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Credit: Andy Sabis, FlickrWalt Disney World Resort guests recently had a not-so-magical experience during a performance of Festival of Fantasy.
Festival of Fantasy Parade is Magic Kingdom’s signature daytime procession, sending characters from the likes of Tangled (2010), Peter Pan (1953), and The Little Mermaid (1989) down Main Street, U.S.A. First introduced in 2014, the parade has undergone a handful of changes over the years – such as dropping the Brave (2012) float – but remains a staple of the park’s entertainment.
Despite its longevity, the parade has faced more than its share of mishaps in its time.
Back in 2023, Flora experienced a technical issue with her “floating device” during the parade, forcing Disney cast members to get involved in a desperate effort to restore the Sleeping Beauty (1959) portion of the parade to its regular state.
Similarly, in 2024, the Beast’s tail appeared to fall off while being evacuated from the Beauty and the Beast (1991) float in the middle of a rainstorm. And in June 2025, a torrential downpour disrupted Festival of Fantasy, with Snow White caught on camera escorting Bashful towards the edge of the parade, handing him over to an operational cast member.
This week, another incident occurred midway through a performance.
Festival of Fantasy Mishap Caught on Camera
On January 27, Sneezy experienced a slightly scary mishap during Festival of Fantasy.
In the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) section of the parade – which sees Snow White dance down the route, accompanied by the dwarfs – Sneezy’s eye appeared to pop out of his costume, leaving a not-so-magical empty socket in its place.
1/27 Festival of Fantasy Parade Goof
byu/unlunchyluck inWaltDisneyWorld
“Y’all never in all my years as a WDW fan have I experienced something like this,” wrote one guest on Reddit. “This was at the end of the afternoon parade route on [Main Street]. He was taken out shortly after with a cast member covering the eyes and taking him out one of the back entrances.”
Fortunately, the guest added that Sneezy – who traverses the parade route with Dopey on his back – did not drop his eye on the parade path. “I kinda think it fell inside the costume, if that makes sense?” they wrote. “The other eye looked like it was kinda half poked out too.”
This isn’t the first time a character has lost an eye onstage.
In 2022, a clip emerged from the now-defunct Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party at Magic Kingdom that appeared to show Mickey Mouse losing an eye mid-performance. The famed mouse was soon assisted by cast members.
Earlier that same year, Mickey also lost an eye during a deck party aboard the Disney Cruise Line.
Moments like these rarely derail the show for long. Disney’s cast members are trained to move quickly and quietly, stepping in to evacuate characters offstage, shield costumes, and keep crowds smiling so the illusion never fully breaks. Even when something goes wrong, the goal stays the same: protect the magic and keep the day moving.
Have you ever witnessed a character mishap at Disney World?
