HOW and WHERE to Find RARE Characters in Disney World

While there are plenty of characters you can expect to meet on a daily basis in Disney World, there are some RARE characters that only come out a few times a year!

Town Square Meet and Greet with Mickey Mouse

These characters often come out as part of special events or holidays, although sometimes it is possible to stumble onto some magic meet-and-greets. If you want to meet a rare Disney character, you might want to plan your Disney World trip on very specific dates – and here’s what you need to know!

Holiday Characters

Valentine’s Day

If you want to see Disney Princes and Princesses together, at the same time, Valentine’s Day is one of the best dates to visit! The holiday is not a guarantee, but it has historically meant that princes and princesses make more appearances together. You can also see some couples during the Festival of Fantasy Parade in Magic Kingdom, which is currently performed on most days.

You can occasionally catch royal Disney couples together at other times around Disney World but it can be rare and random, which makes it difficult to plan for. We’ve seen Jasmine join Aladdin at his usual meet-and-greet spot in Magic Kingdom, but the My Disney Experience app didn’t show the addition of Jasmine. It never hurts to check out a character spot just to see who might be there!

Here was our experience meeting Jasmine and Aladdin!

Easter

Easter is a great time to see some of the rarest Disney characters — like the Easter Bunny and Mrs. Bunny in Magic Kingdom! You can usually spot them in a variety of locations only during Easter weekend.

Also, the Easter Parade is held only on Easter weekend, and you can see even more rare characters during those performances — like the dancing hippos from Fantasia.

If you dream of seeing the Easter Bunny in Disney World, Easter weekend would be the best time for you to visit!

Check out the characters we saw at the last Easter Parade here!

Halloween

Want to see some Disney Villains? We recommend visiting during the Halloween season, and specifically to get tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Magic Kingdom. At this after-hours event, you get to see (and meet!) so many rare characters, such as Madame Renatta at the Haunted Mansion.

During the last party, we also saw Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Stitch dressed as Elvis, Jafar, and the Genie. Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas are also a popular couple you can meet during the event.

And during the party, the Boo To You Parade lets you see so many rare Disney characters — including villains, Constance Hatchaway (the Bride) from the Haunted Mansion, Bowler Hat Guy from Meet the Robinsons, and more. The Headless Horseman even kicks off the parade on most nights!

Oogie Boogie, the Queen of Hearts, Bowler Hat Guy, and Dr. Facilier

You might not be able to actually meet some of these characters, but just catching a glimpse of them in the parks can be super fun too — especially when they so rarely come out!

Check out ALL the entertainment at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party here!

Christmas

The holidays bring Santa to Disney World at a few locations. Last year, you could meet Santa at Disney Springs at Once Upon a Toy, in the American Adventure Pavilion in EPCOT, or during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party after-hours event in Magic Kingdom.

Santa in the American Adventure Pavilion in EPCOT

You could also wave to him in the Santa Claus Merry Motorcade in Hollywood Studios, on the Flotillas in Animal Kingdom, as well as during Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

You don’t HAVE to buy a party ticket to meet Santa (in fact it’s totally FREE in Disney Springs!), but you get the most chances to see him at the Magic Kingdom event. We’ll be watching for more announcements from Disney about Santa in 2022!

Click here to see all the Santa meet-and-greets in Disney World in 2021!

Special Events

Earth Day

Disney World occasionally celebrates special events in addition to holidays, like Earth Day in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Along with special food and offerings, we’ve also seen some very rare characters!

Earlier this year, we got to meet Gypsy from A Bug’s Life, Kenai and Koda from Brother Bear, and we also saw the Hyenas from The Lion King on a flotilla. These characters were only around for one day, so they were a really rare experience for us!

Check out what we experienced on Earth Day in Animal Kingdom!

Disney+ Day

Disney+ Day was a new event celebrated mostly in Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2021, and several rare characters appeared throughout the day! This event was meant to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the launch of Disney+, and we got to see characters like Russell, Dug, and Mr. Fredrickson from Up, Moana, and even Tiana in her jazz outfit.

In 2022, Disney+ day will be celebrated on September 8th, and we’re hoping to catch more rare characters that day! Stay tuned for our coverage and mark your calendar if you can make it to Hollywood Studios!

Here are the BIGGEST announcements about Disney+ Day so far!

Keep Your Eyes Peeled!

You never really know who you will see in Disney World and it’s a good idea to keep your eyes peeled for random characters to appear in these areas!

International Gateway at EPCOT

Random characters can show up around the International Gateway of EPCOT (aka the back entrance), and rare characters we’ve seen in the past have included the Evil Queen, Launchpad McQuack, Pinocchio, and recently, Prince Naveen.

Most of the time these characters appear across from the World Traveler store, and sometimes they’re not available for meet-and-greets — but they’re still really fun to see! Don’t forget to check over there during your trip, just in case.

Check out our experience meeting Prince Naveen over there!

World Showcase

If you’re not sure where to go in EPCOT, you can also try strolling through the World Showcase to find characters who appear near the country where their movie is set. Recently, we saw Li Shang appear alongside Mulan in the China Pavilion! On their own, they’re not SUPER rare, but seeing them together is definitely a special treat.

There are characters that typically appear on a regular basis in their country, but sometimes rare characters also make an appearance. You can also try checking the American Adventure Pavilion for surprise character visits, which do happen occasionally.

Check out our experience meeting Mulan and Li Shang here!

Crystal Palace and Parades

Sometimes the ultra-rare Rabbit from the Hundred Acre Wood can appear in a few spots in Disney World, typically appearing at the Crystal Palace during character dining meals or during shows, like parades.

It’s a great day for Disney character interactions!

You can try making a Crystal Palace reservation and crossing your fingers, but truthfully Rabbit is just rare in Disney World! If you hope to see him, you might get a chance during a holiday party or just completely randomly.

Find out which characters are rarest to spot in Disney World!

What if I can’t find my favorite character?

If you find yourself unable to find your favorite characters during your visit, we recommend checking the My Disney Experience app for a list of (most of) the available characters that day. Just select “characters” at the top and tap on the Mickeys to see who’s meeting people!

If you find, however, that your favorite character isn’t around, or a Disney Princess is missing from Fairytale Hall in Magic Kingdom, don’t despair! Places like Fairytale Hall can feature different princesses often, so if you have your heart set on one specific princess, you might want to stop by Magic Kingdom more than once to see who’s there that day.

Some characters only appear in certain locations at specific times, so we also recommend checking the app first thing in the morning when you arrive at the park. You don’t want to miss your favorite character — especially if they’re one of the fun pairs like Anastasia and Drizella in Magic Kingdom!

Also, check the other parks! Different characters appear in different parks, and you may find that princess you’re looking for somewhere else. For example, you can typically find Jasmine in Morocco, Mulan in China, Aurora near France, and more.

Every day is different in Disney World and the best way to prepare for your trip is to get familiar with the My Disney Experience app and remember that you probably won’t get to do everything you want — but you CAN plan your trip for a special event or stop by some of the spots we’ve mentioned for a better chance of seeing those rare characters!