characters from Cars daily 10:am- 6pm.

Animation Courtyard:
Characters from Playhouse Disney will be here daily 10:30-5:30pm

Pixar Place:
Woody, Buzz and other characters from Toy Story are here daily 10-12:45, 1:30, 2:30pm and then 4:10-7pm.

Although the above list is the most common characters you can find throughout the park there are sometimes surprises so make to have your smiles and cameras ready.

Animal Kingdom Character Greetings

I think out of all the parks it is Animal Kingdom that I have been able to spot the most characters and take photos with them. Below is a list of the most common places you can see in Animal Kingdom and where they hang out.

Front Entrance:
It seems that each time I go to Animal Kingdom as soon as I have my bag checked I look up and there is three or four characters with really short lines waiting for people to come up and take photos. I have seen Flick from a Bug’s Life, Meeko, Radcliff, Timon, Rafiki, Baloo, and Pluto. The characters seem to show up throughout the day at various times but usually we arrive at the parks around 10am and will often run into them.

Discovery Island:
The Character Landing across from the Flame Tree Barbecue is a hidden place where you can meet Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger (sometimes people have spotted Piglet). The entrance to the line to meet Pooh and Friends is right before the bridge to Dinoland. You will find them daily 9-11:50am and 1:00-4:50pm. Also if you are a pin trader you will find lots of Cast Members with great pins to trade here.

Also in the area you will often find Lilo and Stitch together outside the Island Mercantile. They are there daily (and during days with Extra Magic Hours) from 9am-1:50pm and 3-4:50pm (Extra Magic Hours they will be there until 8pm).

Camp Minnie Mickey:
Here you will find Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear. They are there daily from 10am- 4:50pm

Rafiki’s Planet Watch: (Conservation Station)
Of course you will find Rafiki here and sometimes Jiminy Cricket daily from 10:15am-1:00pm and then again 2:15-5pm. You can also find Pocahontas daily from 10:45-11:35am, Noon-1:05pm, 2:45-3:50pm and 4:15- 5:05pm

There are other characters you will see in the park, often I see characters from Tarzan across from Lilo and Stitch. Keep your eyes open and your cameras ready you never know who you might run into.

Characters Greetings in Epcot

Although Epcot is often seen as the park geared more towards adults and learning there are still Disney characters around the park marking Epcot uniquely Disney. Norwood and I have seen a few characters in Epcot but I have to admit I have not stopped to take photos with any in Epcot yet (usually we are running across the world to make it in time for a concert). Below is a list of who you can find where…

Futureworld:This is an easy one just head to the Character Spot and there you can often find Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy. It is a popular spot to meet and take photos with the characters and there is often a long line (it is all indoors). The hours to spot Mickey and friends are 9am to 5:30pm daily.

World Showcase:There are a couple of countries in the World Showcase where you can find characters under signs that look like this…



United Kingdom:Although I have been told that Winnie the Pooh might show up in the UK I have not yet seen him but I have often seen Mary Poppins and Alice from Alice and Wonderland right across from the Rose & Crown Pub. They appear in the UK usually around 1-3:55 pm and then again 4:35 to 8:30pm.

France:Occasionally people have spotted Aurora in France 12:45 to 6pm. You will also see daily Beauty and the Beast from 12:45 to 6pm. I have often seen the Beast and sometimes I have seen Beauty and the Beast.

Morocco:There are two places in Morocco that I have seen Aladdin, Genie and Jasmine (sometimes all three at once but more than often I have encountered Genie). Next to the gift shop that is next to the stage where Mo Rockin perform I have seen Aladdin and the gang hanging out under the character greeting sign and then in the back of the gift shop that is between Resturant Marrakesh and Tangierine Café is a place that has a nice background from the movie Aladdin where you can take photos with Aladdin and Jasmine. You will be able to find them daily from 12:15 to 7:30pm.

Germany:I have not yet seen characters in Germany but I have been told that you may find Snow White and Dopey here from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm.

China:Inside the temple and occasionally outside the temple I have seen both Mushu and Mulan. You will find them (or sometimes just one) in China daily from 12:35- 6:pm.

Mexico:I have not yet seen Donald from the Three Caballeros but outside the temple in Mexico many have found him daily (although intermittently) 1:30pm – 6pm.

There are so many more characters that people have been to meet and take photos with but the list above are the characters most often spotted in the locations mentioned. Good luck character hunting! Tomorrow I will tell you about who you can find in Animal Kingdom.

Character Greetings in Magic Kingdom

Last week we talked about finding animals in less popular places in Animal Kingdom. This week I thought we would talk about finding Disney characters throughout the Disney World parks and in the Disney Hotels. I have seen a couple and I have started collecting photos of myself and Norwood with characters. All this week I will tell who is where and show you some of my encounters. First up this week is Magic Kingdom. There are four places to find characters in Magic Kingdom here is a list of who is where…

Main Street USA:
Next door to City Hall you will find (for a limited time) Pinocchio and friends. They will show up at various times from 9am- 3pm. He is on my list to meet.

Adventureland:
Next to Pirates of the Caribbean you will find Peter Pan and sometimes Wendy. I have seen them both there many times but the line was too long to take photos with them. They are really popular! They are there daily at 10:00am to 3:00pm and then again from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. Keep your eyes open you may also see Jack Sparrow near Pirates of the Caribbean as well.

Fantasyland:
Ariel’s Grotto where from 10am to 8pm daily you will see Ariel. I have not yet made it over to Ariel’s Grotto it is on my list of characters to meet.

Mickey’s Toontown Fair:
This is probably the best known place to see characters. At the Judge’s Tent you will see the very popular Mickey Mouse (and sometimes Minnie Mouse). And at the Toontown Hall of Fame you will see the Disney Princesses. I stood in line once to see Mickey Mouse during the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party but did not make it up to him before he left. I have not yet been to the Hall of Fame. You can find the Princess in the Hall of Fame Sunday 10am-8:30pm, Monday- Friday 10am- 7:30pm and Saturday 10am- 9:30pm.

Tomorrowland:
Tomorrowland is home to two popular Disney characters, Buzz Lightyear and Stitch. Outside the Carousel of Progress you will find Buzz Lightyear each day from 11am- 6:30pm and near the Galaxy Palace Theater you will find Stitch each day from 9am- 4pm. Norwood and I have had our picture taken with Stitch during the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and I caught Buzz just as he was leaving from his last greeting.

The above list is only some of the characters that you will find in Magic Kingdom. Keep your eyes open you never know what rare character you might see. Tomorrow I will tell you who you can find where in Epcot.

Meeting Buzz Lightyear

Magic Kingdom is truly a magical place. There are so many neat things to do that really if you spend one week in one land you might still not do everything. This week I wanted to spend a little time a highlight one of the lands in Magic Kingdom that I spend less time in than others… Tomorrowland. Recently I stopped to take the time to actually look at the details in Tomorrowland. There are of course the big things in Tomorrowland that many have on their “Do not miss lists” but there are also some things that you might not realize are in Tomorrowland. One of my favorite things about Tomorrowland are the characters. I have only met two characters so far in Tomorrowland but the ones I met were very cool. Of course there is good old Stitch walking around Tomorrowland when he is not escaping and eating chili dogs (Stitch’s Great Escape is something you should try at least once… be warned though Stitch does have some funky breath). But there is also Buzz Lightyear! I just happened to show up near the Carousel of Progress just as Buzz was leaving. There he was posing with his last fan when he saw me and stopped to give me a cool pose. That was the first time and the last time (so far) that I have seen Buzz. Now of course each time I go to Magic Kingdom I will have to check the character times and see if I can catch Buzz and get my photo taken with the completely awesome Space Ranger. Have you met anyone neat in Tomorrowland?

Finding Pooh Bear and Friends at Animal Kingdom

Norwood and I had a perfect day at Animal Kingdom this Sunday. Armed with my Hidden Mickey guide and my Disney Pins and of course camera we headed out to Animal Kingdom and thought we would find a few Hidden Mickeys and maybe go on a Safari. Well we ended up doing so much more and found things that after eight months at Disney World (yep we are in our eighth month!) I have not yet found. All this week I will tell you about the amazing things we found.

The day started like any other day at Animal Kingdom. As we walked into the park we strolled along Discovery Trail so Norwood could find a bench and I could take photos of flowers and birds. While taking photos of a really beautiful flower Norwood told me he found the perfect bench to sit and have coffee on. It was indeed the perfect bench because it overlooked the characters greeting trail where there just happened to be Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger with no line! While I was taking a shot of them from the distance Eeoyre noticed me waved and invited me down to take a photo.

Well who could resist such a face so we made our way down to the Character Greeting Trail and we hugged we laughed and took photos…







I absolutely love all the photos that Norwood took of Pooh, Eeoyre and I and they are my first photos will all three! It was so much fun and we actually had time to talk to the characters because there was no one behind us. While we were talking a photo with Eeyore (yes I have photopass photos with the two of us and all the characters… coming soon!) Norwood and he hugged and then Norwood told him “You know… you do not smell like I thought a donkey would?” Eeyore put his hands on his hips and then he laughed. It was so much fun.

Pooh and his friends were not the only characters we had fun with during our perfect day at Animal Kingdom. Tomorrow I will tell the unique group of characters I meet and the laughs we shared.