Credit: Twitter @ScottGustinGuests visiting a Disney Park can always anticipate meeting Mickey, Disney Princesses, friends from the Hundred Acre Wood, and many other classic characters that the company and Parks are known for. But how about the Power Rangers? Or Tom & Jerry? Or even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
Believe it or not, all of those characters and more were once available to meet at Disney Parks around the world. Some of them were characters from since-forgotten Disney films and television shows, some were licensing agreements with Disney, and others were characters invented for the Parks themselves. With the announcement of Pete appearing at Toontown in Disneyland for the first time ever, let’s take a look at some of the weirdest and rarest characters to ever appear in Disney Parks.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The famous heroes in a half shell were an absolute phenomenon in the ’80s and ’90s. They were absolutely everywhere and on everything – think of how often you saw Frozen within the first few years of its release, and then double that. They were never Disney characters, but Disney licensed them for a TMNT stage show in the New York area of Disney’s MGM Studios (which is now Disney’s Hollywood Studios). The show lasted from 1990-1996, and the Turtles disappeared from Disney after that. They were last seen as meetable characters at the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park in the American Dream Mall.
Barbie
Did you know that Barbie used to have her own stage show at EPCOT? As part of Barbie’s birthday celebrations and a licensing deal with Mattel, the Magical World of Barbie premiered at the American Gardens Theater in 1993. Barbie was dubbed EPCOT’s “Ambassador of Friendship” and would ride around the World Showcase in a pink limo when she wasn’t doing her show. There’s even a special VHS tape, Barbie Birthday Party, which was a short special featuring Barbie and friends exploring EPCOT. The show ended in 1995, but we have the licensing deal with Mattel to thank for the roof above the America Gardens Theater!
Characters from Goosebumps
Did you love the Goosebumps books as a child? Did you know you could see some of the characters from the books at Disney’s MGM Studios? Goosebumps HorrorLand Fright Show played at the Park from October 1997 to November 1998. The show featured classic characters from the books like Amaz-O the Magician, Curly the Skeleton, the Terror Tower Executioner, and of course, the famous Slappy, one of the series’ most notorious villains.
The Power Rangers
This meet and greet is not as old as the others on this list, so a fair amount of Disney fans still remember meeting these superheroes! They were owned by Disney for a brief stretch in the 2000s and would make daily appearances in the Disney Stars in Motor Cars parade at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They would also greet Guests in the backlot area of the Park. The members often switched out, showcasing Power Rangers from different teams. Disney sold the property in 2010.
