Turning Red Characters Could Be Coming Soon to Disneyland

Disneyland often brings news characters to Disneyland something we have seen consistently in both Avengers Campus and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Disney characters are a popular experience at the resort whether guests enjoy character dining, meet and greets with characters or simply watching them in the Disneyland parades.

According to a recent casting announcement, Disney Live Entertainment is asking for performers to apply for casting as characters from Pixar's Turning Red so we might see them appear at Disneyland.

Which Turning Red Characters Will Be At Disneyland?

The characters advertised in this casting call include Miriam, Abby, Priya, Jin Lee, and all five 4*Town band members. The notable absence from this casting call is Mei, the main character who turns into a red panda in the film, which makes me wonder if she would be incorporated into these appearances in the red panda costume.

When Are Turning Red Characters Coming to Disneyland?

In the casting notice, these character appearances will be for “upcoming special events at Disneyland” and cast members must be available three days per week.

What Special Event is Coming Soon to Disneyland?

So the real speculation here is, what special event at Disneyland will these Turning Red characters be featured at? The hint of a special event makes it clear these may not be permanent character appearances nor will these be part of a show. (Although I would love to see Hyperion Theater not sitting empty since Rogers The Musical was so short-lived!)

While Disneyland is currently in full swing for Halloween at Disneyland including Oogie Boogie Bash, this casting call is likely not in connection with Halloween or even the upcoming holiday season at Disneyland. 

The most likely reason is for the upcoming runDisney Disneyland Half-Marathon which will take place at Disneyland. runDisney will return to the Disneyland Resort with the Half Marathon Weekend from January 11-14, 2024. The weekend will include a 5K, 1oK, half marathon, and challenge (10K and half marathon). This is the first time runDisney has returned to Disneyland since 2017. Usually, runDisney marathons are filled with special character appearances and it is possible this may be where guests can expect to see the Turning Red characters appearing.

Another possibility is Disneyland Lunar New Year which usually takes place January through February with most of the celebration taking place in California Adventure. Not many details have been released quite yet for the 2024 Disneyland Lunar New Year but it could be possible that these Turning Red characters will make appearances at the celebration. The Disneyland Lunar New Year recognizes Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures in their celebration, and incorporating Turning Red characters would make sense since the film focuses on Chinese traditions and the protagonist Meilin “Mei” Lee is a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian.

It is always exciting to see new Disneyland characters come to the resort and I hope this inclusion includes a fun performance from 4*Town! It also may be possible, although unlikely, that the characters could be used for meetings or corporate events that will never be seen by the public.

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