Merida (From ‘Brave’) Fairytale Garden Meet-and-Greet Concluded at Magic Kingdom

Update: Merida no longer has a traditional meet-and-greet at Fairytale Garden at Magic Kingdom. Mirabel from ‘Encanto’ took over Fairytale Gardens. At that time, Merida was moved to the Enchanted Glade Gazebo. However, her meet-and-greet concluded in late 2023. We checked several times before archiving this meet-and-greet and ran into a cast member who confirmed that Merida no longer meets at this location. We’ll leave this article below for historical reference.

Merida, a Scottish princess once turned bear, is likely the most outgoing princess at Walt Disney World. Formerly, she resided in the Scottish Highlands, aka Fairytale Gardens, near Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom. However, Mirabel from Encanto now meets at Fairytale Gardens. So, Merida has a new home in Liberty Square, minus her tapestry collection and whimsical décor.

This meet-and-greet at Magic Kingdom is the only place to meet Merida in Walt Disney World. She was formerly part of the Festival of Fantasy parade route. However, her float and the troupe of performers who accompanied it have been missing from the parade for quite some time. Occasionally, she takes part in the Adventureland Friends Cavalcade at Magic Kingdom. But her appearance is not guaranteed. Times for the cavalcade are listed in the My Disney Experience app.

Merida’s meet-and-greet is a little off the beaten path. As a princess from Scotland, her location at the Liberty Square gazebo seems unusual. However, it’s pretty shaded. So, it’s not the worst place for an entirely outdoor meet-and-greet.

The Enchanted Glade Gazebo is immediately behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. A few picnic tables are scattered around the area. The entrance to the Gazebo is behind a large mound of shrubbery, so it’s a little challenging to see. Over the years, many characters have met at this location. So, if you’ve visited previously, you might be familiar with the area. Princess Tiana met here for quite some time before moving to Princess Fairytale Hall, where she now meets with Rapunzel.

Merida is a popular princess. As a result, it’s not uncommon to see long lines form well before her meet-and-greet times. She usually meets intermittently between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. You’ll want to check her exact times in the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit.

On the day of this visit, we got in line at 1:35 p.m. for her next listed meet-and-greet time, 1:45 p.m. When we arrived, a few people were already waiting. Merida didn’t arrive until 1:50 p.m., so it was approximately 2:00 p.m. when we met her.

While we waited, I noticed a pretty significant line had formed behind us. So, after meeting Merida, I went back around to see how many guests were waiting. They had already closed off the area due to the line that had formed.

We try to stress this situation in most of our character meet-and-greet articles. If meeting a character is important, you’ll want to arrive early and join the line in advance. When the line is cut off, you no longer have an opportunity to join unless the character is scheduled to return later.

Merida meets under the Enchanted Glaze Gazebo. Cast members ask that you stay in the line until she comes to greet you. This allows each guest to collect their things and leave the area.

Then Merida will greet you and walk with you up to the Gazebo, where you can visit with her. Often, a PhotoPass photographer is available at this location. However, it is not guaranteed.

Merida stays in character, Scottish accent and all. She enjoys talking about her brothers and the rest of her family. You might ask her about shooting a bow and arrow, her horse Angus, and other athletic games she enjoys. The red-haired heroine enjoys archery and often has her bow and arrow nearby. Unfortunately, she no longer has her archery targets at this location.

Merida is an autograph-signing character. So have your autograph books out and ready in advance.

Ultimately, Merida is an excellent character who often commands long waits. Don’t forget to check her times in the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit. (The app will also list if any locations have changed. This location may change because it’s often used for special meets over the holidays.)

For more character meet-and-greets at Magic Kingdom, you might also like:

• Meet Peter Pan at Magic Kingdom
• Snow White Meet-and-Greet at Magic Kingdom
• Meet Mickey Mouse as a Magician at Magic Kingdom
• Jasmine and Aladdin Meet-and-Greet at Magic Kingdom

Lastly, we have an entire list of Disney World Characters. This list contains a detailed overview of every character meet-and-greet in the theme parks. Or see our retired character archives.