By Dopey Diva
One of the best character surprises is often referred to as Character Palooza, or the Fantasmic! meet. This is a tip I have actually debated writing about because some times it is kind of nice when not everyone knows about all of the special, unpublished events there are at Disney World but I have decided to share my secret with our wonderful readers! Character Palooza is a fabulous place where you are able to meet characters who appear in the Fantasmic show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Because it is an unpublished meet, there is usually a short wait for some great and often rare characters.
The first time I actually was able to find Character Palooza was in July of 2014 when the characters appeared on the Streets of America. This particular time the only characters who came out for a meet and greet were Rafiki, Jafar, and Pocahontas and Meeko. The lines got long very fast so my husband and I were only able to meet Jafar and Rafiki before the characters left the area. When we returned in January of 2015 we were anxiously waiting around Streets of America in hopes of meeting more characters. When none showed up, my brother-in-law did a Google search from his phone and found out Character Palooza had been switched to a new area. As far as I know, for the remainder of 2015 Character Palooza will now be at the Tower of Terror exit area, through the gates to the left when you come out of the gift shop. I happened to be sitting at the bench right beside the gate with a fellow Diva and my youngest son when the gates opened. Luckily there was no crowd whatsoever waiting to enter the gates so we were able to walk in and meet every character who showed up on that particular day. We were very excited when we saw not just 2 or 3 characters but 10! Pocahontas was with Meeko, Genie was with Jasmine and Chip and Dale were together. The individual characters there were Pinocchio, Tiana, The Evil Queen, and Rafiki. You are able to get in line for whatever character you really want to see. I like to get in line to the characters we don’t normally get to meet and then if there is time left we will meet the rest of the characters. There is not a Photo Pass photographer at these meet and greets but there are Cast Members who will gladly take a picture with your camera or phone.
The characters make a few appearances a day and their times all vary depending on what time Fantasmic is that evening. Each set typically lasts from 15-20 minutes, but characters aren’t guaranteed to stay out any certain length and the cast varies from day-to-day. Since this meet takes place out doors it can be canceled with the threat of inclement weather. Remember this is an unpublished event so you will not find this on your times guide. The best way to find out what time the characters will make an appearance on the day you are there is to search from your computer or smart device. Also, it’s all right if you don’t want to share this information…it can be our little secret!
Quick question. When they characters do appear, do they show up on the disney experience app?
Hey John,
They have recently changed Character Palooza (as in, just last month.) They used to have set times twice a day in a specific location. I think they started to get a lot busier with people waiting to meet the characters, though, because now they no longer have set times or a set place. It’s more of a “If you happen to come across it you’re lucky” kind of thing now. I wish they hadn’t changed it, I was able to meet a couple of rare characters at Character Palooza last year. I’m holding out hope that they will go back to a scheduled time & place again. 🙂
Hello
Thanks for the info! Any idea if there will be any during Jan 2016? I am heading to WDW on 19 Jan for two weeks and would love to meet Robin Hood.
Thank you!
Hello! I have heard that with the popularity of Character Palooza they have been changing location and/or times a little more often. I personally use Kenny the Pirate to see if posts where or when it might be on specific days. I will be heading to Disney World in 3 weeks and am hoping to meet some new characters as well. Robin Hood is definitely one that is not often seen but you never know who might make an appearance!
Hi Laura! British Diva was just at Disney World a few days ago, and she said that she saw Robin Hood at a dance party at Hollywood Studios. Of course, there’s no guarantee on which characters will be out at or when, but you can always ask a cast member (especially one of the character handlers) and they can give you advice for your best bet on finding Robin Hood (or other characters). Good luck! ~Character Diva
Kenny the Pirate doesn’t tell you anymore…you have to pay for a yearly subscription to find out that info
Thanks for the update!