ANAHEIM, Calif.—Disneyland goers will soon be able to hug and high-five their favorite characters as the theme park prepares to welcome back traditional meet and greets.
“Very soon, you will once again be able to hug Mickey Mouse, get an autograph from Mulan, and share a laugh with Goofy,” Slater said on March 31.
Prior to the pandemic, theme park visitors could hug and snap a photo with their favorite characters as they roamed around the park or lingered in dining areas.
The theme park closed for a year amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and reopened in April 2021. Since then, fans were only allowed to greet Disney Characters from a distance.
Fans could not hug and make close contact with their beloved characters as before. Also, the characters did not step foot in Disneyland’s restaurants.
With the reimplementation of pre-pandemic meet and greets, characters will slowly be brought back to the park throughout the spring and summer, Slater said.
With rising anticipation, Disney fanatics said they are looking forward to hugging their favorite characters.
“I forsure want to hug Mickey and Minnie, and all the princesses!,” Disney blogger Katherine Mendoza told The Epoch Times.
Others view the announcement as a step back to normal following the pandemic.
“There are those who truly love interacting with characters this way since Disney characters feel like family to them,” Disney blogger Kathleen, who declined to provide her last name, told The Epoch Times. “I have many friends who get emotional at just the thought of it and will likely shed tears when they and their children can finally have that experience again.”
Disneyland also announced they will be bringing back multiple entertainment shows in the next few months.
Visitors can expect to see beloved nighttime shows, including “Fantasmic!,” “World of Color,” “Disneyland Forever,” and the “Main Street Electrical Parade.”
