Character Meet and Greets at the Disneyland Resort- What You Need To Know!

Meeting your favorite characters at Disneyland is one of the highlights of any Disney vacation! Getting the special picture with Mickey Mouse or your favorite Disney princess is nothing short of magical! Character meet and greets at the Disneyland resort are back! Due to the pandemic, they had been modified, but now they’re back and better than ever!

In this article, I’ll talk all about which characters you can find at Disneyland(sorted by land), how to find them, and fun ways to interact with them! I’ll also talk about character dining because that’s a great way to meet characters too! Meeting characters at Disneyland is so much fun!

Please be aware that Disneyland and all Disney theme parks require a park ticket and a park reservation to enter. You must have both. You can make your park reservations 120 days in advance. Please don’t pay full price for your park tickets! Discount Disney park tickets are available. My partners at Get Away Today have discount tickets and hotels available!

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Character Meet and Greets At The Disneyland Resort

Characters are very common at Disneyland. You won’t have any trouble having a character meet and greet at the Disneyland resort! This guide is meant to give you an idea of where you might find some of your favorite Disney characters. Some of the characters can be found on the app(more info later) while some of them just pop up! You really never know who you might run into, which is part of the magic of Disneyland.

Characters At Disneyland

Let’s talk about which characters you can find at Disneyland. I’ve organized this list by land, to hopefully make it a little easier.

Main Street U.S.A, Town Square

You can always find a few popular characters hanging around Town Square. Here’s who you might see:

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Pluto
• Goofy
• Donald
• Daisy
• Chip & Dale
• Cruella

Pixie Hollow

Pixie Hollow is a magical place for character interactions! Here’s who you might see:

• Tinker Bell
• Tinker Bell’s fairy friends

Tomorrowland, Star Wars Launch Bay

Star Wars Launch Bay is a fun place to meet Disneyland characters. They are usually characters from Star Wars, but you never know who will turn up!

• Captain Phasma
• Stitch

Fantasyland, near “it’s a small world” and walking Fantasyland.

This is a good place to catch a glimpse of some of the more rare characters! These characters are not on a set schedule on the app. They just pop up and you never know who might run into! You might see:

• Aladdin
• Jasmin
• Genie
• Pinocchio
• Geppetto
• Mary Poppins
• Bert
• Merida
• Peter Pan
• Wendy
• Captain Hook
• Alice In Wonderland
• Mad Hatter
• White Rabbit
• Cinderella
• Fairy Godmother
• Belle
• Gaston
• Elena of Avalor

Fantasyland, Royal Hall

This is the place to meet your favorite Disney princesses! The princesses rotate throughout the day, so you never know who you will meet, but it will be two of these three:

• Cinderella
• Ariel
• Belle
• Snow White

Outside the Royal Hall in Fantasy Faire you might run into:

• Rapunzel
• Flynn Rider
• Gaston
• Tiana
• Elena of Avalor

Galaxy’s Edge

This is the place to see your favorite star wars characters! The characters here are not on a set schedule. They just wander around from time to time. You might see:

• Storm troopers
• Kylo Ren
• Rey
• Chewbacca

Critter Country, Pooh’s Thotful Spot

Critter Country is one of my favorite places to meet characters at Disneyland. It’s such a fun atmosphere over there! You might see:

• Winnie the Pooh
• Tigger
• Eeyore
• Rabbit

New Orleans Square

Be careful! You might spot a pirate or two wandering around New Orleans Square near the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. You might see:

• Captain Jack Sparrow
• Red The Pirate
• Tiana(she often rides on the Mark Twain River Boat)

Frontierland

Occasionally you might be able to see characters in Frontierland, but not very often. You might see:

• Miguel from Coco
• Mirabel from Encanto

Characters At Disney California Adventure Park

Let’s talk about which characters you can find at Disneyland. I’ve organized this list by land, to hopefully make it a little easier.

Buena Vista Street, Carthay Circle

Here’s who you might see around the main hub of Buena Vista Street:

• Daisy Duck
• Donald Duck
• Goofy
• Pluto
• Minnie Mouse
• Mickey Mouse
• Oswald
• Chip & Dale
• Elsa
• Anna
• Clarabelle
• Horace
• Snow White
• Dopey
• Citizens of Buena Vista Street

Grizzly Peak, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

There’s a special Disneyland character meet and greet here inspired by the movie, Raya And The Last Dragon!

• Raya

Grizzly Peak

Sometimes you’ll run into a few of the bears from the old bear country jamboree show here. You might see:

• Wendell
• Big Al

Pacific Wharf, San Francisco Street

In this location, you can often find the main characters from the movie Zootopia. You might see:

• Judy Hops
• Nick Wilde

Paradise Garden Park

Characters at this location rotate often depending on the time of year, but you can usually find:

• Mirabel from Encanto

Pixar Pier

There are lots of characters to meet on Pixar Pier! You might see:

• Joy
• Sadness
• Bo Beep
• Jessie
• Buzz Lightyear
• Woody
• Toy Soldiers
• Sully
• Mr. Incredible
• Mrs. Incredible
• Edna Mode
• Frozone

Carsland

You’re sure to spot one of your favorite cars in Carsland! You might see:

• Lightning Mcqueen
• Mater
• Red

Avengers Campus

If you’re a Marvel fan, you’re going to want to check this out! You might see:

• Spider-man
• Iron Man
• Captain America
• Thor
• Black Panther
• Warriors of Wakanda
• Captain Marvel
• Ant Man
• Wasp
• Groot
• Captain Marvel
• Dr. Strange
• Wanda
• Moon Knight
• Black Widow

Finding Characters At Disneyland

You can find the characters using the Disneyland app! Some characters roam around and are never listed on the app. However, there are lots of characters that are listed, and here’s an easy way to find them!

​1. Install and open the Disneyland app. 

 2. Click on the map icon.

 3. Click the arrow next to attractions.

4. Select the character you’d like to see from the drop-down menu. 

5. Select “show list” in the right-hand corner.

6. Select the character you’d like to see.

 7. Up pops all the appearance times for the day and where you can find them! 

Be sure to check appearance times first thing in the morning so you don’t miss out on seeing your favorite characters. You can also bring an autograph book for the characters to sign. That makes a fun souvenir!

Interacting With Characters

Interacting with characters can be so much fun! Of course, there are many characters like Mickey Mouse, who aren’t able to respond to you verbally, but they will respond in their own way and it’s very fun! I like to chat with my kids before our visits and brainstorm different things to ask the characters. This gives my kids a little bit more confidence when they are interacting with their favorite Disney characters. Sometimes, they get tongue-tied, but if we’ve thought of things to talk about in advance, it’s much easier for them!

Of course, you don’t have to ask the characters anything. They are great at giving hugs and taking pictures! So, whatever you decide to do will be great. Here are some ideas:

• Ask Mickey Mouse if he loves Minnie Mouse
• Ask Minnie Mouse how many pairs of shoes she has
• Ask Ariel what Flounder is up to
• Ask Tigger to bounce with you
• Ask Captain Hook if he’s seen the crocodile around lately
• Ask Donald Duck where Mickey is
• Ask Sleeping Beauty if she’s tired
• Ask Cinderella if glass shoes hurt her feet
• Ask Gaston if he’s found a wife yet
• Tell the Mad Hatter or Alice that it’s your unbirthday
• Tell Peter Pan that you never want to grow up
• Complement any of the characters’ outfits
• Ask any of the characters to dance with you

Just a few ideas for you! Have fun thinking of lots more things you can ask your favorite characters!

Character Dining

Character dining is a great way to meet characters when visiting Disneyland park. Character dining is a bit different than the traditional character meet and greet and might be perfect for your family. With character dining, the characters come to your table while you’re eating and interact with you. This is a great way to meet them and get some special one-on-one time without waiting in long lines! Plus, you get some yummy food out of the deal too!

There are four options for character dining at the Disneyland Resort. Here’s a quick overview of each of them.

Character dining is very popular and reservations are highly recommended. You can make reservations 60 days in advance using the Disneyland app or on the Disneyland website. If you don’t make reservations, you can check in with the restaurant on the day you’re visiting to see if they can accommodate you.

Minnie and Friends- Breakfast in the park

This dining experience is the only one that happens inside the parks. You’ll need a valid park admission for this dining experience. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at the Plaza Inn on Main Street with Minnie Mouse and her friends.

There is ample indoor and outdoor seating at this location. I prefer to eat indoors just because I’m closer to the food and I feel like I see a few more characters this way.

Breakfast includes Mickey waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, and a made-to-order omelet station. There’s an assortment of cereals and a variety of muffins, danishes, fruit, and pastries.

Before you are seated for breakfast, you’ll meet Minnie Mouse and get a picture with her. A digital copy of this photo is included with your breakfast via the Disneyland app.

In addition to Minnie Mouse, you can expect to see Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Chip and Dale, and some of the mice from Cinderella(Suzy and Perla). Occasionally, Captain Hook, the fairy Godmother. or Pinnochio will join in the fun too. The characters do a good job stopping in at each table and interacting with the guest. They’re happy to pose for photos, so make sure you have your camera ready!

Minnie and Friends- Breakfast in the parks costs $41 for adults and $24 for kids ages 3-9. Kids under 3 are free.

Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast Buffet

Located at the Storyteller’s Cafe inside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, this fun character dining experience is available for breakfast and brunch.

Breakfast includes assorted pastries, muffins, and danishes, fruit, carved meats, eggs, Mickey waffles and pancakes, seasonal french toast and chilli Verde Chilaquiles.

You can expect to see Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Chip, and Dale. The characters do a good job of roaming around the tables and interacting with guests. They’re happy to take photos so, make sure you have your cameras ready!

Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast Buffet costs $49 for adults and $29 for kids ages 3-9. Kids under 3 are free.

Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures

Located at the Napa Rose inside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, this 3-course meal includes delicious food and activities with some of your favorite princesses!

From the Disneyland website: Kids can let their imaginations soar during one-of-a-kind Princess-themed activities. Upon arrival, Disney Princesses are waiting to greet you and share in your hopes and dreams prior to taking a photo on a beautiful private patio. You may take part in storytime with Belle or learn some fierce warrior poses with Mulan. Young adventurers are presented with a special keepsake to take back to your home kingdom to remember your magical morning!

Breakfast includes a 3-course meal with things like 3 tier tower of appetizers, princess waffles, and royal desserts.

You can expect to see many of your favorite princesses who will be available for pictures!

The cost is $125 for adults and kids

Goofy’s Kitchen

Located inside the Disneyland Hotel, this fun character dining experience is available for breakfast and dinner.

For breakfast, you can enjoy a buffet with things like Mickey Mouse pancakes and waffles, french toast, bacon, and sausage along with Goofy’s famous peanut butter pizza.

For dinner, you can enjoy a buffet with things like assorted pizza, Mac and Cheese, a carving station, and frozen yogurt.

You can expect to meet Goofy at the entrance before you sit down for your meal. You might also see Chip & Dale, Minnie, and Pluto roaming around. They do a good job of coming to each table to meet their fans. Have your cameras ready!

Cost is $39 per adult and $23 for kids 3-9 for Breakfast and $43 per adult and $25 for kids 3-9 for dinner.

I hope this guide to character meet and greets at the Disneyland Resort was helpful for you! Meeting characters at Disneyland is so much fun and I’m sure you’re going to create so many special memories with them on your next visit.

Make sure to check out my podcast for lots of Disney planning information! You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Just search for “Mix In Some Magic” Follow me on Instagram for more Disney tips and lots of Disney fun!