Hollywood Studios Moves Live-Action Ariel Meet Oct. 28
Published October 20, 2026
The live-action Ariel meet and greet at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is pausing at its Walt Disney Presents location beginning Wednesday, October 28, with the character moving elsewhere in the park. Disney’s meet-and-greet webpage posted the notice, and WDW News Today reported it on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The move makes room for the Santa Claus meet and greet.
Disney’s webpage for Meet Ariel at Walt Disney Presents says the experience “will be temporarily unavailable beginning October 28.” WDW News Today relayed the notice.
This is not the first time Ariel has been shuffled at Hollywood Studios. The live-action version of the character has moved locations before, and the current notice describes the pause as temporary rather than permanent.
What we know
- Live-action Ariel (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) — meet and greet at Walt Disney Presents becomes temporarily unavailable beginning October 28
- Santa Claus meet and greet — Disney’s notice ties Ariel’s move to making room for it
- The move is described as temporary, with Ariel relocating within the park
What’s not confirmed
Disney’s notice says Ariel is moving within the park but does not spell out a return date to Walt Disney Presents, and there is no published first day for Santa. If Disney names Ariel’s temporary spot, character times in My Disney Experience will show it.
What it means for your trip
If meeting Ariel is on your Hollywood Studios list and you are visiting before October 28, do it at Walt Disney Presents on this trip — that location is a known quantity right now, and the replacement spot has not been named.
Visiting on or after October 28? Check the character times in My Disney Experience the morning of your park day rather than planning around a fixed spot, because the new location has not been published.
Santa moving into Walt Disney Presents also means that building will draw holiday meet-and-greet lines it does not normally carry. Walt Disney Presents is a short walk from Toy Story Land and the Animation Courtyard side of the park, so build character stops into your mid-afternoon lull instead of your first hour — mornings are still your cheapest window for Slinky Dog Dash, Tower of Terror, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster standby waits.
Families with a Santa visit on the agenda should treat it like any popular seasonal character stop: go early in the day while kids are fresh, and expect the line to build through the afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the live-action Ariel meet and greet close at Walt Disney Presents?
Disney’s webpage says the meet and greet at Walt Disney Presents becomes temporarily unavailable beginning October 28, 2026, as reported by WDW News Today.
Why is Ariel moving at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
Disney’s notice ties the move to making room for the Santa Claus meet and greet, so Ariel is relocating temporarily within the park.
Where will Ariel meet guests instead?
Disney’s notice does not name it yet; check character times in My Disney Experience.
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