Walt Disney World opened a new location for the Character Spot at Epcot like a relocated house for Mickey Mouse, Minnie and Goofy, now that the other side of Innonventions West has been closed.
In this post, we'll take a look at the beautiful new setting, provide you with information about the location and tips for doing that meet & greet with next to no waiting!
Along with Art of Disney, this new Character Spot location has a temporary construction halt as Epcot prepares to transform Future World as announced at this year's D23.
This area will more or less be the future home of the next attraction Moana: Journey of Water.
Presumably it will take less time to demolish this side of Innoventions West and build Moana: Journey of Water than it will take to demolish the other side and build the new World Celebration festival pavilion, which would explain the delay here.
How long will this new character point last? Probably not much...
Before we get into the timeline speculation, information about the character's new Epcot location, and tips for receiving greetings with minimal wait, let's start with some photos.
Check out this area with Mickey, Goofy and Minnie and their new scenery:
Mickey Character Spot 
Information on Epcot's New Character Spot
I love how there are individual backdrops for each character (in the PhotoPass photos, that's all that's visible), but it all comes together in a singular design.
I'm also a fan of the art style, color choices, and specific details chosen.
The details and how the backdrops connect to the ground suggest this will be used for more than a few weeks.
Maybe I'm getting a little carried away with the mural, but I think it's awesome.
This Character Spot is in the same building as the Joy & Sadness and Baymax Character Spot, albeit through a separate entrance around the corner as you head towards the Land pavilion.
Previously, the "main" character spot was outside the Innoventions Breezeway, the Joy & Sadness and Baymax location.
Once these twin Character Point locations close, Minnie Mouse will move to the World showcase Gazebo, Mickey Mouse will appear in an all-new location in the Imagination Pavilion, and Goofy will venture into the park to find a new home.
That is, we will have all characters spread across epcot.
In terms of other meet & greets at Epcot, the UK pavilion will host Winnie the Pooh, who will welcome guests to Christopher Robin's room.
Daisy Duck will move to The American Adventure, while Joy will move to a "cheerful new home".
No official word on Baymax or Sadness, but we're guessing their Epcot date will be over once that half of Innovutions West is done.
We're also guessing that this new character location will close sometime in early 2020.
Walt Disney World has already stated that several other locations will be closed this winter, but waiting until after the busy o Food & Wine Festival and the holidays seem logical.
Also, the debut of the new meet & greet locations during the 2020 Epcot International Festival of Arts makes sense.
This gives Walt Disney World something marketable beyond the new movies, and also gives Disney time to create the new character greeting points.
Of course, this is entirely speculative on our part, and the new Character Spot may close sooner rather than later.
If possible, we believe Walt Disney World will hold through 2020 to close Innoventions West Breezeway.
Assuming the goal is for Moana: Journey of Water and this whole Central Column transformation project to finish in 2022, it seems like early 2020 is a viable timeframe for this building to close.
Guessing again, we thought that back in July, when all these closures were announced, Disney expected Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge to significantly cannibalize Epcot's attendance - and that definitely didn't happen.
Epcot has really seen a wave of “off season”. Obviously, a larger number of attendees is a good problem, but it restricts Walt Disney World's options in turning Future World into an operational construction zone.
A good tip for those who want to take pictures with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy with few queues is to arrive towards the end of the afternoon.
A unique explanation for this is that he is not in the map nor does it have a wait time on My Disney Experience, which means it relies heavily on foot traffic from guests staying in the Land and Living Seas pavilions.
Below is a shot of the characters' location at night, but it's been heavily edited to give the shadows a look. As you pass by, it looks like a dark building with some lights on inside. If you didn't already know what was there, you probably wouldn't venture inside.
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About the Author Carlos Braga:
Unparalleled experience in Orlando and Disney! As a former Universal Orlando team member and a passionate devotee of the magic of Disney, I have become a true Orlando travel expert. Before becoming a renowned travel consultant dedicated to Orlando, I had already made hundreds of visits to the parks, cultivating my knowledge and passion mainly over the last 7 years as a consultant and specialist in Disney travel.
My journey into this enchanted world began in 1995, when I took my first trip to Orlando. Since then, my love for Disney and the city has only grown. In 2023, we celebrate the sixth anniversary of 'Partiu Disney Parks', consolidating our role as one of the main sources of information about Disney and Orlando Parks.
During these six years of existence, we have continued to offer quality and updated content, being the reliable source for all those looking for essential information to plan their trip to Disney and Orlando. With my vast experience and passion for this magical destination, I am here to guide you every step of the way towards the most incredible Orlando and Disney experience!