We Wish These 8 Rare Disneyland After Dark Characters Would Appear In the Parks Year-Round

The Disneyland Resort is unique in that guests can usually spot roaming characters throughout the park. On a typical day at Disneyland you can usually find Alice, Mad Hatter, Evil Queen, Peter Pan, and Gepetto walking around designated areas found on the Disneyland app and interacting with guests. There are also more rare characters, such as the Beast and Gaston, that make appearances as well. Even Wolverine and Deadpool have recently been making special appearances during the day in Disney California Adventure!

Despite these magical interactions, there are many special characters that you can only meet at Disneyland After Dark events that we wish would appear in the parks year round. Disneyland After Dark events are seperately ticketed events take place after normal park hours in either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure. During these events, there is a special theme in addition to rare character sightings, merchandise, food, entertainment, and little to no wait on select attractions. These events bring in rare characters as well as classic characters dressed in special attire that matches the theme of each After Dark event. 

We often enjoy Disneyland After Dark events throughout the year, and one of our favorite things to do is spot rare characters that only seem to make appearances during these special events! Below is our top rare Disneyland After Dark characters that we wish would appear in the parks year round!

1. Luke and Leia

During Star Wars Nite, guests have unique opportunities to meet various characters from the Star Wars universe that aren't typically seen during regular park hours. In 2024, there were eight opportunities to experience Star Wars Nite which took place between mid April and early May. As huge Star Wars fans, this was one of our favorite Disneyland After Dark Events! Not only were there rare characters, but guests could also partake in lightsaber training, unique Star Wars photo opportunities, and special food items such as Degobah-bite Beignets with a green matcha dipping sauce.

One of our favorite meet and greets during Star Wars Nite was Luke and Leia with R2-D2 dressed in their outfits from Episode IV: A New Hope. This was very cool to see based on the fact guests can typically only see characters from the sequel films and other Disney+ produced shows during regular park hours. Although the timeline wouldn't match up very well with Disneyland's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge area, we would love to see Luke and Leia make other appearances at Disneyland!

2. C-3PO

Another rare character we met during Star Wars Nite was C-3PO! This quirky droid was greeting guests as they made their way through various rare character greetings including Darth Maul, Padme Amidala, General Palpatine, Ewoks, and Jawas.

Typically the only time guests can see C-3PO at Disneyland is on the Star Tours attraction, however during Star Wars Nite they are able to get up close and personal to C-3P0. These rare characters at Star Wars Nite are amongst several characters we wish we could see roaming the Disneyland parks year-round!

3. Agatha Harkness

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There are so many amazing character greetings during Disneyland's Oogie Boogie Bash! Although the Oogie Boogie Bash is not considered a Disney After Dark event, it is similar in that it is a seperately-ticketed, after hours event. This Halloween inspired after hours party is arguably Disneyland's best after hours event, especially because it typically sells out as soon as tickets are released! This year, the Oogie Boogie Bash takes place on multiple dates between August 23rd and October 31st. These dates fall on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and the Halloween event takes place at Disney California Adventure park.

A big reason why the Oogie Boogie Bash is so popular is due to the rare characters, notably the villains, that make appearances throughout the night. Disneyland does a great job of moving guests through the lines in order to meet all of these characters that are rarely seen in the parks. If you're lucky enough to attend the event, make sure you don't miss Agatha Harkness from the WandaVision franchise! Although Agatha attracts a big crowd, it's worth the interaction as you make your way through the trick or treat stations.

4. Jack and Sally

One of my favorite Disney couples that I would love to see in the Disneyland parks year round is Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas! Typically Jack and Sally don't have a dedicated meet and greet during Oogie Boogie Bash. However, guests can usually spot them during the Frightfully Fun Parade that takes place during Oogie Boogie Bash. 

Jack and Sally can be seen during regular park hours throughout the Halloween season in New Orleans Square in the late morning through the afternoon. However, this only occurs during the Halloween season, and the times and locations are not always predictable. Jack and Sally also meet guests at Walt Disney World's Halloween after hours event, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. However, the line is typically extremely long for this rare character meet and greet.

Due to the mass popularity, we would love to see Jack and Sally at the Disneyland parks year round!

5. Angel

Stitch is a very popular character seen throughout the Disneyland parks, however, we rarely get to see Angel! Fortunately, guests can usually find Angel with Stitch during Sweethearts' Nite, which takes place at Disneyland Park in January and February of each year. This After Dark event is a celebration of love and focuses on a Disney couples theme. 

Guests can find Angel and Stitch at their dance party at the Tomorrowland stage. Although we love that Angel makes an appearance during this fun Disneyland After Dark event, her appearances are very rare, and we wish we could see more of her year round! 

6. Aristocat Kittens

Although not technically a Disney After Dark event, we love catching the Aristocat kittens during Disneyland's New Year's Eve party! Guests can interact and meet these adorable kittens during their holiday dance party at the Tomorrowland stage.

The Aristocat kittens, especially Toulouse and Berlioz, are almost never seen at the Disneyland parks. This is extremely unfortunate and a missed opportunity for many Aristocat fans, including myself! I would absolutely love to see more regularly scheduled appearances from these kittens at Disneyland!

7. Cruella

Another great addition to the Oogie Boogie Bash character lineup is young Cruella from the 2021 film Cruella. This was one of my favorite villain interactions when I went to Oogie Boogie Bash last year! With rumors of a 2025 Cruella 2 release date, it would be amazing to see her more make more appearances throughout the parks year round. 

8. Phineas and Ferb

Disney Channel Nite premiered for two nights only in March 2024, and it was a huge hit, especially for those who grew up watching Disney Channel TV shows in the early to mid 2000s! One of my favorite TV shows growing up was Phineas and Ferb, and they made a rare appearance during this Disney After Dark event! They hosted a dance party at the Tomorrowland stage with Perry the Platypus, aka Agent P, throughout the evening. 

Phineas and Ferb have only ever made appearances at Disney World's Jollywood Nights, so Disneyland guests were very excited to see them at Disneyland! I would love to see them more often throughout the year. 

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