A latest survey commissioned by Disney Vacationer Weblog of a random however consultant collection of DTB authors revealed that the #1 most huggable Disney character and #1 most-perplexing ‘lacking’ meet & greet from Walt Disney World or Disneyland is Pink Panda Mei. Excellent news for everybody surveyed: the long-lasting Turning Pink star is coming to the 2026 Lunar New 12 months at Disney California Journey!

The fan-favorite Lunar New 12 months celebration returns to Disney California Journey from January twenty third via February 22, 2026. To ring within the 12 months of the Horse, Horace Horsecollar will make appearances throughout this joyous pageant that honors Chinese language, Vietnamese and Korean traditions.

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse return to greet company of their Korean-inspired outfits, and new this yr, a number of Disney characters will debut all-new outfits with representations of Vietnamese and Chinese language apparel. And as talked about above, essentially the most iconic character from Turning Pink is lastly making her home parks debut as a personality meet & greet.

There may be one somewhat giant exception to that–the panda within the room, if you’ll. Whereas I respect the added characters and all the love Turning Pink has been getting at Disneyland Resort (beginning with Lunar New 12 months and persevering with with an enormous presence in Pixar Fest), it nonetheless boggles the thoughts that Pink Panda Mei isn’t a meet & greet character!

In case you haven’t seen Turning Pink (not that anybody cares, nevertheless it’s my favourite Disney or Pixar film since Coco–I prefer it much more than Encanto and every part else since, of what I’ve seen), there may be actually a meet and greet with Pink Panda Mei within the film itself.

We first lined the Pink Panda Mei again in early 2023, when Disney initially introduced that the character would debut as a meet & greet at Shanghai Disneyland. Pink Panda Mei has been assembly there for 3 years now, which we presume is what explains the park’s continued prosperity.

In subsequent character bulletins for the home parks that yr, we wrote that it was “such an apparent concept that it’s embarrassing it has taken Disney so lengthy to roll out the character. A Pink Panda Mei meet & greet would pay for itself within the merchandise and plush gross sales it will assist push. I’m not even kidding.”

I wasn’t kidding. However I additionally wasn’t holding my breath. The above quote was written in a publish about how lengthy it was taking to carry Encanto characters to Walt Disney World, one thing that was achieved at a really glacial tempo.

Within the years since, Pixar Fest has come and gone at Disneyland, and I’ve echoed the identical sentiment about Pink Panda Mei. Whereas she did be part of the parade, that’s not a meet & greet.

Then there’s Lunar New 12 months, which has–much more perplexingly–added face characters from Turning Pink within the final couple of years. These actors had been improbable, however these meets weren’t even near the identical want success state of affairs as hugging Pink Panda Mei.

In the course of the 2026 Lunar New 12 months festivities, Pink Panda Mei will meet within the Pixar Pier Band Shell (between Toy Story Mania and Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind). No phrase but on hours or whether or not the meet & greet will proceed past February 22, 2026. Our hope is that it’s prolonged by widespread demand.

Suffice to say, I’m very pleased about this announcement. After three years of ready, my dream is lastly going to come back true. And by my dream, after all I imply my dream of our daughter assembly Pink Panda Mei. As a fan of hugging, bears, raccoons, and raccoon canines (tanuki), I’m already assured this meet & greet goes to be an enormous hit together with her.

(Okay okay, I’ll admit that I’m additionally excited for me. Pink Panda Mei is only a nice character and really underutilized within the parks. And Turning Pink is one in every of a number of superb to nice motion pictures dumped onto Disney+ that deserved extra. )

Along with the large information of Pink Panda Mei’s meet & greet debuting at DCA, Disneyland Resort additionally simply launched the Disney Eats Foodie Information to Lunar New 12 months, highlighting limited-time menu gadgets and novelties company can take pleasure in throughout Disney California Journey, Downtown Disney,  and the Motels of the Disneyland Resort throughout this particular occasion.

This yr’s pageant boasts 35 model new meals & beverage gadgets, and two new novelties. Lunar New 12 months menu highlights embody:

• NEW Japchae Noodles with grilled brief rib from Longevity Noodle Co.
• NEW Guava dragon fruit cocktail from Bamboo Blessings
• NEW Spicy pork stomach grilled cheese from Pym Take a look at Kitchen
• Mandarin orange cream puff from Pink Dragon Spice Merchants

Disneyland additionally confirmed that the Sip & Savor Go will as soon as once more return, giving company the flexibility to pattern a number of menu gadgets. Obtainable in three completely different designs, the scannable move consists of six coupons that may be redeemed for choose meals and nonalcoholic drinks from collaborating marketplaces and areas in DCA.

Clearly, the jury remains to be out on the meals on the 2026 Lunar New 12 months, nevertheless it appears like principally extra of the identical. As mentioned within the newest replace to our record of the 26 Finest Eating places at Disneyland in 2026, we’ve been actually underwhelmed by the meals scene at Disneyland Resort recently.

Competition meals is likely one of the largest offenders. The final a number of occasions have been completely phoned-in, with a bunch of boring and fundamental consolation meals priced at $9 and up for small sample-sized parts. The menus have largely stagnated, and the recognition of those cubicles appears to lower with every occasion–so I’m not even certain how Disneyland justifies sustaining the established order with pageant meals.

The silver lining is that Lunar New 12 months has had the very best pageant meals in the previous few years. Perhaps even sufficient to justify buy of the Sip & Savor Go. We nonetheless advocate simply paying as you go, which additionally opens the door to attempt extra formidable menus on the counter service eating places, which normally additionally provide higher bang for buck than the ~$9 snack-sized parts.

Lastly, Disneyland Resort has confirmed that dwell leisure, together with the aforementioned appearances by Disney associates wearing Lunar New 12 months apparel, in addition to “Mulan’s Lunar New 12 months Procession” and the “Hurry Dwelling – A Lunar New 12 months Celebration” pre-show earlier than “World of Colour Happiness!” will all return for the 2026 Lunar New 12 months.

Actually, it’s all of these items–and every part else over in Paradise Gardens Park–that’s the spotlight of the pageant, and what makes it particular. The meals could be enjoyable, however the cultural and character parts are the guts of the occasion, and what makes Lunar New 12 months one of many highlights of the yr at DCA. After all, we will’t wait to fulfill Pink Panda Mei this yr, however that’s simply icing on the cake!

Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Suggestions for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Find out about on-site and off-site inns in our Anaheim Lodge Evaluations & Rankings. For the place to eat, try our Disneyland Restaurant Evaluations. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, try What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, try our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seashore, and tons of different locations!

Your Ideas

Excited to fulfill and hug Pink Panda Mei through the 2026 Lunar New 12 months festivities at DCA? Something on the meals cubicles look good to you? Does Lunar New 12 months Celebration seem like a traditional “edutainment” expertise, or does it look uninteresting to you? In case you have been, what do you consider Completely happy Lunar New 12 months? Any ideas so as to add? Listening to from you is half the enjoyable, so when you have further ideas or questions, please share them within the feedback!