Character hunting at Disney’s Hollywood Studios just became a little easier — as long as guests know when to show up.
With Magic of Disney Animation now welcoming visitors, Disney has added a sizable group of meet-and-greet opportunities to this section of the park. Some characters remain available for much of the day, while others disappear from the schedule earlier.
There are even a few characters who could appear without warning.
The first published times give guests a better idea of how to plan their visit, especially if meeting a particular Disney favorite is one of their biggest priorities.
However, these times may not remain permanent.
Meet-and-Greets Start Early
Guests who want to begin their Hollywood Studios day with characters can currently do exactly that.
Chip ‘n’ Dale, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Stitch, Mulan, and Rapunzel are all meeting inside Off the Page! at Magic of Disney Animation.
The initial schedule has their appearances beginning at 9 a.m.
For families with several characters on their list, that early start could make the new area an appealing first destination. Rather than spreading several meet-and-greets across different parts of the park, guests have multiple options concentrated in the same experience.
They also don't necessarily have to visit first thing in the morning.
Several characters continue meeting well into the afternoon and early evening.
Chip, Dale, Goofy, Mulan, and Rapunzel currently have appearances scheduled through 6:30 p.m.
Donald, Daisy, and Stitch have a slightly shorter schedule, with their listed times ending at 6:15 p.m.
Fifteen minutes isn't a major difference, but it becomes more important for guests trying to squeeze in several characters toward the end of the day.
If Stitch is a must-do, for example, waiting until after 6:15 p.m. could mean missing that opportunity entirely.
Pluto Requires a Different Strategy
Pluto isn't part of the indoor Off the Page! lineup.
Instead, guests can find him periodically in Animation Courtyard beginning around park opening.
His current schedule only runs through 4:20 p.m.
That creates a much earlier cutoff than guests will find with the other announced characters.
Anyone trying to meet Pluto and several Off the Page! characters may want to start with Pluto before moving indoors later. Guests who reverse that order and wait until the evening could discover they've already missed him.
The word “periodically” matters here, too.
Pluto isn't necessarily available continuously from opening through 4:20 p.m. Guests should check the schedule to see when his appearances are expected rather than assuming he'll always be waiting outside.
Some Characters Don't Have Published Times
There is another interesting piece of the character experience that guests can't really plan around.
Suzy and Perla have made unannounced appearances around Animation Courtyard.
Disney hasn't published regular times for those appearances, so finding them could come down to luck.
That gives this part of Hollywood Studios a little unpredictability.
A guest might walk into the area looking for Pluto or heading toward Magic of Disney Animation and unexpectedly find another character along the way.
For visitors who enjoy seeing less predictable characters, it gives them another reason to keep an eye on Animation Courtyard throughout the day.
Check the Schedule Before Your Visit
Although Disney has revealed these initial times, guests shouldn't assume the same schedule will apply to every upcoming visit.
Magic of Disney Animation is expected to have changing operating hours over the coming weeks. Those changes could also affect when its characters begin and finish meeting.
That means guests visiting later shouldn't build their entire Hollywood Studios plan around the current 9 a.m. start without checking first.
My Disney Experience allows visitors to search for characters and locate appearances through the park map.
For guests particularly interested in character meet-and-greets, checking the app on the morning of their visit may be the easiest way to avoid missing someone.
Right now, though, the schedule gives visitors plenty of opportunities.
Eight characters are scheduled inside Off the Page!, Pluto has appearances outside through the afternoon, and Suzy and Perla could potentially make unexpected appearances.
Magic of Disney Animation may be new, but it has already become an area Disney character fans will want to keep on their radar.
