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Mickey Mouse Publicly Canceled, Replacement Confirmed by Disney

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Posted on by Jess Colopy 4 Comments
mickey mouse looks surprised

Credit: Disney

The Walt Disney Company debuted its latest replacement for Mickey Mouse at the D23 Expo last weekend. Fans weren’t happy with the technology, which could eventually replace physical character meet-and-greets at the Disney parks.

D23 Expo took place from August 9 to August 11, 2024, in Anaheim, California. This ultimate Disney fan event delivered announcements about Disney theme parks and entertainment, including Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Star Wars, and more.

Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro and joins Mickey Mouse and the rest of the gang on the 2022 D23 stage
Credit: D23 Fan Expo 2022

Select D23 Expo guests were invited to meet a virtual version of Mickey Mouse, voiced by Bret Iwan, who has officially voiced Walt Disney’s beloved character since 2010. AllEars shared footage of the experience on X (formerly Twitter), where it went viral and amassed widespread adverse reactions:

We got to MEET MICKEY MOUSE at #D23! What will @DisneyD23 have in store for the rest of the weekend to top this??

Disney Parks fans weren’t impressed by the technology. @ChimeraZeus07 said that it had potential but wasn’t ready to replace character performers at Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, and international Disney Parks:

The biggest issue for me here is, this looks like someone wearing a Mo-Cap suit somewhere and just moving around. This LOOKS like Mickey, but he doesn’t FEEL like Mickey. Mannerisms are all wrong. But I think the concept has potential. Just don’t replace the real one.

Disney Park attractions like Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor and Turtle Talk With Crush currently use virtual puppetry technology to allow guests to interact with animated characters in real-time. D23 Expo’s Mickey Mouse appears to be a more advanced iteration of that concept.

“Not ready for beta testing yet but it’ll get there,” said @salFreeApps. “Definitely need to slow down those idle animations. “Look at how humans move! You can stand there & blink now & then. Shift your weight. Then do that rocking &/or head scratch. It’s too much.”

Some viewers found Mickey Mouse’s nervous posture and delayed responses unnerving.

“Mickey looks like he’s trying anxiously to pass as sober,” said @jmbad_art.

YouTuber and well-known theme park fan Jenny Nicholson weighed in:

You know when people are like “guys if you’re nervous around women it makes them nervous because you can accidentally put off a really menacing energy” Mickey Mouse here is a really good example of that

Still, some Disney Parks fans were excited at the thought of meeting a Mickey Mouse that could talk. From @bluegold1026:

THIS! This level of character interaction is what the Disney Parks need! Universal is waaaaaay ahead of them in that department, but Disney’s slowly beginning to catch up…I hope. TBF I’m not a fan of the art style used for Mickey.

“I told my husband I need one of these installed in the house.. Pure magic,” @BR20271 replied.

Walt Disney World Resort used to have a talking Mickey Mouse in the Town Square Theater at Magic Kingdom Park but removed the high-tech suit years ago. Talking Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Donald Duck debuted at Disneyland Resort in 2017, but didn’t stay for long.

The Walt Disney Company didn’t announce plans to bring the virtual Mickey Mouse to the Disney parks.

Would you like to meet the animated Mickey Mouse? In the comments, share your thoughts on the new technology with Inside the Magic.

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