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Walt Disney World has no shortage of entertainment options. From regular character meet and greets to live performances, there are tons of ways you can fill a day at Walt Disney World without going on a single ride.

However, even though you may be a master of the times guide, did you know that there are several, unpublished entertainment offerings that happen throughout the day that are not made public on purpose? These “secret” events aren’t always scheduled, but if you find yourself at the right place at the right time, you can take part in some truly memorable events that are so far off the beaten path, some Cast Members might not know about them! 

1. Character Palooza at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Image: Joel, Flickr (license)

Character Palooza is a character meet and greet experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that occurs on most days when the park has performances of Fantasmic between the hours of 4 PM and 7 PM. During this unpublished secret event, between 5 and 10 random characters will randomly appear to take photos, sign autographs and converse with guests for about 20 minutes before disappearing. 

Because Character Palooza features characters that appear in the Fantasmic finale, it is a great way to meet rare characters like Brer Fox, the Genie, Mushu, Meeko and more. Though this event is really amazing, one drawback is the location for Character Palooza is always changing. Past locations include the Streets of America, Echo Lake, and the gates near Tower of Terror, and there's no telling where Character Palooza will happen on a given day. And if you’re hoping to get some inside info from a cast member on where this event is taking place, don’t get your hopes up, as most Cast Members won’t divulge any information about this event.

In fact, Disney doesn’t even deploy PhotoPass photographers prior to Character Palooza in an effort to avoid tipping off eagle-eyed guests on the lookout for this secret event’s location. Though there’s some element of luck involved in catching Character Palooza, for those who are committed (and don’t mind jogging around the park for three hours) this is a unique and rewarding event to experience.

2. Magic Cookie Hour at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Image: Disney 

Though there are a quite a few freebees at Walt Disney World, this unpublished event is one of the least-known around the resort.  Every Saturday from 2-3PM, guests can head over to the Roaring Forks restaurant at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge to take part in Magic Cookie Hour. During this special event, guests will be able to grab a freshly-baked sugar cookie and decorate it with up to three colors of icing and all the sprinkles anyone could want. 

Though this event only happens at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, you don’t need to be a guest of this resort (or staying anywhere else on property) to take part in this fun, weekly event. 

 
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Comments

I was at Disney world a few weeks ago. In Hollywood studios, I had lost track of the rest of my party, only to turn around and see Tigger hopping along! He bounced right up to me, patted me on the head, I said hello and he kept on bouncing!
It really made my day.
I would love to see more characters like that, scheduling time to see them and waiting in line is too hard. We usually save up to do character dining instead.

I recently saw a Meet and Greet with Peter Pan and Wendy outside the Contemporary, on the boat dock side. This was after Magic Kingdom had closed. I have never seen characters outside the parks before, and I still don't know what that was about.

In reply to by Katelyn (not verified)

Hi, Katelyn! What you probably saw was the meet and greet that happens at the conclusion of the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Cruise that is anchored (no pun intended) at The Contemporary

On our first trip to Disney World in August 2014, my toddler daughter looked tirelessly for Snow White and the Evil Queen. We really didn't know where to look and were sadly disappointed. We returned August 2016. Within the first 5 minutes of arriving at Magic Kingdom, Snow White approached my daughter (age 4), reached out her hand and asked if she would like to go for a walk around the kingdom. My heart melted as my little girl's dreams literally came true.

I'm Sure some of the characters would love to roam but for their safety they tend to be stationed at a particular spot. Some people have been rude, going so far as to actually accost a character. When my friend's daughter was a character at SeaWorld, a group of young men literally beat her up! Craziness!

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