Credit: DisneyIf you are going to Disney, one of the things that will always bring the theme parks to life are the characters. There is nothing like giving a hug to Mickey Mouse, twirling with a Disney Princess, waving to Winnie the Pooh, smirking at Flynn Rider, and talking about apples with the Evil Queen. Of course, there are so many more character interactions that Guests can do, all of which provide the memories that you take home with you.
Another great way for people to meet characters is by attending after-hours events. For example, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Oogie Boogie Bash at Walt Disney World and Disneyland allow Guests to meet very rare characters, including villains, that they typically would not see while visiting the parks during the day. On top of that, there is usually fewer people in the theme parks, which means that the lines for some characters may end up getting shorter as the night goes on.
But, what if we told you a future after-hours event at a Disney park has cut all character meet and greets?
DLP report shared, ” The September 29 Disneyland Pass and AP with be a “Villainous Night”! Ticket sales open August 31 11am CET exclusively at the link below – €55. Open to the holder +1 guest, must enter together. Tickets are nominative.”
⚠️ The September 29 Disneyland Pass and AP with be a “Villainous Night”!
Ticket sales open August 31 11am CET exclusively at the link below – €55. Open to the holder +1 guest, must enter together. Tickets are nominative.https://t.co/WWByXZCfZf pic.twitter.com/jvUqZjV3Rn— DLP Report (@DLPReport) August 23, 2023
The account followed up that post by noting, “it will NOT be possible to meet with the Disney Characters during this event.” This means that guests, and specifically, Annual Passholders, would be paying to attend an event where they cannot meet or take photos with any of the characters. Considering this is a huge part and bonus about attending events like this, it is shocking to see Disneyland Paris entirely cut meet and greets. As one may imagine, guest response has not been favorable to this decision.
This is not the only complaint or issue that we have seen implemented at Disneyland Paris as of late.
Recently, we reported that Disneyland Paris had new signage asking Guests to stay out of the parks between the hours of 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each day if they want to avoid the large crowds that the theme park boasts. A ticket to Disneyland Paris starts at $119 euros with transportation, so it is highly unlikely that leaving the Park for seven hours is feasible or a good idea for Guests who are visiting Paris and do not live there. It also creates panic for tourists who are coming for the first time, expecting to enjoy their day, and immediately seeing that the theme park is advising them to leave for the majority of the day.
Since the signage was put up, we have started to see that Guests are indeed following the advisory.
At Disneyland Paris, we recently spoke about the closure of two of their parades, ““Dream… and Shine Brighter” and “Disney D-Light” will end permanently on September 30.” Of course, this left many Disneyland Paris Guests devastated, as parades are an essential part of the Disney Park experience.
Also, “The “Disney Jr. Dream Factory” will be closing its doors’ temporality from September 25 to October 20, 2023 included.
This will not be the only show to experience downtime, as “TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure” will not be performed from Nov 6 to Dec 15, 2023. On top of this, there will be several hotel pool closures:
– Disney Sequoia Lodge: Nov 6-17, 2023
– Davy Crockett Ranch: Nov 20-Dec 1, 2023
– Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel: Dec 4-8, 2023
– Disney Newport Bay Club: Dec 11-15, 2023
We discussed how the shopping experience at the theme park has been completely altered following the receipt ban in France. Paper receipts will no longer be available due to a ban from the French government. Although the cash register receipt, printed automatically after every purchase in a store, was due to be banned in France on January 1, 2023, the measure was subsequently postponed several times. The government finally decided to postpone its effective date for a third time to August 1, 2023.
More Disneyland Paris News
The Park that started as Euro Disney and then transformed into Disneyland Paris with Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studio Park has grown so much over the past 30 years, and now as the Park continues to expand, we are finally able to kick off the amazing celebrations of the 30th anniversary, which will come to an end on September 30. Sleeping Beauty Castle is now lit with LED lighting, the decor is in place, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and the rest of the gang have their outfits ready, Illuminations returned, and there is an all-new song for the celebration that sends a party down Main Street, U.S.A.! And that is just the tip of the iceberg; we haven’t even discussed the new drone technology that lit up the night sky.
If you want to know what has changed, in short, there is new packaging on everything, from water bottles to sandwich boxes, Minnie Mouse is looking chic as ever in her new pantsuit, the After Glow show illuminates Sleeping Beauty Castle with an amazing drone experience, The all-new Dream… and Shine Brighter has also debuted, and so much more.
Would you attend an event at Disneyland Paris, or any Disney park, if Disney removed character meet and greets?