Mickey Mouse Removed From Disney Park, Replaced With Newer Characters From a Different Studio

Mickey Mouse is being removed from one Disney Park and replaced by multiple newer characters from a different studio.

Disney Finally Loses Mickey Mouse

You don’t have to count yourself among the millions of Disney fans around the globe to have come across at least a headline or two about the demise of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse this week.

The new year began on Monday, and while the date of January 1 begins a new year and is often symbolic of a fresh start, a reset, and a chance to set and achieve new goals, it represented the end of an era for Walt Disney’s most iconic and dynamic characters.

Walt Disney’s Original Mickey Saved Him

Created by Walt Disney after a sneaky producer at Universal named Charles Mintz took Disney’s first character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, because of a contract loophole, Mickey Mouse was “born” on a pad of paper during a train ride from New York to California, as Walt Disney traveled back home with his wife Lillian after a short getaway. Walt had received word about Oswald’s demise and knew he needed to think of another character fast.

“He popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when the business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb, and disaster seemed right around the corner,” Walt wrote about Mickey in his 1948 essay titled What Mickey Means to Me.

Mickey was later “refined” by animator Ub Iwerks before he made his debut in his first animated shorts, titled Plane Crazy (1928) and The Gallopin’ Goucho (1928). But Mickey’s most iconic animated short was Disney’s third Mickey cartoon–and the first in the world ever to include sound. It was titled simply Steamboat Willie (1928).

On Monday, however, Walt’s very first iteration of Mickey Mouse entered the public domain, meaning the Steamboat Willie version of the iconic character is forever at the mercy of anyone and everyone with an interest in making him their own, and already, the beloved character is being used for less than “When-You-Wish-Upon-a-Star” purposes.

Mickey Mouse Replaced at Disneyland 

On Tuesday, news of the removal of Mickey Mouse at Disneyland was shared.

From April 26 through August 4, 2024, Disneyland Resort will host Pixar Fest, a lively celebration of all things Pixar films and Pixar characters. As part of the celebration, a new sculpture featuring various Pixar characters will greet fans on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park.

As part of the celebration, a brand-new sculpture will be erected on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park, but it means the removal of one made in the likeness of Mickey Mouse.

Here’s a sneak peek of an all-new sculpture featuring Pixar pals like Woody and Buzz that you’ll be able to snap a photo in front of at Main Street, U.S.A., in @Disneyland park when the Pixar Fest Celebration begins on April 26th. pic.twitter.com/k4SDPOqneB

— ThrillGeek (@thrillgeek) January 2, 2024

The sculpture will replace the Mickey Mouse sculpture that was erected in celebration of The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary. The sculpture made headlines only days after it was placed on Main Street, as it suddenly disappeared from the park so that a misquote from Walt Disney could be corrected.

The new Pixar sculpture will be a prominent feature for guests as they enter Disneyland Park, but some fans are saddened by the fact that Mickey had to yield his spot to make room for the new addition.

This post is originally appeared on Disney Dining.