Character Palooza is a secret meet and greet at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that occurs daily based upon Fantasmic! schedules for the day. It seems like a random occurrence to most guests, but actually follows a set schedule.
You can often find rare Disney characters like Mulan, Brer Fox, Dopey or Robin Hood at this meet that you might not find anywhere else!
Cast Members are taught to ignore or brush off any questions concerning this offering in order to keep crowds at a minimum.
How long does each Character Palooza set last?
Each set typically lasts from 15-20 minutes, but characters aren’t guaranteed to stay out any certain length and the cast varies from day to day. They typically close the gates within 10 minutes or less based on the crowds, so be there early!
What happens when it rains?
If it rains during a time that a set is scheduled to take place, the meet will be canceled.
Do the characters sign autographs?
If they are capable of signing autographs, they will sign for you.
Do they have Photopass/Memory Maker Photographers
No, but there are a number of Cast Members who are willing to use your camera or phone for you, so have your own device ready!
Where can I find Character Palooza?
You’ll find the location, exact details and map on Character Locator.
Where can I find the actual schedule?
The weekly schedule for Character Palooza is only found on Character Locator. Subscribe to see all the details, but keep the secret, so it doesn’t become a mad house! Please don’t post the info on blogs or web forums to keep the crowds down!
What characters should I hope to meet?
Here’s some of the characters that we’ve met over the years (which characters appear on a given day will always be a surprise, there’s no way of knowing what characters will appear in advance.) If there are multiple appearances scheduled in a single day, you may see the same characters at each appearance.
- Aladdin
- Baloo
- Belle
- Bert
- Brer Fox
- Chip n Dale
- Dopey
- Donald Duck – Sailor
- Genie
- Gepetto
- Goofy
- Jasmine
- Mary Poppins
- Meeko
- Minnie Mouse
- Mulan
- Mushu
- Penguins
- Pinocchio
- Pluto
- Pocahontas
- Queen Grimhilde (Snow Queen / Evil Queen)
- Rafiki
- Robin Hood
- Snow White
- Stitch
- Tiana
- Timon
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I am trying to find Pinochio at Hollywood Studios in April but did not see his name listed. Can you help? Thanks
Character Palooza schedule is always listed on http://www.characterlocator.com Characters who appear each day are not guaranteed.
Hey Kenny, is this still happening in 2020?
Yes. Still listed on http://www.characterlocator.com
Hi Kenny, I’m new here! How do I find your schedule for Character Palooza?
Thank yo in advance.
It’s on http://www.characterlocator.com as the post mentions.
Do they still do character palooza? We did it a couple of years ago based on your recommendation and it was absolutely amazing!
It’s still available
Is there a character palooza available in Disneyland or California adventures. And if so where. Thanks
No. But characters do pop up in Fantasyland
Will this continue into 2019? I’m booking for May 2019 right now
OK, thank you.
OK, now I’m confused. The article said “which characters appear on a given day will always be a surprise, there’s no way of knowing what characters will appear in advance.” I understand your app is dedicated to more than just Character Palooza, but my question is about that event. Can you please clarify?
You won’t know who is out on a given day until you see them?
Making sure I understand the subscription right…If I subscribe, Character Locator would give me time and location of Character Palooza on the day we’re at Hollywood Studios, but would not have info on which characters would be there?
That’s not correct. It is a full planning tool. You get access to everything
When during the summer is Star Lord ending at HS?
Has Moana ever been spotted at CharacterPalooza?
No
It would be my daughters ultimate dream to meet Chicken Little!! I guess he is a rare sighting??
He had only appeared for special events
I am so grateful for this information! When we were there last year we were able to meet Aladdin, Jasmine, AND the Genie. They were so much fun! Genie tried to make our stroller fly but accidentally tipped the whole thing over (the kids were not in it.) His reaction was amazing! Lol. My daughter also got to visit with Tiana (her favorite princess). Mary Poppins and Bert were there as well but we didn’t have time to meet them.
We used the Character Locator last August and it was absolutely wonderful! Our toddler boys knew everyone. Even the Evil Queen! It was especially a treat to see them before watching Fantasmic and seeing all of the Characters come out. Our boys were squealing “We just SAW them!”. It was an added special sprinkle of pixie dust to our evening. Thank You, Kenny. We can’t wait to use it again next month!
Is the Character Palooza ongoing for 2018?
Schedule and full information is on http://www.characterlocator.com as mentioned in this post. Use the Chat Room there as well.
thank you for everything you do! Will plan to try to catch them and update you if we do! :)
Do Paloozas run right through the Holiday weeks (Dec 24-Jan1) or do they put them on hold?
I’ve seen it both ways. Sometimes it has occurred and others not.
Grace, did you find the character pallooza through Kennys character locator?
It is located at the top of the Hollywood Studios listing.
Is the character palooza schedule available each week. I will be in town September 26 through October 02 and would love to catch a few of them. I am trying to find out before subscribing to locator thank you !
Yes, it is updated weekly
We went the other day…. it was amazing!! My sister was so skeptical;. she kept saying that it wasn’t going to happen or that we were in the wrong place…. but then all of a sudden, there were 8 characters…. my husband was ecstatic!! My daughter flipped that Mary Poppins was there, she was jumping up and down, screaming, “A SPOON FULL OF SUGAR HELPS THE MEDICINE GO DOWN!!” so Mary took her hand and led her to her designated spot and they chatted for a few minutes. My sister nearly collapsed when she saw her favorite princess, Mulan. Pinnochio, Pocahontas, Minnie, the Queen, Jasmine & Aladdin were also there. It was an awesome experience!!!
what exactly is character palooza? Were going in february and would love this!
Special character meets as defined in this post. If you want to view locations and times, you’ll need to subscribe to http://www.characterlocator.com
If I wait until check-in on December 9th, are my chances good that I will still be able to buy tickets for MVMCP for the 10th, or do the early dates typically sell out as well? Asking because we will be receiving Disney gift cards at check-in as we are staying at CBR and booked that promotion, as well as free dining, so we won’t need the gift cards for dining either.
Character questions are handled in the Chat Room of Character Locator. Subscribe, if you wish to have the answers you seek frequently.
Is CharacterLocator still operational and accurate?
Yes, of course!