Shocking Change for These Hollywood Studios Characters

Disney's Hollywood Studios is changing quite a bit, and this affects your favorite Disney pals. Check out all of the recent changes.

Hollywood Studios Closures

One thing that sets Disney Parks apart from other Theme Parks is so many great character meet and greets. We all love classic characters like Mickey and his pals, but many Disney fans love rare meet-and-greets.

Today, September 25, 2025, Disney's Hollywood Studios looked much different with the permanent closure of Animation Courtyard.

Disney was quick to update Disney's Hollywood Studios physical park maps and the map on the My Disney Experience app. Today, Guests can no longer view the Animation Courtyard, including Disney Jr. Play & Dance and Star Wars Launch Bay.

Darth Vader Meet and Greet

Star Wars Launch Bay has been the area that allowed guests to meet and engage with some favorite Star Wars characters over the years. With it now closed, many of us wondered if these meet and greets would be available at other locations throughout Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Guests can now meet Darth Vader in the extended queue at Star Tours. Disney Visa Cardmembers may also meet Darth Vader at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Disney Visa Cardmembers can enjoy shorter wait times, but one member of the party must present a Disney Visa to enjoy this perk. Find out more about this HERE.

Chewbacca Meet and Greet

Along with Darth Vader, Chewbacca now has a new meet and greet location located near the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

Chewbacca now greets guests near the Millenium Falcon.

This location is shaded, but Chewbacca still takes quite a few breaks at this outdoor location. Although Chewbacca met at this location several times this summer due to high temperatures, we were shocked to see this listed now as a permanent meet and greet beginning at 11:50 am and appearing throughout the day, with the final appearance at 6:50 pm (times subject to change).

When the concept for Galaxy's Edge was first proposed, Star Wars characters would not offer traditional meet-and-greets, but rather roam throughout, similar to the interaction with the Mandalorian and Grogu. It is surprising to see this shift to more traditional meet and greets.

What do you think of this character change? Share your thoughts with us and share this news with your Disney pals.