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Part of what makes going to Disney entertaining is the ability to bury ourselves in our favorite stories. Disney Parks have long since been an escape from reality where anything can happen, from experiencing magical moments to bumping into your favorite characters like Mickey Mouse or Tinkerbell.
Credit: Disney
Since its inception, Disney has built a long list of lovable, often iconic characters. Donald Duck, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Cinderella all have helped make the most magical company the world has ever seen. For this reason, you’d expect those same memorable faces to be available at Disney theme parks worldwide. Well, good news, they are!
New Characters Coming
Walt Disney World and Disneyland aren’t just home to amazing food and attractions; they’re also alive, offering real-life storytelling to guests who suddenly find themselves right in the middle of the action.
This immersive experience allows guests to help Peter Pan find the Lost Boys in Adventureland or aid in Cinderella’s Step-Sister’s ongoing search for a husband. The character meet-and-greet experiences at Disney Parks are part of what sets Walt Disney World and Disneyland far beyond other brands.
Credit: Disney
As Disney’s catalog of properties grows, their ability to add new characters to their theme parks expands. Getting brand new character experiences like Bruno and Mirabel from Encanto (2021) is always an exciting time. Although we all love meeting Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Disney Princesses, there’s something incredibly magical when a new Disney park characters makes their way to one of the parks.
New IPs Mean New Characters
Disney, being a conglomerate, has access to a plethora of characters and properties to pull from for inclusion as meet-and-greets at Disney World or Disneyland.
Coming off of large Star Wars and Marvel acquisitions, it isn’t uncommon to run into the Mandalorian, Boba Fett, Black Panther, or even Spider-man when visiting Disney parks.
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Typically, these limited-time appearances make their way to Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World or Avengers Campus at Disneyland in efforts to help promote new films and shows on Disney+.
We’ve seen Disney characters such as Ahsoka, Grogu, and even Sabine Wren from Star Wars make their way to Disney Parks to promote the new Ahsoka (2023) series which aired earlier this fall on Disney’s streaming service.
Why Character Meets Are So Special
Cast members at Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT understand how unique and influential Disney characters are to our everyday lives.
Because of this, they take their roles very seriously, offering amazing interactions for adults and children alike. It means the world to guests who ador characters like Peter Pan to see him playfully making jokes along the pathways of Magic Kingdom or to meet Rapunzel or Tiana at the Princess Fairytale Hall.
Disney
Disney character meet-and-greets are, simply put, a huge part of the magic we get to experience at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or even within a Disney resort hotel.
It doesn’t really matter if it’s a face character or not, getting a hug from your favorite Disney character is just part of the perfect Disney day, right? Whether it’s Daisy Duck, Jack Skellington, or Tinkerbell at Town Square Theatre, just getting to see our favorite storied Disney characters jump to life off of screens and pages is an incredibly magical experience.
Some characters are reflective of our childhoods, bringing back long-lost memories of a time when pirates, princesses, and fairies were real. Seeing Mickey Mouse at Tusker House during character dining at Animal Kingdom or meeting Mary Poppins at EPCOT just makes us feel good. So, it’s beautiful to see that Disney has plans to continue with brand new meet-and-greets.
More Characters Coming to Disneyland
Although Disney World faithful were just treated to the introduction of Mirable and Bruno to Magic Kingdom, they’ll have to sit this one out- again.
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Much like the introduction of Bo Katan and Ahsoka from Star Wars, Disneyland is getting another exclusive, limit-time character meet experience instead of Galaxy’s Edge, this time in Avengers Campus.
Beginning today, according to Scott Gustin on X, “guests may encounter Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Captain Monica Rambeau in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park.”
NEW: Beginning today for a limited time, guests may encounter Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan and Captain Monica Rambeau in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park. pic.twitter.com/LvwRo0yr1x
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) November 10, 2023
As The Marvels (2023) has blasted its way into theatres, introducing a new chapter in the extremely popular MCU franchise, Disney is sparing no expense in bringing to life some of the amazing feminine heroes for their newest film.
Joining other MCU characters meets already existing around Avengers Campus at Disneyland, such as Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Thor, and Black Widow, these newest Avenger additions are sure to have Marvel fans lining up for miles for a chance to meet Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau.
Why Does Disneyland Get All the Cool Meets?
Disney World fans have to be wondering why they seem to get left out on many of the exciting and cool character meets that take place at Disney parks. When it comes to Marvel, the answer is simple.
Due to character distribution agreements, only certain Marvel characters can be used by Disney east of the Mississippi River. This is why you’ll find Guardians of the Galaxy characters at EPCOT, but not Hulk or Spider-man.
Credit: Disney and Marvel
As for Star Wars characters, that one is a bit more challenging to understand. Although Disney World did get the introduction of Din Djarin to Galaxy’s Edge, they missed out on a few high-profile Disney park characters that were exclusive to Disneyland.
Although Disney World guests are happy with meeting Safari Mickey Mouse at Animal Kingdom or Woody in Toy Story Land, I’m sure I speak for them all when I say that it would be nice to get a little Marvel love on the east coast, too!
