10 Of The Most Rare (Or Retired) Disney Parks Characters

No matter what their level of fan status is, everyone has at least one favorite Disney character they absolutely adore. Whether it’s a classic like Mickey and Minnie, one of the princesses, or something as out there as Hei Hei, Disney has the habit of creating wonderful creatures and characters we hold dear.

Disney Parks use this to their advantage by providing Meet and Greets with their characters for all their fans, but not every character is as available as we would like. In fact, some are as rare as the Hope Diamond if they’ve not been retired. Have a look at these ten familiar faces you’d be lucky to even see.

10 Mushu

Not retired, but definitely one of the rarest characters in all of the Disney Parks. The fiery red dragon is without a doubt one of the most beloved animal sidekicks in Disney Animation, so you would think he’d have his own spot year-round, right? Well, we’re sad to say that Mushu isn’t a free dragon, but he can be found with his pal, Mulan.

If you want even a chance at finding this guy, your best bet is to check out Epcot’s China Pavilion where Mulan’s Meet and Greet is stationed. Occasionally, you’ll find her accompanied by her reptilian companion, but this is probably the only place he appears semi-regularly.

9 Max

Max is by no means retired, in fact, he recently had his own stage show at Disneyland Paris with a slew of favorite Disney faces including Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, the Three Caballeros and even Yzma and Kuzco! But if you’re looking for him hanging out at the parks, you’re not going to have an easy time.

Rarer than the previously mentioned Mushu, Max can be an absolute white whale to find if you want to grab a photo with him outside of a cruise ship or stage show. He can occasionally be found during Hollywood Studios’ Character Palooza or by the Epcot docks, but it’s always a gamble.

8 Jimmy Cricket

Any Disney Parks fan worth their salt knows that Jiminy Cricket, while not out of the game yet, can only be found as a regular Meet and Greet character once a year. As part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Earth Day/Birthday celebration, Jiminy Cricket makes a special appearance as a sort of grand marshal for the whole thing.

It’s only during this time when you can find him at a regular Meet and Greet queue, normally at Rafiki’s Conservation Station. So if you want to catch him outside a parade route, this is the day to do it. A once a year appearance will definitely get you a spot on this list.

7 The Orange Bird

We can’t say for sure if he’s retired, but it certainly feels like it. Orange Bird is a fan favorite icon of the Florida park, and while his recent return to the Magic Kingdom’s merchandise and displays have garnered some serious attention, the Meet and Greet character is still incredibly rare.

Though the little citrus-headed critter was popular in the ’70s, he’s not been seen in person for quite some time. We don’t know if he’s flown the coop altogether, but we can’t say we’ve seen him out and about in recent years. Hopefully, he didn’t wind up in someone’s mimosa.

6 Angel

Mickey has Minnie, Donald has Daisy, and Stitch has this lovely little pink alien experiment was Stitch’s love-interest in Lilo and Stitch: The Series. While she’s frequently present in park merchandise and various pieces of Stitch-related media, her Meet and Greet appearances are very rare.

Rare but not impossible, she can occasionally be found with her blue beau whenever he might have a Meet and Greet outside of his normal location. She might have one or two other special appearances, but as far as we’re concerned, she’s one of the most elusive of Jumbaa’s experiments.

5 Dumbo

Some of you might be surprised at the fact Dumbo is even a meetable character at all, but he has made a handful of park performances in his career, and even a few recent appearances in Disney World’s Storybook Circus. But aside from those, he’s virtually nonexistent outside of his famous ride.

We’re not entirely sure why the adorable elephant is as rare as he is, being one of Disney’s earliest characters and all. But even with his own Tim Burton remake, his park presence is considerably lacking. Maybe he just hasn’t found the right place to land?

4 Pocahontas Cast

Pocahontas herself might appear during special occasions involving the rest of the Disney princesses, but you’d be luckier than Oswald the Rabbit if you’re able to catch a photo opp with the rest of her friends. John Smith, Governor Radcliffe, and Meeko can sometimes be found with her, but not too frequently.

Other than Meeko, the rest of the cast appears in the Fantasmic show, but not really anywhere else. Occasionally, the characters might appear during a special celebration or event, but they hardly ever make public appearances in the parks. Then again, they’re not from the most popular Disney property.

3 Quasimodo

Where Pocahontas’s film isn’t what some would call Disney royalty, The Hunchback of Notre Dame definitely has more of a fan following now than it did back in the ’90s. This would be a perfect opportunity to bring back the film’s meetable characters, but sadly, our hunchbacked friend has been retired for years.

While Esmerelda and Clopin can occasionally be seen in the Paris pavilion in Epcot, and Frollo has occasional appearances during the villains’ celebrations, Quasi, unfortunately, went out with the movie’s park stage show. You would think with the film’s fan following, Disney would take notice.

2 Doctor Strange

Unless you happen to be on a cruise ship on Marvel day with the Disney cruise lines, you’re not going to find Doctor Strange making magic in any of the parks. While the Sorcerer Supreme did have brief appearances in Walt Disney World to promote the film, he’s not been seen since.

With the appearances of Spider-Man, Captain America, and Thor at Disney’s California Adventure, you would think there’d be room for the Avengers’ master of the mystic arts at Marvel HQ. Sadly, Doctor Strange vanished shortly after his film went out of theatres. Perhaps he’ll return with the sequel?

1 Roger Rabbit

No character’s retirement breaks our heart more than Roger Rabbit’s, especially considering he’d be absolutely perfect in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. During the late ’80s and early ’90s, Roger was seen nearly everywhere, in TV specials, home video releases, and regular park Meet and Greets. So what changed?

There’s some speculation as to who Roger really belongs to, due to the same contract disputes that are supposedly preventing a sequel. That all being said, Roger did make a comeback of sorts in 2012 and has on occasion been seen at Disney’s FanDaze but only in Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. Here’s hoping he’ll stay a little longer.

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