A set of unusual character meet and greets has now debuted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, providing guests the opportunity to see Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, Mary Poppins, a Penguin, and more.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Entertainment
While not previously announced, Disney’s Hollywood Studios surprised guests on September 28 with a wave of several new entertainment offerings that are expected to be permanent for at least the next few months. Earlier today, we caught performances by a new jazz band called HollyGroove Swinging and a fun performance by a juggler in the new act That’s A Record.
In addition to this updated entertainment, the park has also added four new character meet and greet opportunities to its official character schedule. Starting September 28, guests can meet Mary Poppins, Bert with a Penguin, Pinocchio, and Jiminy Cricket at locations near the Chinese Theater. Several of these characters are somewhat rare for meet and greets at Walt Disney World, and the often only appear during special events, parades, or holidays.
Each character has specific set times, which are listed below and posted on the My Disney Experience app. Each character is expected to appear daily, with exceptions for bad weather since they all take place outdoors.
Mary Poppins
The first new character appearance is Mary Poppins. Mary is wearing her Jolly Holiday outfit with a dress that has a red bodice and a white skirt. She also has on her white hat, matching white gloves, and is carrying a pink parasol.
Mary is scheduled to meet guests daily at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 noon, 1:50 p.m., 2:50 p.m., and 3:50 p.m. She stands outside in front of the Chinese Theater on the right side, closer to the now-reduced Animation Courtyard.
Bert and Penguin
Another fun meet and greet gives you the chance to meet two characters at once. While listed on the My Disney Experience app as just Bert, guests have the opportunity to meet both him and a dapper Penguin friend. Bert is wearing his red, yellow, and pink striped jacket with a blue bow tie and white pants, while his Penguin pal has a red bow tie.
This duo meets daily at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:20 p.m., and 3:20 p.m. You may have noticed their times alternate by around a half hour with Mary Poppins, and that is intentional. They stand in the same spot to the right side of the Chinese Theater as Mary. Bert and Mary are essentially alternating their schedules, so there is a character standing in this spot most of the time, with just a few minutes of a gap in-between.
Pinocchio
Next up on our list of new characters is Pinocchio. He stands on the opposite end of the Chinese Theater, to the left of the building and around the side of the planter. He is wearing his classic yellow shirt, black vest, red shorts, and blue bow.
Pinocchio is scheduled to meet daily at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 noon, 1:50 p.m., 2:50 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
Jiminy Cricket
Finally, guests can also meet Jiminy Cricket in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Like Mary and Bert, Jiminy stands in the same spot as Pinocchio on the left side of the Chinese Theater. Jiminy is wearing a dark gray jacket over an orange vest and pale green pants.
Pinocchio and Jiminy also have alternating meet and greet times. Jiminy Cricket meets guests at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:20 p.m., and 3:20 p.m.
There has been no announcement for how long these new meet and greet opportunities will continue to take place. However, That’s A Record and HollyGroove Swinging are both expected to perform through the end of 2025, so it is possible these characters will remain for the next few months.
of these characters are you most excited to meet? Let us know in the comments and on social media.
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