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Woman Assaults Minnie Mouse in Selfie Dispute at Disneyland
A Disney character performer dressed as Minnie Mouse visibly panicked in a video shared on social media this week. The incident began when a woman repeatedly stepped in the Disneyland Park character’s way, demanding a selfie despite Minnie Mouse’s repeated rejection.
Disney character performers bring the magic to life at Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Entertainment cast members provide immersive meet-and-greets, stage shows, parades, and more featuring on-screen favorites from Peter Pan to Mickey Mouse to each and every Disney Princess.
To preserve the magic, Disney character performers learn secret signals that alert character attendants that they need assistance. Gestures can subtly communicate anything from a wardrobe malfunction to a medical emergency. In the worst scenarios, Disney characters must signal an emergency due to inappropriate guest behavior.
Last October, a character performer dressed as Clarabelle Cow narrowly avoided a violent injury at Disneyland Paris. In a video posted online, a fight broke out between guests waiting for the parade on Main Street, U.S.A. Clarabelle stepped aside and subtly alerted security cast members to the altercation. They arrived in minutes.
This week, a Disney character performer playing Minnie Mouse at Disneyland Park desperately tried to get a fellow cast member’s attention. In a now-deleted video preserved by Disney cast member and TikTok user @t_blatt, a woman repeatedly harassed the character for a selfie.
@t_blatt Hope this makes sense! Treat everyone with kindness! #disneysecrets #dcp #disneyhorror #disneyland #disneyworld
Minnie Mouse tried to respectfully decline the photo and step away to take a break or move on to other guests. However, the guest continually stepped in her way, which nearly caused the character to trip and fall on the curb.
Shockingly, some commenters on the original video defended the guest’s behavior.
“I feel if we are paying so much money, they should be able to spend time [and] take pictures [and] be more accessible,” one Disney Parks fan wrote.
“I think it took more energy out of Minnie not to take the picture [than] to just stop a second and take a picture,” said another.
However, the former Disney cast member explained that these scenarios aren’t feasible.
“Minnie is left with two really bad choices,” he said. “She can either deny a photo and walk off like she did so she can get to a place on time or… like this person said, just take photos, but then everyone who saw that photo would also get one, and then Minnie would be getting to her place late, which would probably get someone in trouble.”
“Not to mention she could [have] had to use the bathroom, had an emergency… they don’t know,” @vibeau44 commented.
“As a former attendant my thought was also that those guests have no idea if Minnie is in distress,” @chaostheoryphotography agreed.
“There’s an actual human being in there…,” said @ashleyparker951. “I feel that’s the most important part.”
Always follow the Disney character or character attendant’s lead when interacting with performers. Disney characters are there to make your vacation as magical as possible, but they’re still human beings that require breaks and consent for any touch.
Has a Disney character ever made your Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort visit more magical? Share your story with us in the comments.
This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic.
