Salutations, Stephanie.
Welcome to planDisney! See that line where the sky meets
Walt Disney World Resort? It's calling you, and there's no better time to answer that call than now during
The World's Most Magical Celebration!
Is there any experience more magical than meeting your favorite Disney pals in person? I don't think so! In fact, many of my most cherished memories from the past 12 years of trips back "home" are unforgettable interactions with Disney characters. Goofy dancing with me, Baymax enveloping me in the biggest hug, my niece's face lighting up when she met Mickey Mouse for the first time, Peter Pan pretending to help my husband and I renew our wedding vows on our delayed honeymoon ... these are the moments that take up the most room in my heart.
Character Dining is a great way to meet some Disney pals while chowing down on delightfully delicious food.
Select locations are offering modified Character Dining experiences at this time, meaning you can see the characters from a safe distance. While Character Experiences have changed quite a bit in general and you can't get those warm hugs at the moment, meeting Disney characters is no less special or memorable. My niece still jumped for joy as she waved across the room at Fancy Nancy from our table at Hollywood & Vine in November!
Stephanie, the current Character Dining locations do not offer outdoor seating that I know of.
Chef Mickey's is technically indoors, but sits in the middle of the open-air main concourse at Disney's Contemporary Resort. This area of the building has two large openings where the monorail passes through (and fresh air along with it), so it may be a bit more ventilated than a completely enclosed indoor space.
With the return of the
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade in March and new additions like the
Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade, you'll have ample opportunities to meet your favorite Disney pals on your trip. You can easily find more
Character Experiences near you through your
My Disney Experience App. On the interactive map, select "Characters" from the drop-down menu at the top-middle of the map. This will bring up a list of available Character Experiences for the day, which you can filter by theme park to narrow it down. There are many indoor Character Experiences available, like
Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater. However, there are also outdoor Character Experiences where you would be able to snap a photo without wearing your mask since face coverings are only required at all indoor locations currently. Keep in mind the face covering policy is subject to change at any time, so be sure to check the
Know Before You Go page closer to your trip for more information.
Stephanie, I know you will make many core memories to last a lifetime on your own vacation to The Most Magical Place on Earth. I hope this information helps, but please stop back by planDisney if you have further questions.
Happy planning,
Alyssa