Character Cavalcades: What to Expect

There have been a lot of changes at the Disney Parks since its much anticipated reopening. One of the biggest changes besides mandatory face masks and ride cars being cleaned frequently are the character meet-and-greets. Now called Character Cavalcades, guests will be able to see various characters cruising throughout each theme park. If you are questioning what these new ‘character cavalcades’ entail, here is a guide as to how you can still meet some of your favorite characters at a distance

Throughout each park, characters like Mickey Mouse, Anna and Elsa, and Doc McStuffins will ride in various parade floats, or will just walk. Guests are encouraged to walk by these cavalcades in order to prevent large crowds from gathering. You can wave at the characters as they pass by, or you can even walk their whole route with them.

Here is an example of what the Animal Kingdom Cavalcades look like, which take place in the main body of water next to the Tree of Life.

The idea is for guests to still participate in the magic of interacting with characters, but with attention to both the performer’s and guest’s health and safety. These cavalcades take place all day, so there’s no need to worry about missing your favorite character pass by!

So here’s some tips for you:

1. If you hear very loud music (more loud than the usual ambiance) then that means a cavalcade is coming.
2. Keep walking to ensure that crowds do not begin to form around you. It may take a second for the parade to get to you depending on where you are, but it is totally worth it.
3. If there are characters that your children want to take pictures with, make sure to have your camera ready. The floats will not stop and your window will be small in order to get the perfect picture. This is more applicable to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios cavalcades considering that Animal Kingdom’s takes place in water.
4. When they do pass, make sure to wave and smile through that face mask!

Meeting characters may look different, but the magic is not completely gone at the Happiest Place on Earth.