Five of one Disney park’s most in-demand attractions now require advance booking.
In a quiet but sweeping update, Disney has added five popular character experiences to its virtual queue system. Guests hoping to meet Mickey Mouse, Olaf, Stitch, the Disney Princesses, or Star Wars characters at Starport will soon need to reserve a time slot through the Disneyland Paris app. One experience has already transitioned, with the rest rolling out in the coming weeks.
It’s a notable shift for Disneyland Paris, which has long struggled with balancing crowd flow and guest satisfaction at meet-and-greets.
Disney Announces New Rule for Five Character Meet and Greets
The change was first reported by DLP Report, which confirmed that app-based booking is now required to meet Stitch. This same system will soon apply to several other high-traffic experiences:
📍Starting today, Guests are required to book their meet and greet with Stitch in the app in the same way as the Hero Training Center. In the coming weeks the system will extend to:
– Meet Mickey
– Olaf
– Princess Pavilion
– Starport
📍Starting today, Guests are required to book their meet and greet with Stitch in the app in the same way as the Hero Training Center. In the coming weeks the system will extend to:
– Meet Mickey
– Olaf
– Princess Pavilion
– Starport pic.twitter.com/iSKv2zDMVn— DLP Report (@DLPReport) April 18, 2025
The update brings these attractions in line with the existing Hero Training Center at Avengers Campus in Walt Disney Studios Park, where guests must also pre-book their interactions with Marvel superheroes. While the move may seem sudden, it reflects a broader trend within Disney’s global parks toward managing demand digitally.
The Princess Pavilion is perhaps the most impacted. Known for multi-hour queues and a lack of clarity around which princess will appear, it has long been a source of frustration for guests—many of whom end up opting for paid dining alternatives just to guarantee face time with their favorite characters.
Guests React To New Virtual Queues
As with many operational shifts at Disney, the reaction has been mixed. For some, the virtual queue is a welcome improvement over standing in line for hours with restless children.
Another pointed out the commercial upside for the company. “This is amazing if it works! When I see those queues at hours long there is just no way most children will handle that, this just makes the day so much better and for Disney’s sake keeps feet in the parks potentially spending money in shops and on food rather than just stood in [a queue].”
Others, however, are less convinced. Some guests feel the constant need to monitor their phones is draining the spontaneity and joy from the theme park experience.
“When people just want a fun, relaxed [spontaneous] day in a theme park they have to plan organise and stress to keep booking appointments,” wrote one X user. “And keep on the phone all day to see when the booking is for them. Not much [different] from a work day.”
