Characters at Epcot

Update: the characters don’t necessarily do a full loop around World Showcase each time. There are different places where they will stop and the start again. It should eventually be a full loop, but it isn’t each time that they are out. 

A couple of days ago I gave you the rundown on characters at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Since people seemed to enjoy that, I thought that I’d do the same thing for Epcot. I know that it was announced that Disney changed the spelling to EPCOT, but they still have it the old way on the Walt Disney World website, and it’s easier to type. But I digress.

As far as I’ve seen, there are two places to see characters at Epcot. The first is the Character Cavalcades. These run around World Showcase. I’ve seen three different cavalcades. Mickey and Minnie are the first one. (They’re in all four parks.) Pluto and Goofy lead the way for them. The second is Elsa walking, followed by Anna riding in a carriage. The third is the Princess Promenade. Belle and Jasmine are on the left side, and Aurora and Snow White are on the right side. They’re in a horse-drawn carriage, and each sits alone in a row, with a barrier between each row.

There are good spots to watch the Character Cavalcades all along World Showcase. You’ll be able to take great pictures the whole route. In some areas Disney has put markers on the ground so that groups don’t stand too close. Find a spot where you like the background, and wait there. Or just have your phone ready, and take some pictures when you happen to spot them. The cavalcades run several times throughout the day.

The other character encounter is the most brilliant and precious thing that I’ve seen since Walt Disney World reopened. Winnie the Pooh and Joy alternate in a grassy area. There is a lot of great interaction with the characters, without getting too close.  One time when I was there I watched Joy play with a group of children for at least five minutes. You don’t get that amount of interaction in a regular meet and greet!

The spot where you can find either Pooh or Joy isn’t obvious, you need to know where to look. Head towards Journey Into Imagination With Figment. When you get near the building, look at the grassy area to the far right. If you aren’t sure where to go, ask a Cast Member. That’s what I did the first time, and  I ended up having such a nice conversation with her that I left her a compliment! If you aren’t looking for personal interaction with either character, there is a good view of the field near a couple of kiosks that are currently closed. I’ve added a picture of Joy from that viewpoint. Notice in the picture where the Journey Into Imagination building is.

So far, I’ve heard mostly good feedback about Character Cavalcades. The only park that I haven’t really been able to enjoy them in is Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That park is next to impossible to get a Disney Park Pass reservation for if you’re an Annual Passholder. When we were there, it rained on our parade…or at least rained on plans to watch the cavalcades in the afternoon. Here’s hoping that I’ll be able to get back to my favorite park soon. If not, I guess I’ll just have to keep going back to Epcot to watch Winnie the Pooh. I’m willing to make that sacrifice…