Character Meet and Greets at the Disneyland Resort: Ultimate Guide to Characters

Disney, Pixar, and Marvel characters are every bit as magical in person as they are in movies. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park offer guests the opportunity to meet and mingle with some of their most popular characters. Character meet and greets are a must for anyone planning their vacation!

The following is a guide to all the characters you can find at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park listed by land.

Characters, times, and locations may vary, so download the Disneyland app which gives you up-to-the-minute times and locations of all characters.

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Disneyland Character Meet-and-Greets Overview

Meeting characters at Disneyland is one of the most magical parts of a Disney visit for kids and adults! You might find yourself a bit starstruck when you meet Mickey Mouse for the first time!

All across the two Disneyland parks, you'll find various character meet-and-greets you can enjoy. The characters you'll see often correspond to the lands, so for instance, you'll find Pixar characters like the Incredibles in Pixar Pier, Cars characters like Lightning McQueen and Mater in Cars Land, Star Wars characters in Galaxy's Edge, and so on. Some characters have recurring places they appear which you can see on the Disneyland app, while other characters you'll find roaming around certain areas.

We have broken down all the characters you can run into in both Disneyland and California Adventure listed by land. These character schedules vary on a daily basis, and some character appearance times will be available to see on the Disneyland app, while others will not be scheduled. 

For celebrations like Christmas at Disneyland and Halloween at Disneyland, you'll see characters in special outfits inspired by the season. These are particularly fun times to get a photo with characters, as they are all dressed up and the parks are decorated!

Disneyland Park Character Meet and Greets 

There are a variety of characters you can find at Disneyland Park. You can find Mickey Mouse and friends along the steps of the Railroad Station in Main Street, U.S.A, meet Disney Princesses like Mulan or Belle at the Royal Theatre in Fantasyland, greet Miguel near Rancho del Zocolo in Frontierland, or encounter your favorite Star Wars characters in Galaxy's Edge. We will break down the characters you may encounter at Disneyland Park by land below!

Character Meet and Greets on Main Street, U.S.A.

Many of Disneyland’s favorite characters welcome guests to the Park on Main Street U.S.A. in or around Town Square. You'll be able to see these meet-and-greet times on the Disneyland app. Be on the lookout for:

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Goofy
• Pluto
• Donald Duck
• Chip
• Dale
• Cruella De Vil

Character Meet and Greets in Fantasyland

Fantasy Faire Royal Hall rolls out the red carpet with fairytale-type meet and greets with up to three princesses during one experience! Princesses meet guests in mornings and afternoons. When the night welcomes new experiences, princesses can be seen in the parades. We have seen the following princesses at Fantasy Faire’s Royal Hall:

• Ariel
• Belle
• Cinderella
• Elena of Alvalor
  • Elena can sometimes be found wandering the Fantasy Faire Courtyard.
• Princess Aurora
• Rapunzel
  • Rapunzel can sometimes be found wandering the Fantasy Faire Courtyard.
• Snow White

And sometimes you may just encounter a prince wandering the Fantasy Faire Courtyard!

• Flynn Rider

Or the famous Gaston…!

Character Meet and Greets at Wishing Well

Ever toss a coin into the Wishing Well and wish you could meet a Princess or Prince? Well, your wish just came true! Sporadically throughout the day, you have the opportunity to meet the following characters by the Wishing Well! The characters we have seen here include: 

• Aladdin
• Evil Queen
• Princess Aurora
• Princess Jasmine
• Snow White
• Rapunzel and Flynn

Character Meet and Greets at Pixie Hollow

Shrink to the size of a Fairy when you enter Pixie Hollow! Here, you can expect to greet Tinker Bell. Tinker Bell is one of the several characters that kids can dress up as at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique—see all dress options in our guide!

• Tinker Bell

Character Meet and Greets Around Castle

There are several roaming characters that you will find commonly around the castle and in Fantasyland. For some of the characters below (like Alice, the Mad Hatter, Hook, and Peter Pan) you'll see scheduled appearances on the Disneyland app. Others on the below list are characters that we have seen in the past here. 

•  Alice
  • You'll find Alice roaming in multiple locations, including near Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe, near the Pixie Hollow exit, and along the Fantasyland Path leading up to the Mad Tea Party. 

• Beast – Rarely comes out of hiding, but when he does, he is gentle as can be!
• Captain Hook
  • Captain Hook roams near Castle Courtyard, Fantasyland Path, and It’s a Small World Promenade.
• Gaston
  • On a rare occurrence, Gaston has been seen flexing his biceps walking Fantasyland Path.
• Evil Queen
  • Evil Queen roams near Fantasyland Path.
• Fairy Godmother
  • Fairy Godmother roams Castle Courtyard.
• Mad Hatter
  • Mad Hatter roams in multiple locations, including near Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe, near the Pixie Hollow exit, and along the Fantasyland Path leading up to the Mad Tea Party. 
• Mary Poppins and Bert
  • Mary Poppins and Bert roam near Fantasyland Path.
• Peter Pan
  • Peter Pan roams near Castle Courtyard, Fantasyland Path, and It’s a Small World Promenade. Sometimes you'll see him riding the carrousel with Wendy!
• Gepetto 
  • You'll find Gepetto roaming in Fantasyland near it's a small world.

Tomorrowland Character Meet and Greet for Disney Visa Cardmembers

While most of the Star Wars characters can be found in Galaxy's Edge, near Star Wars Launch Bay in Tomorrowland you can see Darth Vader. This experience is available to Disney Visa cardmembers, which you can read more about in our guide. 

Character Meet and Greets in Mickey’s Toontown

Step right into a cartoon when you visit Toontown! Toontown is where you will have the awesome experience to meet and explore Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald Duck’s houses! Here is a list of characters you can see in Toontown:

• Minnie
  • Minnie greets guests at her house in Toontown.
• Mickey
  • Mickey greets guests at his house in Toontown. 
• Goofy
• Pluto
• Donald Duck
• Daisy Duck
• Clarabelle Cow
• Pete

Character Meet and Greets in Frontierland

Here are some of the characters we have seen around Frontierland. Appearances by characters like Woody, Jessie, Pocahontas, Miguel, and Mirabel can be seen on the Disneyland app. 

•  Miguel
  • You can find Miguel at El Zocalo Park.
• Mirabel 
  • You can find Mirabel at El Zocalo Park.
• Pocahontas
  • Pocahontas explores the area near Big Thunder Trail.
• Captain Jack Sparrow
  • Captain Jack Sparrow can be found at Pirate Point on Mark Twain’s Island.
• Princess Tiana
  • Princess Tiana can be found exploring the Mark Twain Riverboat. She can sometimes also be found wandering in New Orleans Square.
• Prince Naveen
  • Prince Naveen can be found wandering New Orleans Square.
• Woody
  • Woody can be found on Big Thunder Trails or near Big Thunder Falls.
• Jessie
  • Jessie can be found on Big Thunder Trails or near Big Thunder Falls.

Character Meet and Greets in New Orleans Square

Characters will also roam New Orleans Square. See some of the characters we've seen here before:

• Dr. Facilier
  • Dr. Facilier roams New Orleans Square.
• Redd
  • Redd can be found wandering New Orleans Square.
• Jack Skellington and Sally
  • Jack and Sally come out during the Halloween for a special meet and greet. 
• Tiana
  • At Tiana's Palace in New Orleans Square, you may find Tiana going from table to table greeting guests.
• Jack Sparrow 

Character Meet and Greets in Critter Country

At Pooh’s thotful spot (near Pooh Corner and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh), you'll get the opportunity to greet characters from Winnie the Pooh. These appearances will be shown on the Disneyland app. 

• Winnie the Pooh
• Eeyore
• Tigger
• Piglet
• Rabbit

Character Meet and Greets in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

The characters in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge don't sign autographs or have traditional character lines. These characters are all roaming and meant to be immersed in the story of the land. Initially, there were only characters from the sequel trilogy who appeared in this land like Rey, Chewbacca, Kylo Ren, and the Stormtroopers, but more recently Disneyland has allowed multiple timelines to exist in the land, a step in the right direction for addressing the biggest mistake of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. 

Here are the characters who have been recently appearing at Galaxy's Edge: 

• Rey
• Chewbacca
• Vi Moradi
• Kylo Ren
• Stormtroopers
• The Mandalorian
• Grogu
• Ahsoka Tano
• Hera Syndulla
• Chopper
• R2-D2
• Boba Fett
• Fennec Shand 
• Sabine Wren

During Disneyland After Dark Star Wars events, you'll also find more rare Star Wars characters in Galaxy's Edge. There is quite an impressive variety of Star Wars characters represented during these after-hours parties, and we'll talk more about this further down in the article! 

Disney California Adventure Park Meet and Greets

There are several opportunities to meet characters across Disney California Adventure Park, from seeing your favorite superheroes at Avengers Campus to posing with Toy Story characters at Pixar Pier.

You can see several classic characters around Carthay Circle, greet Anna and Elsa from Frozen in the Animation Building at Hollywood Land, get character photos with Lightning McQueen and Mater in Cars Land, or find Pixar characters like Joy, Sadness, the Incredibles, and more.

Below, we will cover the characters you can see by land at Disney California Adventure by land. 

Character Meet and Greets on Buena Vista Street

At Buena Vista Plaza, you can see characters including Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Clarabelle Cow. You'll see these character appearances scheduled on the Disneyland app. 

• Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
• Clarabelle Cow

Character Meet and Greets Near Carthay Circle

You'll often find some of the classic characters walking through the Carthay Circle area or meeting guests at a few different spots here. You can find these character appearances scheduled on the Disneyland app. Here are some of the characters who will appear around Carthay Circle: 

• Daisy Duck
• Donald Duck
• Goofy
• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse

Avengers Campus Characters

You can find a variety of characters around Avengers Campus. You'll find both regularly appearing Avengers and characters from the newest Disney+ Marvel shows being integrated into the land! There is an excellent variety of characters constantly appearing at Avengers Campus, which makes it one of the best character meet-and-greet locations in the parks. The schedule for Avengers Campus appearances will be accessible on the Disneyland app. 

Some of the characters you can find at Avengers Campus include:

• Iron Man
• Black Panther
• Captain Marvel
• Black Widow
• Thor
• Doctor Strange
• Ant-Man
• The Wasp
• Guardians of the Galaxy (after Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Dance Off! with Star-Lord, Gamora, and Groot, these rockin’ characters stick around to mix and mingle with guests!)
• Captain America
• Shang-Chi
• Loki

One of the most consistent character meet-and-greets is Iron Man greeting guests outside of Avengers Headquarters (across from Pym Test Kitchen as you are heading towards Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!). Characters will also appear in common meet-and-greet spots like the central plaza of Avengers Campus or the path to Cars Land. 

You can also find other Marvel characters in the land or leading entertainment such as:

• Spider-Man 
  • After The Amazing Spider-Man! stunt show, Spider-Man will come down to greet guests.
• Dr. Strange
  • Dr. Strange stars in the show Dr. Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts. During the day, you may find him greeting guests at the Ancient Sanctum. 
• Dora Milaje
  • Warriors of the Dora Milaje appear in the show Warriors of Wakanda: The Disciplines of the Dora Milaje

Some Avengers Campus characters appear for a limited time when a new Disney movie or show debuts. Some past examples include Scarlet Witch, Nick Fury, the Eternals, the Marvels (Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, Ms. Marvel), and more. You can see all Avengers Campus characters in our guide. 

Character Meet and Greets at the Animation Building, Hollywood Land

In the Animation Building in Hollywood Land, there is a Frozen “Elsa and Anna's Royal Welcome” meet-and-greet where you can meet some of the most popular characters from Frozen in a designated meeting space. You'll be able to see the following characters here (appearance times visible on the Disneyland app): 

• Anna
• Elsa
• Olaf

Cars Land

Around Cars Land, you'll often find some favorite characters from Cars cruising by, and they will station themselves in a spot for photos with guests. You'll usually see Lightning McQueen or Mater outside of Cozy Cone Motel ready to greet guests. You can find the following characters around Cars Land:

• Lightning McQueen
• Mater
• Cruz Ramirez
• Red the Firetruck

San Fransokyo Square

In the newly reimagined San Fransokyo Square dining area, you'll find Baymax and Hiro greeting guests in a designated meet-and-greet area outside of the Hamada Bot Shop. Sometimes you'll find Baymax and Hiro together, and other times it will be just Hiro or Baymax. Appearances are visible on the Disneyland app. If you are planning on stopping here for a meal and to say hello to these Big Hero 6 characters, see our favorite foods from San Fransokyo Square here. 

• Hiro
• Baymax

Disneyland Lunar New Year Character Meet and Greets

During Lunar New Year, you'll character meet-and-greets at the gazebo at Paradise Gardens Park in Disney California Adventure. In this beautiful space, characters will appear like Mulan and Mushu and Mickey and Minnie.

There was also a new character meet-and-greet with Meilin and Ming Lee from Turning Red that was recently introduced on the path adjacent to the Little Mermaid ride leading toward Grizzly Peak.

Pixar Pier

Expect to find all your favorite Pixar characters at Pixar Pier! Appearances of these characters from The Incredibles, Inside Out, Toy Story, and Monsters, Inc. are visible on the Disneyland app. 

• Incredibles
  • Edna Mode
    • Edna Mode, although a bit eccentric, will take time from her busy business of costume-making to meet Park guests!
  • Mr. and Mrs. Incredible
  • Frozone
• Inside Out
  • Joy
  • Sadness
• Monsters, Inc.
  • Mike and Sulley
• Toy Story
  • Buzz Lightyear
  • Woody
  • Bo Peep
  • Jessie

Grizzly Peak 

You'll find some iconic characters around Grizzly Peak, one of our favorite quiet spots at Disneyland. 

• Chip and Dale
  • You'll find Chip and Dale wandering around Grizzly Peak or venturing through Grizzly Peak Pass or Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. These two are always so much fun to see!

• Judy Hopps
• Nick Wilde

Near Rushin' River Outfitters in Grizzly Peak, you may see sightings of Zootopia characters Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. They also appear to greet guests near the Grizzly River Run Water Wheel. Appearances can be seen on the Disneyland app. 

At the Grizzly Peak Airfield near Soarin', you can find Pluto posing with guests in front of the plane. You'll see Pluto's appearances on the Disneyland app. 

• Pluto

Character Dining in Theme Park

If waiting in long lines for meet and greets is not your thing, but your children (and yourself) want to meet and snap pictures with some of your favorite characters, then you may want to have the characters come to you! Dine at one of Disneyland Resort’s Character Dining experiences. This is one of the best ways to get quality time with characters at the resort.

• Minnie & Friends – Breakfast in the Park at Plaza Inn, Disneyland
  • Characters to be on the lookout for are: Minnie, Tigger, Chip, Dale, Captain Hook, Pooh, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Geppetto, Rabbit, and more!
• Goofy’s Kitchen – Breakfast and Dinner at the Disneyland Hotel
  • Dance around as you eat and get the chance to mingle with Goofy and all his friends, such as Minnie, Chip, Dale, Goofy, Pluto, and many more. Goofy's Kitchen has also been offering some fun themes like Holidays at Goofy's Kitchen, Goofy's Kitchen Halloween, and the Springtime Buffet at Goofy's Kitchen. 
• Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Character Breakfast at Storytellers Café in Grand California Hotel & Spa
  • Expect to encounter Mickey Mouse and all his friends!
• Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures at Napa Rose in Grand California Hotel & Spa
  • Deluxe Princess experience with extensive storytelling, greetings, and one on one time with the princesses.

Reservations for Character Dining are recommended. You can make reservations online through the Disneyland website or on the Disneyland app. 

Rare Character Meet and Greets at Special Events 

During special separately ticketed events like Disneyland After Dark Nites and Oogie Boogie Bash, you'll be able to encounter rare characters who you wouldn't normally see at the parks.

For Oogie Boogie Bash at Halloween, this includes iconic villains like Dr. Facilier, Ernesto de la Cruz, Agatha Harkness, Oogie Boogie, and much more. Seeing these rare characters is one of the coolest parts of attending one of these events. See our guide to Oogie Boogie Bash characters for a list of who we have seen in the past! 

You'll also find a variety of rare characters at the Disneyland After Dark parties. For example, at Star Wars Nite, guests have gotten the chance to meet rare characters like Ezra and Sabine from Star Wars: Rebels, Luke and Leia, Darth Maul, Emperor Palpatine, and much more. See our guide to Disneyland After Dark events for everything you need to know! 

Things to Bring to a Disneyland Character Meet and Greet

• Disney App
  • This app is an asset because it gives you character locations and times for each day.
• Autograph Book and Pen (clickable sharpies work the best!) to collect signatures from Disney characters 
• Camera or phone 
• Your perfect smile!

We recommend asking the character what their signature pose is and matching them to make the pictures the most interesting. The poses will vary per character, so this is a great way to have some fun and get some memorable photos! You can see our guide to PhotoPass at Disneyland for more of our tips on getting the best photos with characters during meet-and-greets.

So, grab your autograph book, a pen, and your camera, and start planning your Disney vacation!

Disneyland Characters FAQ