Everyone loves meeting Disney characters. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that no Disney trip is truly complete until you’ve met at least one character.
The thing is, not everyone wants to use valuable park time waiting in line to meet their Disney friends. Meanwhile, some people choose to visit the Disney resort area without even paying for park ticket. Either way, it’s good to know that there are a few characters that can be met outside of the park.
Of course, the trick to meeting these out-of-park friends is finding them. This isn’t always an easy task, and knowing your options ahead of time definitely helps. For this reason, we’ve compiled a list of all the characters that are available for meet-and-greets outside of the parks. Use this list to find your favorites and have an awesome time even without a park ticket.
1. Cinderella and Prince Charming
Where to go: 1900 Park Fare and Grand Floridian Lobby
Cinderella and her handsome prince can actually be found in two different locations, both within the Grand Floridian Resort.
The first option is to make a dinner reservation at 1900 Park Fare. This is a buffet-style eatery with plenty of options for everyone to enjoy. The setting is quite lovely, and the character interactions are just perfect.
Another option is to catch Cinderella and Prince Charming during the Princess Promenade at 3:30pm any day except Tuesday. During this event, the royal couple makes a grand entrance down the beautiful Grand Floridian lobby staircase, where they proceed to perform a romantic dance to live music. Children are welcome to join in, and the whole event is quite magical.
2. Drizella, Anastasia, and Lady Tremaine
Where to go: 1900 Park Fare
Also available for meet-and-greets during dinner time at 1900 Park Fare, this dreadful duo is highly entertaining, making dinner a silly experience you won’t soon forget. These Disney villains are the perfect way to squeeze in your villain fix without ever entering a park—a pretty neat thing, considering how rare villains actually are in Disney World.
