Characters We Met at the 2026 Disney Jollywood Nights
If you’re attending Disney Jollywood Nights in 2026, you might be wondering which characters you can meet. One of the fun extras of this Hollywood Studios holiday party is the opportunity to see some familiar faces, including characters who don’t always have regular meet-and-greet locations in the parks.
We’ve put together a list of the characters available to meet during the 2026 event, along with their locations throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We’ve also included photos and details from the characters we personally met, so you can get a better idea of what to expect. Let’s take a look at what to expect.
Jollywood Nights Character Meet-and-Greet Changes
Before we get into the meet-and-greets, I wanted you to be aware of a major change. We experienced reduced waits at most of the character meet-and-greets this year. We had shorter waits because Cast Members at most locations instructed guests to take a group photo and 2 individual shots.
In our experience, this wasn’t consistent at every meet-and-greet. But when it was enforced, it kept things moving. When cast members made guests aware of this change as they joined the line, it set the precedent that your time was limited. As a result, we met more characters in one night than we had ever met at any event…ever.
As an example, a family of 8 was in front of us to meet The Mandalorian and Grogu. The PhotoPass photographer took a group photo, then 2 individuals in their group took a quick photo separately with the characters. Guests were told that if they wanted more photos, they could rejoin the line.
2026 Character Meet-and-Greets at Disney Jollywood Nights
We’ve listed character meet-and-greets, roaming characters, and dance party characters.
- George Sanderson and Needleman (NEW)
- Scrooge McDuck
- Bing Bong
- Chewbacca (Life Day)
- The Mandalorian and Grogu
- Partysaurus Rex
- Lotso
- Baloo or King Louie from TaleSpin
- Chip ‘n’ Dale from Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers
- Phineas and Ferb
- Max Goof as Powerline
- Stitch dressed as Santa
- Duffy dressed as Santa
- Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse
- Panchito or José Carioca
Roaming Characters
- Bo Peep
- Sarge
Dance Party Characters
- Goofy
- Pluto
- Edna Mode
- Frozone
- Joy
- Mike Wazowski
Below, we’ll preview each character we met, who we didn’t get to meet, why, and how long we waited! Use the table of contents below to browse the full list and find the characters you’d most like to visit during your evening.
George Sanderson and Needleman
📍Commissary Lane (Across from the ABC Commissary)
This was our first time meeting George Sanderson and Needleman from Monsters, Inc. We expected this to be one of the longest lines of the night, but when we passed by at 9:45 p.m., it looked pretty doable. We met the pair at 9:54 p.m., less than 10 minutes later, and still had plenty of time to see Jingle Bell Jingle BAM, the evening fireworks and laser show.
Tip: If you yell 2319 when it’s your turn, George Sanderson will turn around, and you’ll discover he has a sock on his back! It’s definitely an emergency moment and makes for a fun photo if you’re having your photo taken!
Baloo or King Louie
📍Echo Lake, Epic Stunt Theater
This location is directly in front of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Baloo or King Louie rotate this meet-and-greet location in their TaleSpin looks! This was our last official meet-and-greet of the night. We got in line at 12:25 a.m. and met him at 12:28 a.m., just two minutes before the official end of the party!
Partysaurus Rex
📍Animation Courtyard, on Mickey Ave (This location is on the right before you reach the main entrance of Toy Story Land.)
What a meet-and-greet! This was our first time meeting Partysaurus Rex, and it was a true treat. We got in line at 11:01 p.m. and met Rex at 11:28 p.m., for a total wait of 27 minutes. That’s not too shabby!
Lotso
📍Toy Story Land (in front of Jessie statue at Slinky Dog Dash)
We didn’t take the time to meet Lotso during Disney Jollywood Nights because he was leaving to take a break when we passed through. The first picture below shows his meet-and-greet location near Slinky Dog Dash. We took the second photo of him on his way to take a break.
Bo Peep
📍Roaming Toy Story Land
We saw Bo Peep roaming Toy Story Land during the party. She wore the look pictured below, plus a cape and a red-striped holiday scarf. We stopped and visited with her briefly. She was happy to stop and pose for photos, but there were quite a few people around, which doesn’t always make for great pictures.
The Mandalorian and Grogu
📍Galaxy’s Edge, Near Black Spire Market
The Mandalorian and Grogu had a traditional meet-and-greet near the Black Spire Market’s entrance. This is where they meet during the daytime. The My Disney Experience app listed them as roaming characters, but this was actually a dedicated location where you wait in line to meet them. We got in line at 11:43 p.m. and met them at 11:50 p.m.
Life Day Chewbacca
📍Galaxy’s Edge, Near the Millennium Falcon
Before we met Mando and Grogu, we stopped by the Millennium Falcon to see Life Day Chewbacca. He wears a long red robe at this meet-and-greet and has a bright blue sphere prop. This was another top priority for the evening, and I really didn’t think I would get to meet him. Thankfully, only a few people were ahead of me when I joined the line at 11:35 p.m. I met him at 11:39 p.m. for a total wait time of 4 minutes!
Phineas and Ferb
📍Echo Lake
We didn’t take the time to meet Phineas and Ferb this year because we had met them before. Here is a photo of their location in front of Echo Lake. They are very popular, but we found their line had dwindled (as with most characters) later in the evening.
Max Goof
📍Echo Lake, Near Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction
Max Goof was meeting directly in front of Gertie the dinosaur this year. After we met King Louise, we stopped for a quick photo right at 12:30 a.m. I was surprised to see so many characters meeting right up until the end of the party. It was a positive change.
Chip ‘n’ Dale as Rescue Rangers
📍Echo Lake, Near 50’s Prime Time Cafe
We didn’t stop to see Chip and Dale this year because we’ve met them several times as Rescue Rangers. Here is a photo of their looks! They are exceptionally popular meet-and-greets.
Santa Stitch
📍Celebrity Spotlight in Echo Lake Area
Santa Stitch was one of our top priorities for the evening. We joined this line at 7:00 p.m. before the official 7:30 p.m. start. This ended up being our longest wait of the night. We met Stitch at 7:52 p.m. for a total wait of 52 minutes.
Santa Duffy
📍Walt Disney Presents, Animation Courtyard
Santa Duffy was another top priority for the evening. Our strategy was to go straight to his meet-and-greet after the fireworks at 10:00 p.m. When we arrived, the Cast Member told us it would be a 35-minute wait. We got in line at 10:17 p.m., and I met Duffy at 10:51 p.m. for a total wait of 34 minutes. It was well worth it!
Bing Bong
📍Grand Ave, Near Tunnel to Galaxy’s Edge
Bing Bong was sort of a surprise meet-and-greet at this year’s Jollywood Nights. He wasn’t listed on Disney’s website going into the event. As you can imagine, he had an extensive line earlier in the evening. However, on our late-night rounds, the wait wasn’t too bad. We got in line at 11:53 p.m. and met him a few minutes later at 11:57 p.m.
Scrooge McDuck
📍Grand Ave near Baseline Tap House
Scrooge McDuck was another character who had long lines earlier in the evening. We passed through this area twice. On the second go-around, we met Scrooge with less than a 5-minute wait at approximately midnight.
Panchito and José Carioca
📍Sunset Boulevard Behind Hollywood Scoops
Two of the three Cabelleros were meeting on Sunset Boulevard during Jollywood Nights. Panchito and José Carioca rotated this meet-and-greet location. The first time we walked through, we got in line to meet Panchito at 8:51 p.m. and then met him a few minutes later at 8:56 p.m. Since I had a little extra time toward the end of the evening, I walked back through and met Jose at about 12:17 a.m. with no wait!
Mickey and Minnie Mouse
📍Animation Courtyard
We didn’t get the opportunity to meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse at this year’s Disney’s Jollywood Nights. When I checked the app earlier in the evening, it said they were both roaming Animation Courtyard. However, when we arrived at about 12:05 a.m., we found them taking group photos with guests at a designated meet-and-greet. Unfortunately, the Cast Members had already cut off the line for the evening. They wore the same outfits as in previous years, like the ones pictured below.
Tip: Bottom line, if you want a photo with Mickey and Minnie Mouse together, get to this location sooner rather than later.
Grand Ave Dance Party Characters
🎄Goofy and Pluto
📍Grand Avenue (Near the Disney Vacation Club Kiosk)
This dance party featured Goofy and Pluto on the night we visited. We walked through twice that evening and found both characters each time! Goofy was wearing a white tuxedo, top hat, and all! Pluto was also looking rather spiffy.
Pixar Disco Dance Party Characters
🎄Mike Wazowski, Joy, Edna Mode, Frozone
📍Pixar Plaza
Last but not least, we spent a few minutes on the dance floor at the Pixar Disco Dance Party. Rest assured, I could have spent the entire evening in this little corner of the park. We saw Frozone, Joy, Edna Mode, and Mike Wazowski, keeping things moving!
Final Thoughts
Overall, we had an incredible time meeting characters at this year’s Jollywood Nights. Going into this event, I hadn’t planned to (or thought I could) meet so many characters. For the most part, I planned to see all the major entertainment offerings and then see who I could meet with the time I had left. Believe it or not, I met all of these characters AND still experienced the major shows and productions.
If you want to know how I did it, I’ll walk you through my entire night at Jollywood Nights in the next few days. But first, we have another Christmas Party to attend. For more of our coverage of Jollywood Nights to date, you might like:
You might also enjoy our 2026 Disney’s Jollywood Nights Guide. It includes a detailed overview of everything to expect on your party night. Check back with ResortsGal.com for more details, and sign up for our newsletter for updates.
In the Comments
Are you excited to meet characters at this year’s Disney Jollywood Nights? Let us know your top meet-and-greets below in the comments or on our social media!
