That being said, Disney is certainly not perfect, and the general public has agreed on one specific incident that has gone down as the worst thing that Disney has ever done.
Recently, a post by Disney fan Captain Mohando was shared to X (formally Twitter) asking fans what was the worst thing that Disney has ever done.
In essence, Disney had refused a grieving father’s request to place an image of Spider-Man on his son’s tombstone, citing the need to maintain the enchantment surrounding its characters.
The story begins by explaining what had happened to Marvel superfan Ollie Jones, who sadly at age “four, died from a rare genetic disorder last year and was given a Spider-Man themed funeral, featuring a horse-drawn carriage decorated in red and blue balloons.
The little boy, of Maidenstone, Kent, had suffered with leukodystrophy for two years and his last holiday had been to Disneyland to meet his favourite superhero.His dad Lloyd Jones asked the council for permission to get an etching of Spider-Man on Ollie’s gravestone as he wanted the image to remind him of his son. Council officials told Lloyd to contact the Walt Disney Company, which owns the Marvel franchise.”
Credit: Marvel Studios
However, Disney declined to grant permission, expressing the desire to uphold the “innocence” and “magic” associated with its characters.
Instead, the family received an email from the U.S.-based corporation, offering them a personalized celluloid frame. This frame would feature a scene from Spider-Man, accompanied by a handwritten message to Ollie.
When the family received the rejection, Ollie’s dad was floored. Metro spoke with Lloyd Jones, who said, “I really wasn’t expecting this – it’s another massive blow. I felt sure they would allow it.” Lloyd said the movie giant is trying to ‘disassociate their characters with death’ and felt the decision was ‘about money.’ He added: ‘That makes no sense to me – characters die in their films all the time. I think this is all about money. Ollie’s last holiday was at Disneyland. He loved Spider-Man, and we had bought him all the toys.”
Credit: Sony Pictures / Marvel Entertainment
Metro did get a response from a representative from The Walt Disney Company’s permissions department. It reads:
“We extend our sincere condolences. If we played a small part in Ollie’s happiness we are honoured. Generations of fans have responded to our characters with the same wonder and delight that Ollie did. In fact, many believe the characters to be real.
We have striven to preserve the same innocence and magic around our characters that brought Ollie such joy.
For that reason, we follow a policy that began with Walt Disney himself that does not permit the use of characters on headstones, cemetery or other memorial markers or funeral urns.
Although we cannot grant the family’s request, we would be pleased to commemorate your nephew with a hand-inked, hand-painted, personalized cel that recognises his love for Spider-Man, which will read: ‘For your ——- (nephew’s name), Thank you for letting us share in the magic of your life. Your friends at the Walt Disney Company. We feel privileged to have had him as a fan.”
Credit: Sony
A petition was even created with thousands of signatures once it was announced that Disney was refusing the final magical wish of one of their deceased fans. Maidstone building firm Gallaghers had also offered to donate the headstone if permission was granted, but it never was.
What do you think is the worst thing that Disney has ever done?Â
Orlando theme park lover who loves thrills and theming, with a side of entertainment. You can often catch me at Disney or Universal sipping a cocktail, or crying during Happily Ever After or Fantasmic.
