Guests staying at one of the Disneyland Resort‘s three on-site hotels receive perks with their stay, including a free Lightning Lane benefit. Disney will soon expand amenities for hotel guests by introducing some seasonal perks, including an exclusive meet-and-greet with an extremely beloved rare character.
In April 2026, Disneyland will roll out new benefits for hotel guests to celebrate this month’s special holidays. Keep reading for the details, dates, and locations for these new perks. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including new character dining as part of a theme park expansion and an update on shuttle services for Disneyland-area hotels.
Also, see news about Disneyland’s 23 restaurant changes, including a menu refresh at a popular sit-down restaurant.
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Exclusive Meet & Greet in April
Pixar Place Hotel has been known to host special character meetings and appearances related to Pixar Animation Studios films, such as Bing Bong from Inside Out and Joe Gardner from Soul.
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Select dates in April, the hotel will welcome another favorite Pixar character: WALL-E! WALL-E’s story is all about preserving Earth’s natural resources, making him a nice fit for Earth Month.
Guests can meet WALL-E in the lobby of Pixar Place Hotel on April 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2026. Disney has not announced WALL-E’s meet and greet times.
WALL-E is a very rare character who usually only appears during special events and does not have a regular character greeting in any Disney theme park.
Meeting WALL-E is a great opportunity to see some high-tech Disney magic in action. WALL-E is one of Disney’s only meet and greet characters represented as an Audio-Animatronics figure rather than a performer in a costume. The new Olaf Audio-Animatronic that just debuted is an advanced step forward from WALL-E’s earlier technology.
Free Screenings of New Streaming Series
To celebrate Earth Month, a new National Geographic docuseries titled Secrets of the Bees will debut on Disney+ on April 1, 2026.
Disneyland Hotel will screen episodes of Secrets of the Bees all day from April 1–30, 2026, next to the hotel’s Frontier Lawn. We can picture this as a relaxing way to decompress after spending a full day in the parks.
Previous National Geographic series, such as Secrets of the Elephants, Secrets of the Whales, and Secrets of the Penguins, have provided unprecedented glimpses into the lives of fascinating animals. We expect Secrets of the Bees to be similarly insightful and captivating.
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Behind-the-Scenes Horticulture Presentation and Craft
Cast members from Disneyland Resort’s horticulture team will share a special Earth Month presentation about how insects help the beautiful gardens throughout the parks and hotel grounds. The cast members will also lead guests in a craft to recycle theme park maps into origami bees!
This free presentation will take place on April 2, 4, 9, 16, 23, and 30, 2026, at 10:30 AM on Frontier Lawn at Disneyland Hotel.
The horticulture presentation is a nice way to learn behind-the-scenes insight about Disney’s operations without spending money on a backstage tour. The origami park maps make for a fun, free souvenir, too.
Easter Egg Hunt
Easter Sunday is April 5, 2026, and Disneyland Resort will celebrate with a free party for guests staying at any of its three on-site hotels: Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, or Pixar Place Hotel.
Guests can visit the Disneyland Hotel Ballroom anytime from 9 AM – 12 PM for an Easter egg hunt, crafts, and photo-ops. As a free family-friendly activity, this is a great option for guests taking it slow during the busy Easter weekend rather than rushing to the parks.
More Disneyland News for April
In addition to the hotel perks happening in April, Disneyland has a lot more excitement this month, including a free Disney Channel throwback party, another round of Disneyland After Dark special events, and the highly anticipated timeline expansion with the original Star Wars trilogy in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
If you’re headed to Disneyland in April, check out our guide with April tips and planning advice, and our list of all the popcorn buckets available.
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