Meet Daring Disney Pals as Circus Stars at Pete's Silly Sideshow

Meet Daring Disney Pals as Circus Stars at Pete's Silly Sideshow: show at Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World — showtimes, live status, and planning data on MouseHub.

The MouseHub take

Donald Duck and Goofy greet guests in circus costume inside the big top at Pete's Silly Sideshow, in the Storybook Circus corner of Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland. Donald works the snake charmer act as The Astounding Donaldo, and Goofy suits up as stunt pilot The Great Goofini. The building opened with Storybook Circus in 2012, on ground that had been Mickey's Toontown Fair, then closed in January 2026 for a six-month refurbishment of the tent structures and reopened on June 26, 2026. One indoor, air-conditioned line leads to both characters, one after the other.

Disney lists greeting hours of 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and no Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Single Pass covers this stop, so standby is the only line. The other half of the building is a separate greeting with a nearly identical name, Dashing Disney Pals, where Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck appear as Minnie Magnifique and Madame Daisy Fortuna. Families with small kids and anyone working through a character list walk away happy. Anyone hoping for Donald in the blue sailor suit, or for one photo with both characters together, should spend the time elsewhere.

At a glance

Best for
Families with toddlers, and character collectors who want two headliners in one air-conditioned stop instead of two walks across the park.
Skip if
You want Donald and Goofy in their everyday outfits, or you have one Magic Kingdom day and headliners still to ride.
Ride type
Indoor character meet and greet, two characters off one line
Intensity
Gentle throughout. No motion, no darkness, no loud surprises, and nothing that startles small kids.

The good

  • The whole line sits inside the air conditioning
    The queue and both greeting spots are indoors and run cold. In a Florida July that is worth about as much as the characters are.
  • One line gets you both characters
    Donald and Goofy greet in separate spots on the same side of the tent, and the queue carries you through both. You do not line up twice.
  • The circus costumes belong to this tent
    Donald plays a snake charmer and Goofy plays a daredevil pilot, both staged for Storybook Circus rather than pulled from the standard park lineup. It is the one place to photograph either look.
  • An attendant will shoot on your own phone
    Each greeting spot has a character attendant who takes pictures with your camera, so nobody in the party has to sit the photo out to hold it.
  • Both characters work the bit
    Goofy plays up the daredevil act and Donald stays in character as the showman fishing for applause. Kids get more than a stand-and-smile photo.
  • Rain does not shut it down
    The line and both backdrops are under roof, so this keeps running through an afternoon thunderstorm when the rides outside close for lightning.

The bad

  • There is no Lightning Lane here
    Neither Multi Pass nor Single Pass covers this greeting, so standby is the only way in. The line builds through the afternoon as families come inside off the heat.
  • Meeting all four characters takes two waits
    Minnie and Daisy greet on the other half of the building under the Dashing Disney Pals name, and that is a separate queue. You exit into Big Top Souvenirs and get back in line to see them.
  • An automated camera takes the PhotoPass shots
    A photo box on a stand fires on a timer at each backdrop, with no photographer working the angles or calling the pose. The pictures come out stiffer than the ones a PhotoPass cast member takes.
  • Neither character is in his usual outfit
    Donald is in snake charmer dress instead of the blue sailor suit, and Goofy is in flight gear. Guests who want the classic look are meeting the wrong version here.
  • The doors close at 7:00 PM
    Published greeting hours run 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, hours before Magic Kingdom closes for fireworks. A plan that saves this for after dinner does not work.

Veteran tips

  • Go in the first hour it is open
    The greeting starts at 10:00 AM and the line is shortest before lunch. It fills once the afternoon heat pushes families indoors.
  • Know which side you want before you walk up
    The building splits in two, with a separate entrance and line for each pair. Facing the tent, Donald and Goofy greet on the right and Minnie and Daisy on the left, and each entrance shows the two characters waiting inside.
  • Do both sides back to back
    The exit lets out into Big Top Souvenirs, so you can loop around and join the other line without leaving Storybook Circus.
  • Tap your MagicBand at the linking station
    The camera here is automated, so nothing reaches your account unless you tap a MagicBand, ticket card, or MagicMobile pass at the station by the backdrop.
  • Hand your phone over on the way in
    If you are not on Memory Maker, ask the character attendant to use your camera before the greeting starts rather than during it.
  • Have the autograph book open already
    Turn to a blank page and uncap the pen before you reach the front. Both characters sign, and the time you save goes into the poses.
  • Ride Storybook Circus first, then meet the pilot
    Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Barnstormer Starring The Great Goofini are both a short walk away, and the coaster stars the same Goofini persona Goofy wears inside the tent.

MouseHub editorial, written from visitor reports and official Disney sources. Last reviewed .

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