Back in the fall of 2012, Epcot Character Spot closed for a lengthy refurbishment, but we were never given a date when it would reopen. At one point, the re-opening was set for March, but March came and went and the original location remained closed. Finally, the original Epcot Character Spot location re-opened this week with some major changes:
The entrance has moved to where the exit was previously
The queue is now in the former exit hallway where some strange blue flowers have been added
Mickey, Pluto, and Minnie were greeting guests today, it looks like Minnie and Mickey will always be there while the middle character alternates
Pluto’s backdrop features the Astro Orbiter, Monorail, and Soarin’
The last backdrop appears to be a space station
We also have a video walkthrough of the new Epcot Character Spot for you:
So, after being closed since the fall, all that really happened to the Epcot Character Spot was a new queue with room for a FastPass+ line and an enclosed area for three meet and greets. The reason they enclosed the meet and greet was so that guests getting in the line would not be upset if the characters they met at the end of the line were not the same as the ones they saw when they got in the line (the characters do tend to switch out quite a bit). Also, there is a wall separating the standby and FastPass+ lines, just to avoid angering guests who get in the standby line once FastPass+ begins running and lengthens the standby time for this attraction that currently doesn’t offer FastPass.
So, what do you think of these changes to the Epcot Character Spot?
I think they should of at least opened it in March! This didn't need as much time as it had to fix the queue and enclose the three character meet and greet areas.
I don't like how they changed the Character Spot to only see three characters. This was the only place at Disney World where you could see the original 5 characters in their original costumes. I didn't mind waiting 30+ min knowing I would see 5 characters. Now you can only see 3. And there is no place at WDW that you can see Donald in his sailor suit.
All this for THREE character greeting stations? I feel robbed.