Credit: Jeremy Thompson, FlickrA new character debuted at Disneyland Paris Resort on Wednesday, and, unfortunately, it did not go well.
On July 23, Disneyland Paris Resort announced the surprise debut of The Thing (also known as Ben Grimm), coinciding with the premiere of the new Marvel Studios film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). The oversized character poses at a selfie spot in Avengers Campus at Walt Disney Studios Park, not in a traditional meet-and-greet location where guests can wait for a one-on-one interaction.
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
Just hours after The Thing debuted at Walt Disney Studios Park, Disney Park guests began to report issues with the selfie spot-style character encounter. Disney cast members reportedly set up a queue for guests to wait for a posed selfie with the character, but because there were no individual meet-and-greets, hundreds of visitors ignored the line.
“The Thing selfie spot is pure Disneyland Paris chaos with Guests piling up around the area instead of the queue,” @DLPReport wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “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
It remains unclear whether Disneyland Paris Resort will change The Thing’s selfie spot based on guest feedback. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) character will only appear in Avengers Campus at Walt Disney Studios Park for “a limited time.”
United States Disney Parks fans aren’t missing out on the Fantastic Four fun! Starting July 25, all four members of the first family of Super Heroes will debut in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park, accompanied by their robot assistant H.E.R.B.I.E.
The Thing and the Invisible Woman will also appear on the Tomorrowland State at Hong Kong Disneyland beginning July 23. Like the selfie spot at Disneyland Paris Resort, these appearances are only for a limited time.
Should Disneyland Paris Resort make The Thing a regular meet-and-greet instead of a selfie spot? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments!