Crowd Mass Overtakes Disneyland Area During Character Meet-And-Greet
A recent character debut at Disneyland Paris Resort led to a major crowding incident. On July 23, The Thing (Ben Grimm) made his surprise debut at Avengers Campus in Walt Disney Studios Park, but the excitement quickly turned to chaos as guests ignored the queue and mobbed the character for selfies.
Things are about to heat up around here! Starting today, Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, is heading to Marvel Avengers Campus for a limited time only. Catch The Fantastic Four: First Steps at cinemas now!
#DisneylandParis #DisneyParks #TheFantasticFour #MarvelAvengersCampus
Things are about to heat up around here! Starting today, Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, is heading to Marvel Avengers Campus for a limited time only. Catch The Fantastic Four: First Steps at cinemas now!#DisneylandParis #DisneyParks #TheFantasticFour #MarvelAvengersCampus pic.twitter.com/J9HB8ksYag
— Disneyland Paris EN (@DisneyParis_EN) July 23, 2025
In celebration of the new Marvel Studios film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), Disneyland Paris introduced The Thing at a selfie spot-style meet-and-greet, vastly different from the traditional one-on-one character experiences fans are used to. Instead of offering individual interactions, the European Disney park set up a selfie spot for guests to take photos with the oversized character in a more casual, group-oriented setup.
However, things didn’t go as smoothly as planned. As described by @DLPReport on X (formerly known as Twitter), the situation quickly escalated into chaos:
The Thing selfie spot is pure Disneyland Paris chaos with Guests piling up around the area instead of the queue. Many are also frustrated that this is not a traditional meet and greet.
On the bright side, due to cinema release window in France, we are getting this super cool character first!
The Thing selfie spot is pure Disneyland Paris chaos with Guests piling up around the area instead of the queue. Many are also frustrated that this is not a traditional meet and greet.
On the bright side, due to cinema release window in France, we are getting this super cool… pic.twitter.com/lANH1IWKUz— DLP Report (@DLPReport) July 23, 2025
The crowding issue became so pronounced that some wondered whether a traditional meet-and-greet would have been a better fit for the new character. Without the structure of a regular character interaction, visitors found themselves navigating through a sea of people, making the experience less enjoyable for everyone involved.
There has been no official word on whether Disneyland Paris Resort will adjust the format of The Thing’s appearance moving forward.
For fans of other Disney parks, the chance to meet The Thing and other members of The Fantastic Four is just around the corner. Starting on July 25, Mister Fantastic, The Thing, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and H.E.R.B.I.E. will greet guests in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park. Hong Kong Disneyland will also welcome the Thing and the Invisible Woman on July 23. Like Disneyland Paris, these appearances will be limited-time events.
What’s the scariest experience you’ve had at Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, or an international Disney park? Let Disney Dining know in the comments!
