Disney park guests are facing some staggering queues this Halloween.
While attractions such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Avatar Flight of Passage are notorious for their long wait times, rides aren't the only experiences that draw huge crowds. Disney character meet-and-greets can also attract lengthy lines, particularly when rare characters or limited-time costumes are involved.
Halloween brings additional demand, with Disney parks introducing seasonal entertainment, exclusive merchandise, and special character appearances. At Walt Disney World, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party gives guests the opportunity to meet characters in costumes they wouldn't normally wear throughout the year.
Some Disney characters have particularly dedicated fan bases, with visitors willing to spend hours waiting for a photograph or autograph. This is especially true of Duffy and Friends, a franchise that has become enormously popular at Disney's Asian theme parks despite having little presence at its American resorts.
One character has now reportedly attracted a queue exceeding 600 minutes, with the extraordinary wait coinciding with a major Halloween celebration.
Disney Guests Report 10-Hour Queue for Popular Character
A guest at Shanghai Disneyland reported a 620-minute wait for LinaBell on October 17, 2026. That's 10 hours and 20 minutes for a single character meet-and-greet, although the reported figure has not been independently verified.
LinaBell is a pink fox introduced at Shanghai Disneyland in September 2021. Part of Disney's Duffy and Friends franchise, she's known for carrying a magnifying glass and helping her friends solve mysteries.
Unlike Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, LinaBell wasn't introduced through an animated movie or television show. Instead, she was created specifically for Disney's theme parks, joining a lineup that includes Duffy, ShellieMay, Gelatoni, StellaLou, CookieAnn, and ‘Olu Mel.
Her popularity has grown significantly since her debut. Shanghai Disney Resort celebrated her fifth anniversary in September 2026, organizing special festivities from September 23 through 29 as part of its month-long Duffy and Friends celebration.
For Halloween, LinaBell is wearing a red coat with fur trim, a purple-and-yellow striped dress, and a small top hat decorated with a pumpkin, spiderweb, and feather.
The character meets guests at Friendship Point in Adventure Isle. Her scheduled appearances run from 8:30 a.m. until 7:15 p.m., meaning the reported queue of 620 minutes is almost as long as the entire operating window.
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However, posted wait times are estimates, and Disney can close queues before a character's scheduled appearances end.
According to Shanghai Disneyland's official website, guests must follow cast members' instructions during character greetings. The resort also advises visitors to keep their interactions brief to allow more people to participate.
Guests may request one autograph per character, while selfie sticks are banned during meet-and-greets. Disney also asks visitors to show affection gently when interacting with its characters.
The immense demand isn't entirely unexpected. Shanghai Disneyland has previously experienced major crowding over Duffy and Friends merchandise, with some guests waiting almost an entire day to purchase new products.
In March 2024, visitors reportedly queued for up to eight hours outside Sweetheart Confectionery to purchase Duffy and CookieAnn backpacks.
Some guests allegedly fainted, while others attempted to rush the store, prompting Disney to call security. The backpacks eventually sold out, and online queue reservations reportedly disappeared within minutes.
Some reservations were subsequently offered for resale at prices ranging from 300 to 500 yuan. Shanghai Disneyland later pledged to improve its merchandise operations and tackle unauthorized reselling.
Halloween Brings More Entertainment to Disney Park
The latest queue was reported during one of Shanghai Disneyland's busiest seasonal celebrations.
Halloween officially began at the resort on October 4 and continues through November 1, 2026. This year's festivities form part of Shanghai Disney Resort's 10th anniversary celebrations, with new costumes, character encounters, themed food, and exclusive entertainment.
The resort has also expanded its Halloween Spook-tacular Days from eight to 10. These take place October 16 to 18, October 23 to 25, and October 29 through November 1.
October 17, when LinaBell's lengthy wait was reported, falls during the first weekend of these special celebrations.
On Spook-tacular Days, guests can explore five Halloween party zones, collect treats around the resort, and attend Donald's Halloween Treat Party in Festival Forest. Additional experiences include surprise character encounters in the Alice in Wonderland Maze and the Disney Villains Castle Celebration.
Disney has also introduced new character costumes for 2026. Mickey Mouse and his friends have adopted steampunk-inspired outfits, while Duffy and Friends appear as a troupe of traveling performers.
Meanwhile, Peg-Leg Pete has joined the Halloween lineup as an evil king. Guests can also visit The Villains' Club in Tomorrowland and Treasure Cove: Buccaneer Bash, which features Captain Jack Sparrow.
The park's Zootopia-themed land is also participating in the celebrations, with Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and other characters appearing as part of its annual Howl-o-ween festivities.
Unlike Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom, Shanghai Disneyland's Halloween programming is included with regular park admission rather than requiring a separate event ticket.
Shanghai Disneyland's Halloween celebrations continue for another two weeks, with Spook-tacular Days scheduled throughout the remainder of October and on November 1.
Guests hoping to meet LinaBell during the festivities can check the Shanghai Disney Resort app for updated schedules. With the character's popularity showing no signs of slowing, visitors should be prepared for potentially lengthy waits.
Have you ever waited hours to meet a Disney character?
