Rare Disney Character Makes an Impromptu Appearance at EPCOT

We’re all used to the standard characters at Disney Parks. It isn’t uncommon for Peter Pan, Mickey Mouse, and others to roam the Parks at Disneyland or make scheduled appearances at Walt Disney World. Interacting with some of your favorite Disney characters is a big part of making a Disney Vacation magical. Nothing is as immersive as meeting a Disney Princess in real life or hanging out with Stitch while you enjoy a meal. Disney is only as strong as the characters they create. As Walt once famously said, “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it all started with a mouse.” Meeting that same mouse Disney spoke about is the culmination of the perfect vacation for many.

Credit: Bee’s Photography

Character interactions are an exciting way to immerse yourself entirely in your vacation. They are great for children and allow adults to leave their comfort zones and relive some of their favorite film moments. This is especially true for villains. There’s just something about a good Disney villain that gets everyone excited. People love the bad guys. They’re fun and highly interactive, and many are rare finds in a Disney Park. There are many Disney villain characters who only appear around Halloween. Their rarity usually draws a large crowd when they appear on Disney property.

Credit: Bee’s Photography

That exact scenario played out at EPCOT recently when Dr. Facilier of Princess and the Frog made a pop-up appearance near the International Gateway. He may have friends on the other side, but considering the size of the crowd he drew, many of them are alive and well visiting Walt Disney World. Bee’s Photography graciously allowed us to use their amazing photos they were able to capture of The Shadow Man’s interactions with Guests. It would seem that the witch doctor was eager to meet Guests wandering around the World Showcase. He stopped for photos, signed autographs, interacted with Guests, and most certainly cast a spell or two!

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The villainous Dr. Facilier was all smiles as he treated Guests to a mystical good time! The Rare Disney Character meet and greet was a hit!

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Credit: Bee’s Photography

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Credit: Bee’s Photography

The voodoo villain’s appearance was welcome at EPCOT, as Dr. Facilier typically can only be found at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or during specially scheduled events. However, he has been known to show up randomly here or there. As Disney made a giant leap in their progress of retheming Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, it’s definitely interesting that he made an impromptu appearance on the same day Tiana’s water tower was installed. Whether his appearance was for promotional reasons or not, Guests could care less as they were treated to a rare and wicked treat today at EPCOT.

You can check out more of Bee’s Photography over on Facebook. Check her out for more Rare Disney Character pictures of Dr. Facilier and much more.