Seeing a Disney character in Disney World is a BELOVED pastime, right up there with eating Mickey Pretzels and riding the PeopleMover!
Make no mistake, there are LOTS of classic characters we NEVER get tired of spotting (and HUGGING!) in Disney World, but we also get excited about spotting a RARE character!
From Mickey and Minnie to Pluto, Belle, and Snow White, there are soooo many iconic Disney characters who make regular appearances in the parks! And we’re basically their groupies, so we love to see ‘em!
Beyond these familiar faces, though, there are soooo many characters that are much more rare! Whether they only make periodic appearances in certain areas or pop up at exclusive after-hours events, it’s always exciting to spot one of these special characters!
Max Goof
Goofy is one of the most prolific characters in Disney World, making appearances in resorts, restaurants, parades, and special parties! He’s QUITE the showman!
His son, however, is a different story. We have occasionally seen him make the rounds in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, though!
It’s not quite Lake Destiny, but Max has gone fishin’ with his dad at Echo Lake, and they’ve both been known to make surprising appearances towards the end of the queue at Tower of Terror! And sometimes Max will make surprise appearances towards the back of EPCOT!Â
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Jafar
Disney villains are always fun to see in Disney World! That’s why Disney’s special villain-themed events are always a hoot!
Jafar certainly ranks up there as one of our fav baddies. While Aladdin and Jasmine are fixtures, the evil sorcerer is typically confined to the Halloween season, when he’s been known to partake in parades and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
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Genie
For as beloved and iconic as he is, you’d think Genie would be a little more recurring in Disney World! But alas, he’s another rare character you don’t see too often!
However, he’ll sometimes show up in a parade or two, and at certain after-hours holiday parties, but we’ve also seen him by The Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Magic Kingdom (no surprise there).
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Jack and Sally
Another Halloween-season fav is the dynamic duo from The Nightmare Before Christmas!
Not only can you eat Jack Skellington-themed treats and load up on merch, but both Jack and Sally are staples at the special after-hours Halloween parties and parades!
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Rabbit
The social butterflies of the Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger are frequently making the rounds in Disney World! But then there are the shyer characters who you don’t see too often…
…among the rarest from the Winnie the Pooh-verse is Rabbit, who occasionally pops up around Easter in the holiday parade, or along Main Street, U.S.A..Â
In RARE instances (when character dining is available), he might even show up at The Crystal Palace, presumably to get some salad.
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Remy
Now that Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure has been open for several months, maybe we’ll see more appearances at some point in the future, but as it stands right now, Remy is still a rare sight in the parks!
Remy and his adorably hapless brother Emile, DO show up in Disney World, but currently only for special (and hard-to-predict) events, so keep your eyes peeled for some of the cutest rodents in town!
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Mushu
Here’s the bad news: Mulan’s hilarious dragon sidekick, Mushu, shows up VERY infrequently in Disney World.
The good news, though? When he DOES, you can pretty much bet EXACTLY where he’ll be: the China Pavilion in EPCOT.
So the next time you’re on the lookout for Mulan in EPCOT, you may luck out and spot Mushu while you’re at it!
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Brother Bear
Of all the unique Disney characters we’ve seen on Animal Kingdom’s flotillas, the stars of Brother Bear REALLY take the cake!
This underrated Disney movie doesn’t get a lot of attention in the parks, which is why we were SHOCKED (in a great way!) to see Koda and Kenai float by!
Even more recently, we spotted the duo in the Tree of Life Garden in Animal Kingdom! Granted, it doesn’t happen often at all, which is what makes rare sightings like this such a delight!
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Gypsy
Perhaps the rarest (and honestly, most random) character sighting in recent memory ALSO took place at the Tree of Life Garden!
Imagine our surprise when we spotted Gypsy, the fabulous moth from A Bug’s Life, modeling her stylin’ wings. We got to see Gypsy on Earth Day, which is also the anniversary of the opening of Animal Kingdom. Those “special days” are also great for spotting rare Disney characters!Â
Whether floating along the river, popping up on restaurant balconies, or in random line queues, there’s no shortage of rare Disney character sightings in Disney World! So keep your eyes peeled at ALL times, because it’s ALWAYS exciting to see an un-familiar face!
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What is the rarest character you’ve ever seen in Disney World? Let us know in the comments!
We’ve seen a LOT of rare characters in the last 30 years, but the RAREST we’ve ever seen was Rocky Gibraltar from Toy Story in 1997!