{"id":276505,"date":"2026-05-19T12:26:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/276505\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T12:26:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:26:09","slug":"captain-cacaos-delightful-debut-at-epic-universe-a-must-do-character-meet-and-greet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/276505\/","title":{"rendered":"Captain Cacao\u2019s delightful debut at Epic Universe: a must-do character meet and greet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Universal Orlando is rolling out another super-sweet character to coincide with the first anniversary of its Epic Universe park, and the debut of the fabled \u2013 and super-cuddly \u2013 Captain Cacao is all set for May 22. Here we share the history of this character and where to meet him inside Universal Epic Universe.<\/p>\n

\"Captain<\/p>\n

The character appearance of Captain Cacao, a chocolate bear and resident of the Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets shop in the classy retail plaza at the front of the park, is finally here. Fans have eagerly hoped for an in-park experience since he was first mentioned back in March 2025 as one of the foundational characters of the Celestial Park<\/a> hub of Epic Universe.<\/p>\n

The news came via the Universal Orlando Instagram<\/a> account on May 18, which revealed, \u201cThe marshmallow stars have aligned. Captain Cacao has arrived and is ready to meet you at Universal Epic Universe! Be sure to find the Captain in Celestial Park starting May 22nd.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"ScreenshotCaptain Cacao character outside of shop.
From Universal Orlando<\/p>\n

There is an additional note that \u201cCharacter appearance subject to change,\u201d but we fully expect the Captain to be highly visible as Epic Universe begins its second year.<\/p>\n

Captain Cacao\u2019s history<\/p>\n

The loveable plush bear was originally highlighted in one of Attraction Magazine\u2019s preview stories<\/a> ahead of the park\u2019s opening last year, as well as in a Discover Universal blog <\/a>in August 2025, which revealed the creative team behind the all-new original characters for the Celestial Park area.<\/p>\n

And, while the chocolates and other candies of the Moonship shop are a tasty treat for Epic guests, the plush Captain Cacao has been just as eagerly sought after by the park\u2019s fanbase. With the character himself making personal appearances, fan enthusiasm for the chocolate bear has gone into overdrive.<\/p>\n

\"ScreenshotCaptain Cacao character inside shop.
From Universal Orlando<\/p>\n

In response to the Instagram post, one fan replied, \u201cNow I have to rush to Epic Universe to meet him!\u201d While another added, \u201cOMG is this for real?! I\u2019ve been hoping for more Captain Cacao presence, and I CANNOT WAIT to meet him!\u201d<\/p>\n

When Universal first unveiled the Celestial Park section of Epic Universe, it came with a full array of essential back-stories as well as original characters to add to the eye-catching designs. Captain Cacao was revealed as the face of Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets, which was itself designed to look like a moonship, the marshmallow airship Joei de Ganache.<\/p>\n

View this beautiful shop in our YouTube video below.<\/p>\n

Celestial Park legend explains that the moonship belongs to Maya of the Skies, who travels the cosmos in search of the most delicious candies and confections to bring back to the Epic Universe hub area. Maya met Captain Cacao and the two quickly became best friends, with the bear offering to be her navigator for all her future travels.<\/p>\n

Visitors to the magnificent candy store should note the three doors on one wall of the shop, the first of which is for Maya, the second, smaller one for Captain Cacao, and a really small third door for M.L., or Major Lolli, who helps to keep the moonship spick and span. <\/p>\n

Meet and greet location<\/p>\n

There is no word from Universal as to exactly where visitors will be able to meet Captain Cacao and have photos taken with him.<\/p>\n

During a team member event on May 18, 2026, at Epic Universe<\/a>, Captain Cacao made a surprise appearance for his first-ever meet and greet. Team members lined up for hours to meet this plushy pal in real life, and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. <\/p>\n

\u201cI love that characters like Figment, the Orange Bird, and now Captain Cacao prove that original theme park characters are insanely popular with guests,\u201d commented @Skeletondance0o on X (formerly Twitter).<\/p>\n

During that preview, Captain Cacao arrived through one of the main backstage gates of Celestial Park and toddled over to a designated outcove along the main pathway between Super Nintendo World and Dark Universe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A stop inside Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets<\/a> shows the beautifully presented array of macarons, chocolates, truffles, fudge, cupcakes, cake pops, and Captain Cacao-shaped chocolate sugar cookies, plus chocolate and caramel-dipped apples. And, from the moment guests step inside, they are hailed as \u201cexplorers,\u201d as team members play an active role in immersing guests in the Celestial Park narrative. They are liable to share stories of Maya and Captain Cacao, as well as add in fun facts about the ingredients and recipes from their travels.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

From May 22, that will now include Captain Cacao himself, and we fully expect sales of the plush version of the Captain to once again be a hot souvenir item this summer!<\/p>\n

More Attractions Magazine stories<\/p>\n

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Ready for adventure? Our trusted partner Universal Fan Travel will handle the planning so you can focus on the fun. They offer free vacation-planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating epic vacations. Visit Universal Fan Travel<\/a> for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.<\/p>\n

\"MouseFanTravel\"<\/a>