Credit: DisneyLast week, Disneyland Resort guests learned what happens when a character is suddenly unable to perform. A Disneyland Park guest shared a video of another character unexpectedly replacing Donald Duck in the Christmas Fantasy Parade.
The Christmas Fantasy Parade is an annual celebration of the holidays at Disneyland Park. Unlike the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, this festive procession occurs in the daytime. No special event tickets are required.
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On one of the Christmas Fantasy Parade floats, Donald Duck sits atop an icy cabin as Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse wave from the front steps. Some of Santa’s elves dance and play on and around the float.
But in a video shared by @sometimescastles on TikTok last week, Donald Duck was missing. Instead, one of Santa’s elves took his place atop the cabin, smiling and waving at guests:
@sometimescastles Donald Duck MISSING from Disneyland’s Christmas Fantasy Parade. The “B-Show” version of Donald Duck is one of Santa’s elves, on the parade float with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. A Disneyland “B-Show” is the plan for an alternate show element, in case a character is missing for a show, or something goes wrong in some way. #Disneyland #disneyparks #disneylandholiday #disney #disneyholidays #disneylandchristmas #christmasfantasyparade #disneylandsecrets
The guest shared videos of the normal float and the “b-mode” float with the elf in Donald’s place.
This is not a permanent replacement– Donald Duck should return soon. Maybe he was off on a date with Daisy Duck, or making a deal with Uncle Scrooge!
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This isn’t the first time a Disney parade went awry. Clarabelle Cow was nearly caught in a brawl in October as guests fought over a parade viewing spot at Disneyland Paris Resort. Days later, a Maui performer at Disneyland Resort was severely overheated and forced to stand still in their costume until the float made it backstage.
Have you ever seen a parade go on without a Disney character? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks guest experience. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.