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Credit: Inside the MagicDisney character performers bring magic to life at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. They provide dozens of opportunities to step into your favorite stories at the Disney Parks, from parades and live shows to character dining and one-on-one meet & greets!
But things don’t always go right – even at The Happiest Place on Earth! During a recent performance of the Magic Happens Parade at Disneyland Park, one Disney character had to run for safety.
@disneydarren shared a video of Donald Duck hiding his face with a hat and rushing backstage with a Disney Cast Member. Fortunately, he returned to the parade a few minutes later:
@disneydarren Poor Donald! We all have those day! Its been tough for Disneyland lately! Alot has happened but its nothing that cant be fixed! 🙏🏼 Thankful to all the cast members keeping the magic alive! 💛 You all rock! #magichappens #parade #disneyparade #donaldduck #disneyland
The Guest wasn’t sure what happened but speculated that his hat fell off. “Happened so fast! But he came back without it,” they commented.
Another video from the same Magic Happens performance, which abruptly stopped due to a technical issue with one of the floats, shed more light on the situation. From the five to nine-second marks, Donald Duck is visible dancing with his hat barely attached to his head:
@beckoningadventure Replying to @EB Stone there was some technical difficulties with the #magichappensparade last night so i just ended the live we didn’t know how long they would be stuck #disneyland #disneybreakdown #magichappens #disneyglitch #disneylandcalifornia
The incident with Donald Duck follows numerous similar occurrences at Disney Parks worldwide. Last year, a video of Peter Pan rushing from a seemingly normal meet-and-greet went viral. After giving his character attendant an emergency signal, the actor abruptly ran away.
Other famous Disney character costume malfunctions include Elastigirl’s face falling off during a Magic Kingdom show and Mickey Mouse losing an eye during another parade performance. The videos draw attention online by offering brief glimpses of mistakes rarely made in an environment so obsessed with character integrity and perfection!
Have you ever seen a Disney character give an emergency signal? 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.