For your children, meeting their favorite character is what a visit to Disney World is all about. It’s fairly easy if their favorite just happens to be Mickey Mouse or one of the more popular princesses as you can usually find a number of different places where they are just waiting for a meet and greet. But what if your child’s idol is less well-known? My children always preferred the side-kick to the main hero and would often walk straight past characters like Anna and Elsa to look for Olaf instead. Don’t worry, if Stitch is your child’s character of choice, there are still a number of places you can see him at Disney World as well as have the chance to meet him and take photographs.
Where can you meet Stitch at Disney World? Fortunately, the little alien with huge eyes appears in several places, including a dining experience at the Best Friends Breakfast at O’Hana with his beloved Lilo. He also appears in the Epcot Centre and in the Magic Kingdom in the Tomorrowland area.
When you meet the pint-sized extra-terrestrial, you need to be careful as his tendency for trouble can cause problems for the staff at Disney World. With his amazing turn of speed, he can pop up anywhere and it will be important for you to try to keep track of him on the My Disney Experience app.
There is also an excellent variety of Stitch themed merchandise in a number of different Disney parks. For all events at Disney, there are a number of different ways to make your special memories last even longer, and meeting Stitch will be a rare opportunity you and your family will probably want to relish for as long as possible.
- Best Friends Breakfast at O’Hana
- My Storybook Moment – Lilo and Stitch
- Character Greeting: Stitch’s Alien Encounter
- Epcot Centre
Best Friends Breakfast at O’Hana
Lilo and Stitch love breakfast and can’t wait to join you and your family as you settle down to the first meal of the day in the O’Hana restaurant at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort based in the Magic Kingdom. This beautiful Hawaiian style restaurant is probably the best place to meet Stitch and get to spend some time with him. Lilo and Stitch will visit your family at the table as you dine and there will also be a chance to have your photographs taken with the little rascal. He will sign autographs, in his inimitable scrawl, and he will try to have a conversation with you although you might not understand his language. Everyone knows how to high-five, though, and Stitch is always happy to meet guests at breakfasts as he has usually had his fill of pancakes and syrup which always puts him in a good mood! He will sign anything you ask him to and is always glad to offer a hug. A range of American and Hawaiian themed breakfast foods are offered, including scrambled eggs, Hawaiian sausages, island-style fried potatoes, and Stitch’s favorite Hawaiian ham and pineapple compote. Disney’s photographers will also be on hand so you can make the most of your photographs with Stitch using Memory Maker or Disney’s PhotoPass. After the meal, enjoy watching Stitch take part in a parade around the restaurant accompanied by his new friends. They love it when the children, their newest young friends, join in.
My Storybook Moment – Lilo and Stitch
While the characters only appear during breakfast at O’Hana, there are extra touches and reminders of Stitch that can be added to other meals, A Storybook Moment is a gift experience which can be a great personalized surprise for your little ones. As you arrive at your table, you will find a tote bag containing gifts from Stitch, including a plush toy and a little ukelele. A folder of fun activities and pieces of art is included with Lilo and Stitch’s very own signatures. Your little one will feel like Lilo and Stitch have selected the gifts especially for them. The Storybook Moment can be combined with the Breakfast Friends Breakfast to make the experience even more personalized, as the characters themselves come over to see how much you enjoyed their gifts! The Storybook Moment can also be ordered to your room: imagine returning from a busy day at the parks to find your child’s favorite character has popped round to give them their very own gifts.
Character Greeting: Stitch’s Alien Encounter
At the Magic Kingdom, Stitch appears in his very own spot based in Tomorrowland. He appears for a meet and greet at Stitch’s Alien Encounter Character Greeting which is situated next to what used to be Stitch’s very own ride, Stitch’s Great Escape. Even though he doesn’t have his own ride anymore, Stitch is happy to meet his fans and will pose for photos, give you cuddles and share some of his wacky humor. Times will be available on the My Disney Experience App and you will need to arrive early as queues can be very long. There is no opportunity for Fast Pass reservations at this event, although the queuing experience can be a pleasure in itself as you are entertained by all things Stitch in an area kept cool by air-conditioning, as Stitch doesn’t like to get too hot. To avoid long queues, aim to arrive when the park first opens or just before closing as these tend to be the least busy times.
Epcot Centre
As you can imagine, Stitch loves all technology and the Epcot Centre is one of his favorite places to explore. You can often find him at the Character Spot but will need to check the times on the Disney App. He can be tough to find, so the app is the best way to keep track of him, or you can pick up a guide to times of character meetings available on entry to the parks. Another way to find out where characters are is by asking a Cast Member who will be able to find any character in the parks by calling the Character Hotline.
Does Stitch Join in the Parade?
The Move It! Shake! Dance and Play It! Parade which takes place in the Magic Kingdom also features your favorite alien on one of the floats. As well as the other character fun, Stitch can be seen waving at guests and partying with his other Disney pals. If you have your heart set on seeing Stitch, try to get a good spot near the hub at the front of Cinderella’s Castle. You will need to check parade times on the app or times guides and make sure to get to the hub early for a front-row view. When it reaches the hub, the float stops and Stitch will leap off to play and dance with the children at the front, so you will be well-rewarded for the wait. It is a great photo opportunity so take a camera to capture this magical surprise moment.
Can We Also Buy Stitch Themed Merchandise?
You will be able to find a range of unique Stitch merchandise in a number of locations throughout the parks, including Stitch dress-up costumes and plush toys. If you are planning to take part in a meet and greet with Stitch, you could even have him sign your merchandise and wearing a Stitch costume is a great way to get his attention: he loves himself so much he is delighted to see his reflection when he looks at his friends! Another great place to find Stitch merchandise in the Magic Kingdom is at Mickey’s Star Traders which is bursting with Stitch themed gifts: as well as dress-up costumes, you can find his cute little grin on T-shirts and hats as well as items you could use for school to brighten your day when your vacation is over. Mouse Gear in Epcot also has plenty of Stitch stock, but perhaps the best place to find Stitch’s merchandise is in the Magic Kingdom’s Polynesian Village Resort. The Hawaiian based resort includes a gift store called Moana Mercantile which includes items from all our favorite island based characters, especially the mischievous Experiment 626 (aka Stitch). The shop includes items that do not appear on the shopping app and you can have your purchases delivered to your own resort.
How Can We Make The Photographs Special?
Recording those memories is a vital part of the experience and a quick snap on a mobile phone isn’t always the best way for an experience to last forever. Disney’s PhotoPass means professional photographers are on hand or have set up the ideal spot with the perfect background to make your photograph with Stitch something really special. With PhotoPass, you can browse all photos that have been taken of everyone in your family through the online account. Your photos can be linked to your account in a number of ways, including your magic band, a PhotoPass card, or by using your park tickets. You can browse your photos whenever you like and select which you would like to purchase. There is also the option to purchase Disney’s Memory Maker which allows you to download all your photos as often as you like, making a great gift for the rest of the family and friends. You can also use the PhotoPass service to personalize a range of photo products and have your images of Stitch on mugs, keyrings, fridge magnets, or even greetings cards.
