Walt Disney World has introduced new and returning character meet & greets all through 2023 in Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT. This put up shares timeframes, particulars, areas, and commentary.
This follows as we speak’s different information about EPCOT’s New Nighttime Spectacular & Disney100 Anniversary Celebration in Late 2023. With EPCOT wrapping up its overhaul, the park will play host to the 100 Years of Wonder Celebration and a brand new nighttime spectacular, amongst different issues, whereas even have new devoted meet & greet areas.
This additionally follows earlier adjustments and updates for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which just lately launched uncommon characters plus the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda. So DHS followers shouldn’t really feel ignored, as you’ve arguably already gotten a jumpstart on all of this–and one of the best characters of the bunch, as well!
In phrases of as we speak’s information, Walt Disney World introduced that Moana will greet fellow voyagers on Discovery Island at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park starting April 22, 2023. This is simply in time for the park’s twenty fifth anniversary. (No phrase on how, or if, that milestone might be celebrated past cupcakes and banners.)
There’s a greater than gentle risk that this Moana meet & greet is foreshadowing a bigger enlargement of Animal Kingdom. Potential redevelopment and development alternatives have been teased on the D23 Expo, and people embrace a Zootopia Metropolis and Moana Mini-Land. Our expectation is that each will occur, however the plans for Moana seem fairly concrete.
Turning to EPCOT, followers of Figment will get the possibility to hug the long-time icon on the Imagination! pavilion starting in late Summer 2023. As a few of these aforementioned Figment followers, we’re actually excited for this. It’s nice to see Figment returning, and I’m curious as to how this can differ from “FigZilla.” (I’m guessing that Dreamfinder will not be becoming a member of him, however I’d completely like to be flawed.)
I’ll spare you my hypothesis as to what this might imply for Figment’s future prospects, whether or not that is testing the water to see how a lot demand the character nonetheless instructions (outdoors merchandise), and so forth. You can see previous posts on the Figment Meet & Greet Coming to EPCOT and Figment Feature Film Being Made by Seth Rogen for my wild hypothesis and wishful pondering that seemingly gained’t come true.
Mickey Mouse and mates can even have a brand new dwelling at Communicore Hall opening later this yr as a part of the EPCOT transformation. This is a purpose-built location that’ll seemingly be just like the previous one in Innoventions.
See our put up about CommuniCore Hall and Plaza Coming to EPCOT for extra particulars about this venue as a complete. No different specifics have been shared as to the meet & greets coming to the World Celebration neighborhood of EPCOT.
At Magic Kingdom starting in Fall 2023, Mirabel from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ hit movie “Encanto” will greet visitors in Fairytale Garden surrounded by whimsical décor impressed by La Familia Madrigal. (The picture on the prime of the put up is from Disneyland, however Walt Disney World shared inventory footage from that, suggesting it might look equally.)
Fairytale Garden is the official title of the placement the place Merida from “Brave” at present meets, so it’s say to say that location is being repurposed. No phrase on whether or not Merida might be relocated to Princess Fairytale Hall or elsewhere. Her meet & greet is shockingly common given how “Brave” underperformed (I hope the film has discovered an viewers since its launch–I feel it’s underrated), so I’d anticipate to see Merida moved relatively than retired.
These new experiences observe the return of a number of Magic Kingdom character experiences together with Pete’s Silly Sideshow, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Ariel in her underwater grotto, and the return of character eating at Cinderella’s Royal Table.
When it involves commentary, I’ll begin with the optimistic: it’s good to see Walt Disney World including extra characters across the parks. Not addressed on this announcement, however Walt Disney World additionally just lately added a Princess Tiana ‘waving from the windows’ character sighting in Liberty Square.
This one is a bit bittersweet for me, as she seems in the identical spot close to Hall of Presidents the place the Muppets Present … Great Moments in American History beforehand appeared. But what’s finished is completed–it’s good to see Tiana often showing and offering a nod to the way forward for this space(ish) of Magic Kingdom!
I additionally admire the combination of meet & greets and distanced character sightings (or no matter they’re being referred to as now). With the brand new additions, Walt Disney World has finished a superb job of balancing the 2, giving visitors quite a lot of character interplay sorts–and time commitments.
The character sightings have been the most effective additions of the phased reopening, and we overtly hoped that this sort of character encounter–combined with conventional meet & greets–would turn out to be a everlasting fixture of Walt Disney World.
Distanced characters are nice for livening up the park and providing leisure worth with out having to attend in a protracted and slow-moving line. I’m glad to see there be a wholesome combination of character experiences, and want Walt Disney World would do that with extra characters that draw ridiculous meet & greet waits. (Looking at you, Jack Skellington!)
To that time, we’ll quickly (effectively, in a number of extra months!) discover out simply how common Encanto is amongst Walt Disney World visitors. While I feel they setting they selected is objectively higher, I’m truthfully shocked Mirabel isn’t coming to Town Square Theater, which has extra capability. I’m sufficiently old to recollect virtually a decade in the past when Anna and Elsa first debuted in Magic Kingdom, and had common wait instances of 2-3 hours, and hit 4-5 hours now and again.
Turning to critique, I’ll repeat what I’ve already bemoaned elsewhere (mainly rehashing a tangent from our unpopular article about Imagineering’s new robotic rabbit). Encanto got here out at Christmas 2021. It’s at present Spring 2023. This meet & greet debuts in Fall 2023. (How lengthy does it take to vary some backdrops?!)
Suffice to say, Encanto has been a smash hit for effectively over a yr, and it’s nonetheless not doable to fulfill Mirabel or every other character from the film in Magic Kingdom. This is a big misstep and, like Bruno, we don’t speak about it sufficient. It’s nice that this meet & greet is lastly occurring, however it coming in a number of months–relatively than a number of months in the past or in a couple of weeks–demonstrates an befuddling lack of urgency.
Turning Red can be now simply over one yr previous, and the primary character meet & greet from this movie simply debuted at Shanghai Disneyland. While the Red Panda Mei is now showing in China, she nonetheless has not proven up at Walt Disney World or Disneyland.
In case you haven’t seen Turning Red (not that anybody cares, however it’s my favourite Disney or Pixar film since Coco–I prefer it much more than Encanto), there’s actually a meet and greet with Red Panda Mei within the film. It’s such an apparent concept that it’s embarrassing it has taken Disney so lengthy to roll out the character. A Red Panda Mei meet & greet would pay for itself within the merchandise and plush gross sales it will assist push. I’m not even kidding.
Earlier this month, the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda lastly debuted in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World. This was met with plenty of reward locally, particularly because it’s virtually an open secret that bringing the duo to Florida was a herculean job. I suppose the pondering is thus that optimistic reinforcement is acceptable–maybe Disney will see it and be extra inclined to convey characters to the parks ~3 years after their tales debut.
I can perceive that to an extent, and would possibly share that perspective if the circumstances have been distinctive. But for all the speak about synergy, Disney has gotten actually dangerous about selling common characters from its streaming exhibits and films at Walt Disney World on tight turnaround instances. They used to develop and debut entire parades sooner than they handle to stay a single character right into a cavalcade.
It’s too dangerous there isn’t a small and nimble crew devoted to those synergy efforts with the power to maneuver shortly and authority to convey these characters to the parks in significant methods, even when meaning overruling park administration. This is much more vital now as viewership has turn out to be fragmented and IP wants a bit of extra assist to enter the cultural zeitgeist. Disney ought to place a renewed emphasis on a day-and-date mannequin, however for its exhibits/motion pictures and promotional pushes within the parks.
Ultimately, extra characters is sweet information–even when it’s taking longer than I’d like. This has been a continued push during the last yr because the return of conventional meet & greets, and has positively gained momentum because the begin of 2023. Just like with every thing, a part of the obstacle has been staffing shortages, and people are lastly bettering with leisure.
My hope is that this development continues, and that extra meet & greets and different character sightings proceed to pop up all through the parks. It’d be good to see Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party again to regular on the character entrance (and never having to tug performers from daytime schedules) at minimal–and ideally add a couple of of the brand new characters that’ve debuted at Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line for these seasons. It’d even be nice if lacking meal providers might be restored at character eating experiences round Walt Disney World!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Mirabel coming to Magic Kingdom? What about Moana in Animal Kingdom? Thoughts on Figment and Mickey Mouse & Friends in EPCOT? What about Disney’s sluggish rollout of character meet & greets from latest Disney+ exhibits and films? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we may also help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!