Character Officially Removed From Fantasyland at Disney World

Those wanting to meet a beloved princess at Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom only have a moment before she leaves the location forever! Walt Disney World in Florida plans to permanently close down an established meet-and-greet location to make room for a new experience involving more popular characters. On July 9, this princess will be a lot harder to find!

Disney Characters in Fantasyland

Many different characters have met Guests around the Magic Kingdom. It has been a staple when visiting the Parks for decades. Disney often cycles character experiences based on demand, but some have permanent locations created so visitors can easily find them.

The Princess Fairytale Hall is one place where many Guests come to see their favorite characters. The beauty of this building is that it is themed around the generic Disney Princess brand and not a singular royal person. This gives the Park free rein to rotate which characters appear on any given day. However, they usually stick with some consistency based on fans’ wants.

Outside of Princess Fairytale Hall are a few more permanent offerings. Ariel can be found near her ride at Ariel’s Grotto. Several years ago, Magic Kingdom also saw Fairytale Garden transformed into a Scottish setting for the addition of Princess Merida from Pixar’s Brave movie. It has been a consistent offering and one of the first to return after Covid-19 shut the Florida theme park down.

Children have loved meeting Merida here as they get to practice their archery skills or create their own “tapestry” while waiting in line. However, this is about to change.

Merida Gone From Disney World

Princess Merida will greet her last Guests in Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom on July 8. After this date, her experience at Fairytale Garden will shut down permanently. Merida will be removed from Fantasyland in order to start construction on a new meet-and-greet offering for Park visitors.

Today, july 8 2023, is the last day for guests at @Disney Parks Walt Disney World Resort to meet Merida in her own private meet and geeet. After today the fairy tale garden will be closed to be re themed for the arrival of Mirabel from Encanto. pic.twitter.com/oTEhzWZoQD

— rundisney tableguy (@JamesIaniro) July 8, 2023

However, don’t fret too much yet. While Merida will no longer be available to meet in Fantasyland, she will reportedly still greet Guests at a different location for a limited time. It has been said that she will remain in Magic Kingdom through August, but there is no official date as to when she will stop having a meet-and-greet altogether.

Disney has not confirmed her new location, but social media seems to have found the spot. Cast Members at Fairytale Garden have directed Guests to the Liberty Square and Enchanted Glades gazebo if they wish to find the Scottish Princess after July 8. This thematically doesn’t seem like a good fit for a Scottish princess, so it will likely not last long. Merida might appear in the Princess Fairytale Hall after August, but her fate is uncertain as of now.

Encanto Comes to Fantasyland

Fairytale Garden is saying goodbye to Merida in order to start construction on an Encanto meet-and-greet offering. A permit has been filed by Adena Corporation, listing the location as the address. Other hints have offered clues about what we can find here when construction is complete.

Mirabel will greet Guests surrounded by decor from Casa Madrigal in Encanto. While Mirabel is an obvious choice, Bruno could also appear. He has only been seen at Disneyland in California so far. However, audition notices have led many to believe he will also come to Florida when the new offering opens to visitors.

This fall, Mirabel will greet guests in the Fairytale Garden at Magic Kingdom, which will be transformed with whimsical décor inspired by la Familia Madrigal. #AllTheDisneyThrills pic.twitter.com/Ia0bxBeCd2

— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) March 15, 2023

Encanto has thrilled Disney fans since its release in November 2021. While it didn’t excel at the box office, it found instant fame on Disney+. Its hit song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has won countless awards and has lived rent-free in the heads of children and adults ever since it took over the music world.

There is no confirmation of when the Encanto project will be ready. They have simply said it will happen in the fall. However, the retheme of the area will likely take some time. Expect construction in that location near Cinderella Castle for the foreseeable future.