The ABCs of Disney Character Hunting

The Examiner takes a look at finding your favorite characters at Walt Disney World A through Z.  How do you find your favorite characters, and do you have a tricks or tips?

"One of the most magical things to do at the Walt Disney World Resorts and Theme Parks is to go hunting for your favorite Disney character and get that autograph book filled.  Almost everyone who visit’s the Disney theme parks has a blast seeking out their favorite character.  Let’s be honest.  With a show of hands, how many of you have taken a selfie with Mickey Mouse or posed in a princess costume with Cinderella?  Yeah, I raised my hand too.

Some of the Disney characters only make rare appearances, coming out to visit with guests during peak seasons and special events.  Here is a list of Disney Characters in alphabetical order that can be found at the theme parks:
A

• Aladdin - Magic Kingdom: Magic Carpets of Aladdin; Epcot: Morocco
• Alice - Magic Kingdom: The Mad Tea Party; Epcot: United Kingdom; Epcot: The American Adventure
• Anastasia - Magic Kingdom: Behind Cinderella’s Castle
• Anna - Magic Kingdom: Princess Fairytale Hall
• Ariel - Magic Kingdom: Ariel’s Grotto; Epcot: Restaurant Akeshu (character dining only)
• Aurora - Magic Kingdom: Princess Fairytale Hall; Epcot: France, Restaurant Akeshu (character dining only)

B

• Baloo - Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Upcountry Landing
• Beast - Epcot: France
• Belle: Magic Kingdom - Cinderella’s Royal Table (character dining only), Enchanted Tales with Belle; Epcot: France, Restaurant Akeshu (character dining only)
• Buzz Lightyear: Magic Kingdom - Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin/Carousel of Progress; Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Friends Building

C

• Chip ‘n’ Dale - Magic Kingdom: Golden Horseshoe; Epcot: Near the Land Pavilion, Garden Grill (character dining only); Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Sorcerer’s Hat; Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Outside Rafiki’s Planet Watch
• Cinderella - Magic Kingdom: Cinderella’s Royal Table (character dining only), Princess Fairytale Hall
• Country Bears - Epcot: The American Adventure

D

• Daisy Duck - Magic Kingdom: Pete’s Silly Sideshow in Storybook Circus; Epcot: Legacy Fountain; Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Discovery Island Character Landing, Tusker House Restaurant (character dining only)
• Doc - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Hollywood and Vine (character dining only)
• Donald Duck - Magic Kingdom: Pete’s Silly Sideshow in Storybook Circus; Epcot: The American Adventure, Mexico; Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Sorcerer’s Hat; Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Cretaceous Trail, Tusker House Restaurant (character dining only)
• Drizella - Magic Kingdom: Behind Cinderella’s Castle
• Dug - Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Tough to be a Bug

E

• Eeyore - Magic Kingdom: Crystal Palace (character dining only); Epcot: United Kingdom
• Elsa - Magic Kingdom: Princess Fairytale Hall

F

• Fairy Godmother - Magic Kingdom: Cinderella’s Fountain
• Ferb - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Exit to MuppetVision
• Frozone - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Magic of Disney Animation

G

• Gaston - Magic Kingdom: Gaston’s Tavern
• Genie - Epcot: Morocco
• Goofy - Magic Kingdom: Pete’s Silly Sideshow in Storybook Circus; Epcot: The American Adventure, Legacy Fountain; Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Sorcerer’s Hat; Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Chester and Hester’s Dinorama, Tusker House Restaurant (character dining only)
• Green Army Men - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Friends Building

H

• Handy Manny - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Hollywood and Vine (character dining only)

J

• Jasmine - Magic Kingdom: Cinderella’s Royal Table (character dining only), Princess Fairytale Hall, Magic Carpets of Aladdin; Epcot: Morocco, Restaurant Akeshu (character dining only)
• Jake - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Hollywood and Vine (character dining only), Disney Junior LIVE
• Jessie - Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain

L

• Lady Tremaine - Magic Kingdom: Behind Cinderella’s Castle
• Lightning McQueen - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Luigi’s Garage
• Louis - Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Upcountry Landing

M

• Mad Hatter - Epcot: The American Adventure
• Marie - Magic Kingdom: Area by City Hall
• Mary Poppins - Magic Kingdom: Near Le Chapeau; Epcot: United Kingdom
• Mater - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Luigi’s Garage
• Merida - Magic Kingdom: Fairytale Garden
• Mickey Mouse - Magic Kingdom: Town Square Theater; Epcot: The American Adventure, Garden Grill (character dining only), Future World Character Spot; Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Magic of Disney Animation; Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Adventurer’s Outpost, Tusker House Restaurant (character dining only)
• Mike - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Exit of Backlot Tour
• Minnie Mouse - Magic Kingdom: Area by City Hall, Pete’s Silly Sideshow in Storybook Circus; Epcot: The American Adventure, Future World Character Spot; Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Sorcerer’s Hat, Magic of Disney Animation; Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Adventurer’s Outpost
• Mr. Incredible - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Magic of Disney Animation
• Mulan - Magic Kingdom: Princess Fairytale Hall; Epcot: China, Restaurant Akeshu (character dining only)

P

• Peter Pan - Magic Kingdom: Peter Pan’s Flight
• Piglet - Magic Kingdom: Crystal Palace (character dining only)
• Phineas - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Exit to MuppetVision
• Pluto - Magic Kingdom: Area by City Hall; Epcot: The American Adventure, Garden Grill (character dining only), Future World Character Spot; Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Sorcerer’s Hat; Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Chester and Hester’s Dinorama
• Pocahontas - Epcot: The American Adventure; Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Discovery Island Trails

R

• Rafiki - Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Inside Rafiki’s Planet Watch
• Ralph - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Magic of Disney Animation
• Rapunzel - Magic Kingdom: Princess Fairytale Hall
• Russel - Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Tough to be a Bug

S

• Snow White - Magic Kingdom: Town Square Theater Porch, Cinderella’s Royal Table (character dining only); Epcot: Germany
• Sofia the First - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Hollywood and Vine (character dining only); Disney Junior LIVE
• Stitch - Magic Kingdom: Throughout Tomorrowland; Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Sorcerer’s Hat
• Sulley - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Exit of Backlot Tour

T

• Tiana - Magic Kingdom: Princess Fairytale Hall, The Glade
• Tigger - Magic Kingdom: Crystal Palace (character dining only), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh; Epcot: United Kingdom
• Tinker Bell - Magic Kingdom: Town Square Theater

V

• Venellope - Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Magic of Disney Animation

W

• White Rabbit - Magic Kingdom: The Mad Tea Party
• Winnie the Pooh - Magic Kingdom: Crystal Palace (character dining only), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh; Epcot: United Kingdom
• Woody - Magic Kingdom: Splash Mountain; Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Friends Building

Hopefully this will help you find all of your favorite characters throughout the parks at Disney World.  Remember that character appearances are intermittent during the times listed on the park guide so check with guest relations at the park for more details about times and locations for character meet and greets.  Happy vacationing!"

Billy Crystal and John Goodman Meet Their Monsters

Visit the College Humor website to see what happens when John Goodman and Billy Crystal meet their monsters.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY - European Publicity Tour!

*Courtesy Disney Pixar

Visit the Disney Pixar facebook page to see pictures from the Monsters University  European Publicity Tour!

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY - Sketches to Scares: How a Scene First Comes to Life

*Courtesy Disney Pixar

"It’s a long road from storyboard to final frame!

Each scene from a Pixar film goes through a tried and true process of development to achieve just the right look, color script and lighting scheme. Take a look at the whole process below to get a sense of the steps that go into each stage of the animation process–what changes and what stays the same as a moment goes from a quick sketch in the Story Department to a final frame on the big screen. Then, we’ll break it down and take a look at each step in the animation process…




Story Department



Pixar Story artist Dean Kelly drew this storyboard to help artists pre-visualize the action of this particular moment in the film. Story artists created approximately 227,246 storyboards for Monsters University–more than any other Pixar film to date!

Art Department



Once the sequence of events is determined, it’s up to the Art department to determine the style and feel of the scene. Through concept art, artists like Shelly Wan explore lighting, textures, and the general mood of characters and locations.

Modeling



Next, technical directors create characters and environments in the computer with a process known as Modeling. In Modeling, technical directors will design the shapes, textures, colors, and material properties of characters and objects.

 Layout



In the layout stage of animation, a virtual camera is placed into a shot. The characters and set are then “staged” and arranged into positions for each camera angle.

Animation and Simulation



The Animation department now animates the primary and secondary characters and add textures and colors to garments and props. The scene is populated with hundreds of background characters, which are animated by the Crowds department. The Simulation department designs realistic movement for the characters’ hair and clothes through computer simulation so that they move naturally and believably with the characters’ actions.

Lighting/Final Frame



The last step of the animation process occurs when the Lighting department integrates all the elements into a final image. Lighting is achieved in the computer by placing light sources into the scene to light the characters and objects. Monsters University is the first Pixar film to use Global Illumination that allows for more complex and realistic lighting set-ups.

Learn more about Pixar’s story process."

*Thanks to Disney Insider!

Monsters University - First Morning

*Courtesy Disney Pixar

Having a monster for a roommate can make for a hairy situation.

Get a look at Mike and Sulley's first morning at the Oozma Kappa house.

Sulley

*Courtesy Disney Pixar

"He's like a mountain with fur!"

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY - Do You Have What It Takes to Make it to Monsters University? Find out your M.A.T. Score!

*Courtesy Disney Pixar

Visit the Monsters U website to find out your M.A.T. score and see if you have what it takes.

Newest Monsters University Trailer

*Courtesy Oh My Disney

Been living under a rock?

Here's the third and newest trailer for Disney Pixar's Monster University!

"I'm Gonna Wipe the Floor..."

*Courtesy Disney Pixar

"“I’m gonna wipe the floor with that little know-it-all.” - James P. Sullivan (Sulley)"

A Throwback to Mike and Sulley's Monsters U Days

*Courtesy Disney Pixar

DISNEY INFINITY: Toy Box Trailer

*Thanks Disney Every Day!