Looking to Meet Disneyland Paris Characters? Here Are the 10 Places You NEED TO KNOW to Find All of Them
The record for the longest I have ever waited to meet Disneyland Paris characters was in March 2023. For 3 hours and 20 minutes, I queued to meet The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda. Was it worth it? Well… If you’d asked me at 3 hours and 19 minutes, I’d have said no! But then little Grogu was sooo cute, and Mando in his mysterious helmet was impressive as well. So, I’d probably do it all over again. And that’s why you might call me a character nut! Here I will reveal the 10 places you must know about to find all the rarest and most exciting Disneyland Paris characters. Just say ‘Hi’ to Grogu for me…
This Disneyland Paris Character Guide will cover:
- The 10 places you need to know about to meet characters in Disneyland Paris
- A complete list of ALL the Disneyland Paris Characters
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You Might Be Surprised at Where the Characters Are NOT…
If you are coming to Disneyland Paris for the first time, you might assume that Disneyland Paris characters are just out there roaming the parks, right? From the adverts, it looks like you can bump into Cinderella and Mickey Mouse just by being there.
Sadly, that is not the case! It is becoming extremely rare to see Disneyland Paris characters wandering the parks. You can blame their ever-growing popularity for that. Guests mobbed around the characters, causing safety issues. Arguments would break out, children got stepped on, and no sensible queue was formed.
Hence, character meets are almost exclusively more structured these days.
10 Different Places to Meet Disneyland Paris Characters and Disney Princesses
There are ten different types of character meets in Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios.
1. Some characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and the Disney Princesses are a permanent meet-and-greet attraction. These have a scheduled time you can find in the Disneyland Paris app. And, these characters meet in their designated buildings.
2. Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Widow and some of the other Avengers characters are also in designated spaces. They are available to meet at the Hero Training Center by joining the Virtual Queue once you are inside Walt Disney Studios. Simply click on that option in the Disneyland Paris app, and it will give you the next available time to register.
3. Other characters are scheduled for less formal meet-and-greets in Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios. Characters from Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin and more of Mickey’s friends are also scheduled in the Disneyland Paris app.
4. Arguably, the easiest way to meet a character is by booking a character meal. Cinderella, her mice and two other Disney princesses are at Auberge de Cendrillon. Tigger, Pluto, Mickey, Minnie and more are at Plaza Gardens character meals. Disney royal couples (ie Ariel/Prince Eric, Aurora/Prince Phillip) and Royal Mickey and Minnie are at the Disneyland Hotel.
5. There are still more characters casually dotted around the parks. They will not be listed in the Disneyland Paris app, but times are signposted in that location. For example, spot Chip and Dale in Adventureland. A Winnie the Pooh character usually meets across from Casey Jr (often it is Brer Rabbit or Piglet), and Woody or Jesse are found in Worlds of Pixar. Other characters will meet near restaurants and eateries like Plaza Gardens (Tigger/Eeyore), The Old Mill (Stitch), and Cowboy Cookout (Western-style Minnie/Goofy/Pluto). So keep an eye out for signs showing character schedules for that location.
6. Are you happy to just get a wave from a character? All of the Disneyland Paris parades feature Disney Princesses and Princes, Mickey and friends, and many more characters from popular films like The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Encanto, Coco, Sleeping Beauty and more. If you wave enthusiastically and catch their eye, you will likely get a wave back. And it’s not uncommon for characters to stop for a quick hug or photo with a child wearing a costume of that same character.
7. The Disneyland Paris hotels also offer scheduled character meet-and-greets. Though they are designed for hotel guests, anyone is allowed to see these characters in the lobby of Hotel Santa Fe, Hotel Cheyenne, Newport Bay and Sequoia Lodge. These classic Disney characters (usually Mickey, Goofy, Donald, or Daisy) either meet mid-morning or in the evening, check with the hotel for their current character schedule.
8. Other Disneyland Paris hotels have characters only for their own hotel guests. The Disneyland Hotel has a Princess meet-and-greet that you book when you check in. Disney’s Art of Marvel Hotel New York has an exclusive Avengers area; it is also available to book when you check in.
9. Did you know there are character meeting perks to having a Disneyland Pass? Annual Passholder Parties happen 3-4 times throughout the year, and if you are a character nut (like me), this is the perfect opportunity to see some real gems. Not only are there huge numbers of classic characters out on the night, but the rarest of characters make an appearance, too. Unfortunately, they no longer do meet-and-greets at the parties, and photos are a bit harder to take. It is more of a walk-by and wave experience. But you do get to see rare characters perform in exclusive shows.
On other occasions, there are Annual Passholder Pop-Up Events. For very limited dates (and for a very limited number of guests), a pair of ‘rare and iconic’ characters are available to meet in the old annual passholder building (near the Castle Stage). Recently it was Oswald or Ortensia and Tinkerbell. Currently, it is Clarice Chipmunk and Goofy’s son Max. To book, check out the privileges section on your Annual Pass Portal.
10. And finally, if you are very lucky, you may indeed see a character walking through the park. They usually won’t stop for an autograph, but you can talk to them while they are on the go. It is more common to see roaming characters on the busiest park days near Halloween, Christmas, Easter and in the Summer season. In recent visits, I have seen Capt Jack Sparrow and Jafar in Adventureland. And Lady Tremaine and Cinderella’s Stepsister, Anastasia and Drizella, were in Fantasyland over Halloween.
The Cast: Complete Disneyland Paris Characters List (updated Spring 2024)
Now that you know where to find the characters in Disneyland Paris, you will want to know everyone you can meet.
🤓 GOOD TO KNOW Unfortunately, nothing is for certain in the world of Disneyland Paris character meets, except for Mickey Mouse (and even he goes on hiatus once in a while). So, keep a close eye on the Disneyland Paris App character schedule to see who is meeting on the particular day of your visit.
Disneyland Paris Characters That Meet Regularly in the Parks (and Where To Find Them)
Disneyland Park
✏️ PRO TIP You will only meet one Disneyland Paris Princess at random. This is one of the most surprising tips for first-timers.
Walt Disney Studios
?! FAQ Are there Marvel Characters at Disneyland Paris?
If you are a Marvel fan, you will be in your element as Disneyland Paris has its own Marvel Avengers Campus.
Not only can you see the Avengers in various training exercises around the Campus, but you can also book a character meet with Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Widow and other Avengers using Virtual Queue.
How To Use Virtual Queue for Disneyland Paris Characters
If you are an old-school Disneyland Paris fan, you will remember using Lineberty to book character meets. Virtual Queue is a similar, updated system.
To see Spider-Man or another Avenger at the Hero Training Center, you will need to be in Walt Disney Studios Park and use the Disneyland Paris App. Here are the exact steps to follow to book a Virtual Queue for Spider-Man and the Avengers:
- Enter Walt Disney Studios Park. You must be in the park to book Virtual Queue.
- Go on the Disneyland Paris app. ✏️ PRO TIP Make sure your tickets are linked to your account. Select ‘Characters’ and choose ‘Hero Training Center’. Tap ‘Join the Queue.’
- The next screen will ask you to choose the Spider-Man Heroic Encounter OR MARVEL Super Hero Encounter. Both will give you a button to ‘select this experience’ which you should tap. Or, it will tell you when the next Virtual Queue will open so you can try again for a later spot. You need to be logged in to your MyDisney account to book it.
- When it is time to meet your selected character, you will get a notification on your phone. (Make sure notifications are switched on.) You can bring up to 5 guests with you.
- A PhotoPass Photographer will be on hand to take your pictures. If you don’t have PhotoPass, you will get a temporary card. You can look at your photos on a viewing computer near the exit to see your pictures and decide if you wish to purchase them. For the MARVEL Encounter, there’s an added photo opportunity: a 180° multi-frame photo. It is currently €80 for unlimited photos with the PhotoPass and I believe it is around €18 for a single photo.
Over To You..
Meeting Disneyland Paris Characters is an essential must-do in my book. The butterflies every time I meet my BFF Minnie Mouse are unreal!
I hope this post helped you find your favourite Disney characters. 👉 Let me know in the comments who you want to meet or who your children want to meet.
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