Hiya Lauren!
Welcome to planDisney, and thank you for sending us this magical question. Oh my goodness, Lauren, your magical vacation is coming oh so soon! Can you believe that in just over one week, you will be on your magic carpet ride on your way to the Walt Disney World Resort? That is truly the most magical feeling.
Let's talk about one of my favourite parts of any Disney trip: the character meet and greets! The good news is that characters are seen walking around the World Showcase every day of the week, so you will still be able to meet your favourite characters on the weekends. For example,
the gates to the Royal Sommerhus, where you can meet Anna and Elsa, are typically open from 9:45 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. EST (though times may vary). However, princesses like
Mulan and
Jasmine will instead have set times, so you will want to make sure to check those schedules. In those cases, I highly recommend that you find that character's friend wearing a blue shirt when you get to the meet-and-greet location. These Cast Members can tell you when the characters need to leave and when they will return to meet more friends, so you can change your plans accordingly!
Now, the best way to stay updated on the character meet and greets available and their location is to download the
My Disney Experience mobile app. Indeed, you can either search your favourite characters in the search bar or show all character meet and greets on the interactive map. Then, if you are unsure how to get there, you can even get directions through the mobile app! Since EPCOT truly has so many character meet and greets available, the mobile app is definitely a theme park essential, in my opinion.
I hope this was helpful, Lauren, and that you will have the best day ever on your upcoming holiday at the Walt Disney World Resort. If you have any other questions in the time leading up to your trip, please don't hesitate to reach back out! It is always an honour to help fellow international Guests like me!
Have a magical day,
Ariane