Meeting the Characters at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

You can see an array of wild animals at Disney's Animal Kingdom from the wild animals of Africa on Kilimanjaro Safaris to the tigers and giant bats on the Maharajah Jungle Trek. But the Animal Kingdom is also home to a cast of Disney characters including Mickey, Minnie, Baloo, Donald Duck, and more.

Meeting characters at Disney's Animal KingdomMeeting characters at Disney's Animal Kingdom

One of the best places to meet some of your favorite characters is at Tusker House. This buffet style restaurant serves up a great meal at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and you'll get a chance to meet Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, even Daisy Duck.

As with other character meals at the theme parks, the characters will stop at each table for photos and autographs. Advance Dining Reservations are recommended for Tusker House.

If you're looking to meet King Louie or Baloo from The Jungle Book you'll find them holding court at Upcountry Landing in the Asia area of the Animal Kingdom. This meet-and-greet area is near the Yak and Yeti restaurant and Mr. Kamal's quick service spot.

Say 'hi' to King Louie and Baloo!Say 'hi' to King Louie and Baloo!

If you don't get a chance to meet Mickey Mouse at Tusker House you can always stop by the Adventurer's Outpost to see Mickey and Minnie as they're preparing for their next adventure. The Adventurer's Outpost is located just past the Flame Tree Barbecue on Discovery Island. The indoor retreat is a great place to beat the heat and get a photo with our favorite mouse couple.

When visiting Dinoland U.S.A. make sure to look for Goofy, Pluto, and Donald. Pluto and Goofy are usually found outside Chester & Hester's Dinosaur Treasures in front of a giant Dinoland, U.S.A. postcard. Meanwhile you'll find Donald Duck at Cretaceous Trail, waiting for a photo opp.

We love Mickey Mouse!We love Mickey Mouse!

Fans of Up can meet explorer Russell and his trusty canine friend Dug at Discovery Island at their Wilderness Explorer's Clubhouse. You might also find Daisy Duck at Discovery Island.

And if you're visiting Rafiki's Planet Watch it's a good bet that you'll run into Rafiki himself, and he's always ready for a photo with fans. Chip 'n' Dale can also be found at Rafiki's Planet Watch.

Everyone's favorite duck!Everyone's favorite duck!

A word about character meet-and-greets and FastPass+ reservations: While some character meet-and-greets, like Mickey and Minnie at Adventurer's Outpost, do have a FastPass+ we don't normally recommend using one of your three initial reservations for a character meet-and-greet unless it's a hard to get opportunity like Anna and Elsa in the Magic Kingdom.

We recommend using the FastPasss+ selections for popular attractions and then maybe using one of the extra allotments that day for a must-do meet-and-greet. But that's just our opinion.

Another fun "character" to look for while you're visiting the Animal Kingdom is DiVine, the popular and elusive street performer that has been at the Animal Kingdom for many years. There's no way to ensure that you'll see her but keep your eyes open as you walk from Africa to Asia, you might spot her as she suddenly appears from the foliage. It's a sight to behold!

What's your favorite character meet-and-greet at Disney's Animal Kingdom? Leave us a comment and let us know.

ThatMouse wrote on Mon, 07/06/2015 - 18:39:

There are other characters there like Pocahontas behind the tree of life. Being an adult, it's too bad they aren't running around more where I can snap a photo without feeling like a voyeur.

Kristen K. wrote on Wed, 07/08/2015 - 00:49:

Kristen K.'s picture

Never feel bad about getting a snapshot with or of the characters, they are there for everyone's enjoyment!

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