If you’ve been scrolling through social media this week, you may have stumbled across some very unusual Disney content. No, it’s not a new movie announcement, and it’s not even a theme park update. Instead, it’s a tech glitch that has Disney fans laughing, scratching their heads, and screenshotting like crazy.
The My Disney Experience app — Walt Disney World’s go-to planning tool — has been serving up some bizarre surprises. Instead of showing the classic lineup of characters guests are used to seeing, the app has been mixing things up in ways nobody expected.
And we’re not talking about minor mistakes. We’re talking full-on mash-ups that look like they were pulled out of a Disney parody sketch.
What Guests Are Seeing
Related: First Early Entry, Now Dining Reservations: Disneyland Confirms Problematic Change
The screenshots speak for themselves, and they’re everywhere on X (formerly Twitter).
We noticed this after Heather took to X to share a screenshot of her My Disney Experience, “Me: Maybe I’ll update my character in MDE. *Logs in to see choices*”, to which Travel Hacker TM shared their MDE options:
Huh. pic.twitter.com/1VE9M7Ny6e
— TravelHackerTM (@TravelHackerTM) August 20, 2025
Fans have shared some of the strangest swaps the app has ever produced, including:
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Belle turning into Tramp
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Buzz Lightyear reimagined as Yoda
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C-3PO showing up as Winnie the Pooh
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Aladdin replaced by Nemo
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Alice listed as Nick Wilde
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Mickey Mouse transformed into Pocahontas
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Squirt swapped with Princess Aurora
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Cinderella showing up as Princess Tiana
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Darth Vader paired with the Queen of Hearts
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Cruella appearing as Princess Jasmine
Taken individually, each one is funny enough. But when you scroll through several of them back-to-back, the absurdity just keeps building. It’s the kind of bug that feels more like an “ultimate crossover event” than a mistake.
The App That’s Supposed To Keep Things Organized
For anyone unfamiliar, My Disney Experience is supposed to make a Walt Disney World vacation easier, not stranger. The app is the central hub for nearly everything at the resort. Guests use it to:
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Check wait times at all four parks.
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See show schedules and park hours.
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Join virtual queues for popular rides.
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Reserve Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections to skip standby lines.
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Order food ahead of time from participating restaurants.
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Access and download Disney PhotoPass pictures.
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Use a phone as a room key at Disney hotels.
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Get turn-by-turn directions around the parks.
It’s basically the digital backbone of a modern Disney trip. Since its debut in 2013 alongside MagicBands, the app has gone from a planning assistant to a full-on trip companion. Which makes this glitch all the more noticeable — when an app that usually runs your day decides to turn Mickey Mouse into Pocahontas, it’s going to grab attention.
Why This Is Happening
Disney hasn’t released a comment about the issue, but the most likely explanation is a data-loading hiccup. The app has to manage an enormous library of images, character icons, and attraction information all at once. If files are misaligned even briefly, the system can end up pulling the wrong artwork for the wrong character.
It’s not the first time a big app has had this kind of problem, and it’s rarely permanent. Usually, a fix rolls out quietly, and the issue disappears. But that doesn’t stop fans from enjoying the chaos while it lasts.
Fans Take It Viral
The reaction online has been overwhelmingly playful. People aren’t angry about it — they’re entertained. Some are calling it the “most ambitious Disney crossover yet,” while others are making jokes about new park attractions inspired by the swaps.
Buzz Lightyear and Yoda in particular got plenty of attention, sparking mock dialogue posts that read like they could be ripped from a parody skit. Others couldn’t stop laughing at the sight of villains like Darth Vader and the Queen of Hearts suddenly sharing the same identity in the app.
The mix-ups quickly turned into a trending conversation, proving once again that Disney fans will find humor in almost anything — especially when it involves their favorite characters.
What It Says About Disney’s Digital Push
Glitches like this may be funny, but they’re also a reminder of just how central My Disney Experience has become to Walt Disney World vacations. The app is no longer just a place to check maps or times — it’s the nerve center of the entire visit.
From Lightning Lane Multi Pass to mobile ordering to integration with MagicBand+, the system has become more advanced and more necessary year after year. But with that complexity comes the occasional hiccup, like this week’s strange case of identity-swapping characters.
Just Harmless Fun
Thankfully, this bug hasn’t disrupted anyone’s vacation in a meaningful way. Guests can still book rides, order meals, and check in for their hotel stays without issue. The only surprise has been which characters show up along the way — and most fans are treating that as a bonus bit of entertainment.
One user summed it up by saying they opened the app to check a ride time and were instead greeted by C-3PO masquerading as Winnie the Pooh. Not exactly the fastest way to plan a day in the parks, but definitely a memorable one.
The My Disney Experience app was designed to make vacations smoother and more efficient. Most of the time, it does just that. But every now and then, as this week’s glitch proves, it also delivers a dose of accidental comedy.
Belle-as-Tramp, Mickey-as-Pocahontas, and Darth-Vader-as-the-Queen-of-Hearts may never show up in a parade down Main Street, but they’ve already cemented themselves as one of the strangest viral moments in Disney app history.
And for fans who love to collect quirky Disney stories, this is one glitch that’s going to be tough to top.
