Disneyland Paris – Please Keep Lightning McQueen Out As A Photo Meet

This weekend, and apparently only for this weekend (it’s the Halloween press weekend), Lightning McQueen is out for people to have their photo taken with. Now this is something I’ve wanted to see for years, and have spoken about it many times on this website and on the podcast too. It makes so much sense, for so many reasons:

1) It requires no ‘friends with’ Cast Member to play the part. In fact it could be argued that it wouldn’t need any Cast Member involvement at all, and they just let people queue up for photos, much like the Monsters, Inc. photo location and the old Bugs Life from years gone by too.

2) It’s a boy thing! Princess Pavilion, Princess Promenade, Princess Dining in Auberge de Cendrillon and the list goes on. While they have the opportunity to meet Spider-man, it’s nice to have something else that appeals to boys too, who in case anyone wondered, do visit Disneyland Paris too. I’m not saying all boys like cars and none of them like Princesses, but I know which my 6 year old boy would rather have his photo taken with, given the choice.

Here is Lightning McQueen, parked outside Moteurs… Action! this weekend – photo by @InsideDLParis

3) We see him in Cars Race Rally, as a prop on the side that to get a photo you have to hang your child over the fence and quickly get a shot before the ride starts, and we see him in Moteurs… Action! Stunt Show Spectacular. It’s almost a tease to not have Lightning out as a meet and greet opportunity.

4) We have PhotoPass+ starting in October, apparently, so surely the more photo locations we have out, the more use people will see in buying it, and the more money Disneyland Paris make. Simple, right?

Will people be confused with a permanent Lightning McQueen being on display in both the Cars Race Rally and as a meet and greet, as well as being in the Stunt Show? No more so than seeing Mickey in Cafe Mikcey, Meet Mickey Mouse and in the various Parades. I think people will just be glad to at last be able to take a photo with a character that has only been an elaborate ornament and cameo character up to now.

So please Disneyland Paris, let this weekend not be the only weekend we see Lightning McQueen out for photos, make him a permanent meet and greet, and if you’re feeling really generous, bring out some of his friends from Radiator Springs down the line too.