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Picture it: You’re walking down Main Street, U.S.A., at Magic Kingdom or Disneyland Park. You make your way to Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty Castle when suddenly you see Mickey Mouse! But… something doesn’t look quite right. His costume is messed up, or he’s stumbling around out-of-character.
Related: Character Blinded After Mishap at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
What do you do when a Disney Character messes up? Well, these Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and other Disney Park Guests took out their phones to permanently memorialize the moment on social media! Today, we’ll review ten Disney Character fails, from Star Wars to Story Book favorites.
Warning: Stories in this article may ruin the Disney Magic for some readers.
Wardrobe Malfunctions
Let’s start with wardrobe malfunctions – and we’re not talking about Janet Jackson at Super Bowl XXXVIII. Disney Characters prevent such slip-ups with a rigorous costume regiment and checklist as they get dressed.
Tigger
So that makes what happened to poor Tigger an extra embarrassing wardrobe malfunction!
In a video shared by @_Disney._stuff_ on TikTok, the beloved friend of Winnie the Pooh waved at Guests during a ceremony at Disneyland Park. It took a few minutes before a character attendant noticed that Tigger’s head wasn’t properly attached to his body, revealing the Character Performer’s neck and skin.
The Beast
A more recent character “fail” involved the Beast from Beauty and the Beast (1991), who lost his head as he greeted Guests at Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom. @liz_magical_adventures shared a video from the incident on TikTok:
@liz_magical_adventures Poor Cast Member 😢 #DisneyFail #CostumeFail #BeOurGuest #MagicKingdom #DisneyWorld #TheBeast #BeautyAndTheBeast #DisneyCharacters
The panicked character performer quickly got the Beast’s head back on and rushed backstage, but the damage was done.
Taking Tumbles
Stitch
Do you remember when Stitch took a tumble at Disneyland Paris? In October 2022, @backlotprod shared a video of an excited Stitch hopping a curb, slipping, and skidding across the pavement at Disneyland Park:
@backlotprod Stitch toi aussi tu ne dois pas courir dans le parc 😅 ! #disneylandparis #stitch #disneycharacter #fail #disneybloopers
Luckily, the character performer didn’t appear injured. But it was an excellent reminder for all Guests not to run at the Disney Parks!
Drunk Daisy Duck
In February 2023, Reddit user u/Hakuna-Matata1980 alleged that a “drunk” Daisy Duck struggled to greet Walt Disney World Resort Guests as desperate character attendants tried to help. We don’t have a video of this drunk Character Performer stumbling, but it undoubtedly made a mark on nearby kids!
“We saw Daisy stumbling around and tripping while waving at people at magic kingdom. Two cast members were trying to help her,” the Guest recalled. “She was definitely drunk.”
Goofy
In a 2023 video from @thedisneyemmy, a (sober) Goofy stumbled over a curb at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The character caught himself on a nearby building as Guests gasped:
@thedisneyemmy No goofs were harmed in the making of this video😂😂😂 . . . #disney #waltdisneyworld #hollywoodstudios @Disney Parks
Be careful, Goofy!
Merida’s Horse
Our final “tumble” from a Disney Character is actually a near-miss: when Merida from Brave (2012) was spooked by a Guest’s balloon that got caught on its leg and nearly threw the Disney Princess off its back during a parade. Bill Zanetti shared a video of the incident:
Thankfully, the animal, actress, and bystanders were all unharmed.
Guest Interactions
Two Mickeys
While there are naturally dozens of repeat Disney character costumes and performers, the Disney Parks make an extra effort to ensure Guests never see multiple of the same character at the same time. But Disneyland Resort made a shocking error in 2022 when two Mickeys showed up in the same area in a video that has since been removed. Did Disneyland Resort demand the video be taken down to preserve the magic?
Jessie
We do have a video of our next Disney character “fail.” In a 2021 YouTube video from Pixie Dust, Jessie from the Toy Story franchise calls a surprise Guest over to her meet-and-greet location:
After Jessie pointed to her leg, the man picked her up and carried her away. All the while, she stayed in character, waving at Guests and holding her hat so it didn’t fall off. It’s unknown to this day what was wrong with this Character Performer.
Chewbacca & Rey
While Disney Parks characters are meticulously trained to be friendly and welcoming, Guests unfortunately do not receive the same training. In October 2022, an adult woman ruined an interaction between Chewbacca and children in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:
@nightmareadventures Don’t be that adult that ruins a nice interaction between kids and characters because you think you’re being funny. #starwars #starwarsgalaxysedge #chewbacca #chewie #rey #reyskywalker #disneyhollywoodstudios #disneyhollywoodstudiosorlando #disneysgalaxysedge #maytheforcebewithyou #dontbeajerk #disneycharacterinteractions #disneycharacters
In a video posted on TikTok by @nightmareadventures, a woman snuck up to Chewie and Rey while they were interacting with children. She hit the back of Chewbacca’s head and made a noise intended to spook him. The characters left immediately to protect themselves, unfortunately tarnishing the experience for the little ones.
Minnie Mouse
Our final Disney character fail is again an avoidable incident caused by a Guest. In summer 2022, a young child ran out in front of the Main Street Marching Band to greet Minnie Mouse. You can see the child nearly tackle the Disney Character in an Instagram video from @jessicasview_.
Multiple Disney Cast Members immediately swooped into help Minnie Mouse and get the child away. At the end of the video, Mickey Mouse put his hand over his chest as if to say, “Phew. Tragedy avoided!”
Have you ever seen a Disney Parks Character mess up? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that many of the stories outlined in this article are based on personal Disney Parks experiences. No two experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.