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 Disney app which gives you up-to-the-minute times and locations of all characters.

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Traditional Character Meet and Greets Have Returned!

Traditional character meet and greets have returned to Disneyland! You can now hug characters again, have one on one time with them and receive character autographs.

Disneyland Character Photo Tour

Disneyland has been utilizing stages and higher vantage points as a way for characters to interact with guests. We absolutely loved the random character interactions at Walt Disney World and these are just as magical!

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Guests can find Star Wars favorites like Rey, Chewbacca and Vi Moradi in Black Spire Outpost near the speeder garage at Black Spire Station. You can find Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren on the platform where the TIE Echelon starfighter is.

Disneyland Park

Along Main Street, U.S.A you can find Mickey Mouse and friends along the steps of the railroad station or outside their homes in Toontown.

In the Royal Theatre in Fantasyland you can find Disney Princesses like Mulan or Belle greeting guests from a distance. In New Orleans Square you can find Captain Jack Sparrow and Red the Pirate waving from the stairs leading to the suite above the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. In Rancho del Zocolo in Frontierland, you might find Miguel from the film “Coco” randomly appearing.

Disney California Adventure Park

Guests can find a variety of characters appearing at Carthay Circle and the Pixar Pier bandshell. Disney Junior favorites, like Vampirina to Doc McStuffins, will be waving to guests from the stage of the Disney Theater in Hollywood Land.

While touring Disney California Adventure we saw a number of characters around the fountain in front of Carthay Circle including Anna and Elsa from Frozen, Donald Duck, Pluto, Mickey Mouse, Clarabelle Cow, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

Guests can also get character photos with Lightning McQueen, Mater and Red in Cars Land which is a great way for guests to get that traditional character meet and greet!

On Pixar Pier, guests will likely be able to find Pixar characters such as popular ones we've seen introduced in the past like Joy, Sadness, the Onward brothers, the Incredibles, and more.

In Hollywood Land, guests can find Marvel favorites including Black Widow, Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Black Panther and the Dora Milaje on the Hollywood Backlot Stage.

Disneyland Character Meet and Greets

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!

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 the best way to stay up to date on when characters will be appearing is to download the Disneyland app and check it in the morning of your visit.

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. 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. You can expect to meet 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!

• Aladdin
• Evil Queen
• Princess Aurora
• Princess Jasmine
• Snow White

Character Meet and Greets at Pixie Hollow

Shrink to the size of a Fairy when you enter Pixie Hollow. Expect some of the following fairies to flutter by to say hi:

• Fawn
• Iridessa
• Tinkerbell
• Rosetta
• Silvermist
• Vidia

Character Meet and Greets Around Castle

• Alice
  • Alice also roams near 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 also roams near 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.

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 Micky, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald Duck’s house! Don’t forget to explore Chip and Dale’s treehouse! Be on the lookout for Pluto who wanders around Toon Square!

Character Meet and Greets in Tomorrowland

Visiting from a galaxy far, far away are the infamous Star Wars characters. You can find the following characters in or around Star Wars Launch Bay.

• Boba Fett
  • Cantina (outside Star Wars Launch Bay)
• Storm Troopers and Captain Phasma
  • On occasion, guests may see a storm trooper or two marching around Tomorrowland.
• Chewbacca
  • Light Side (inside Star Wars Launch Bay)
• Rey
  • Light Side (inside Star Wars Launch Bay)
• Darth Vader
  • Dark Side (inside Star Wars Launch Bay)
• Kylo Ren
  • Dark Side (inside Star Wars Launch Bay)

Character Meet and Greets in Adventureland

•  Moana
  • Moana can be found near Tarzan’s Treehouse.

Character Meet and Greets in Frontierland

• 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

• Dr. Facilier
  • Dr. Facilier roams New Orleans Square.
• Redd
  • Redd is new to Disneyland! She can be found wandering New Orleans Square.
• Jack Skellington and Sally
  • Jack and Sally come out during the Halloween Party and stay throughout Christmas time.

Character Meet and Greets in Critter Country

• Pocahontas
  • Pocahontas explores the area near the Hungry Bear Restaurant.

Critter Country – Pooh’s Thotful Spot

• 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 immersive in the story of the land.

• Rey
• Chewbacca
• R2-D2
• Vi Moradi
• Stormtroopers
• Kylo Ren

Disney California Adventure Park Meet and Greets

Character Meet and Greets on Buena Vista Street

• Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
  • This character is more of a rarity and typically is only seen around Easter.

Character Meet and Greets Near Carthay Circle

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

Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Dance Off!

• After you dance with Star-Lord, Gamora, and Groot, these rockin’ characters stick around to mix and mingle with guests!

Avengers Campus Characters

You can find a variety of characters around Avengers Campus with characters from the newest Disney+ Marvel shows being instantly integrating into the land!

Some of the characters you can find atop Avengers Headquarters include:

• Iron Man
• Black Panther
• Captain Marvel
• Black Widow
• Thor
• Doctor Strange
• Ant-Man
• The Wasp
• Guardians of the Galaxy

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

• Spider-Man
• Dr. Strange
• The Eternals
• Dora Milaje

Character Meet and Greets at Disney Junior Dance Party, Hollywood Land

• Guests to this dance party will have the chance to meet such Disney characters as Mickey, Minnie, Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Timon.
  • Sofia the First can also be found greeting guests in front of Off the Page.

Character Meet and Greets at the Animation Building, Hollywood Land

• Anna
• Kristoff
• Elsa
• Olaf

Cars Land

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

Pacific Wharf, San Francisco Street

• Judy Hopps
• Nick Wilde

Paradise Gardens Park

• Mulan and Mushu
  • Usually Mulan makes her appearance during Lunar New Year.

Pixar Pier

Expect to find all your favorite Pixar characters at Pixar Pier!

• 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
• Up
  • Russell and Dug
• Onward
  • Barley and Ian Lightfoot

Grizzly Peak, Redwood Challenge Trail

• Chip
• Dale

Grizzly Peak Airfield

• 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 experience.

• 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!

Disneyland Character Dining at Resort Hotels

• 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.
• 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. Book in advance by calling (714) 781-3463. Or reserve your seat by using your Disneyland App!

Things to Bring to a Disneyland Character Meet and Greet

• Disney App – This app is an asset because it gives you up-to-minute character locations and times.
• Autograph book
• Pen (clickable sharpies work the best!)
• Camera
• Your perfect smile!

The great thing about Disneyland character Meet and Greets are the changing costumes to fit the different holidays and seasons! And mentioning holidays, the Halloween Party welcomes visits by some characters you normally would never get a chance to meet! So, grab your autograph book, a pen, and your camera and start planning your Disney vacation!

Start Planning Your Vacation!

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You can discover more about planning your trip to Disneyland from these links:

• Disneyland Morning Touring Strategy: Guide to Maximize Your Mornings
• Disneyland Character Dining
• How to Plan Your Disneyland Trip
• Disneyland in the Summer
• 40+ Places to Find Cheap Food in Disneyland