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Disney is facing even more backlash for its decision to include characters at meet-and-greets whose biological sex does not match that of the traditional character. That backlash took off this week after a video surfaced from a family’s trip to the Story Book Dining at Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge within Walt Disney World Resort.
Related: Transgender Evil Queen Takes Over Disney World
The video itself is relatively benign. In it, the family meets Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and takes viewers through their entire $300 meal.
However, near the end of the video, the family encounters the Evil Queen. It is a quick interaction, as the mother tells the Evil Queen they are her favorite evil character.
The backlash came from the comments, as one person asked, “Why is that dude playing the Evil Queen?” Viewers took that comment as fact and ran with it, questioning why Disney World would have a biological male playing a traditional female character.
This story took on a new dimension yesterday when a father from a “conservative Christian family,” demanded to know the biological sex of the person playing the Evil Queen from the manager at Story Book Dining.
A family has reached out to That Park Place claiming they spent over $300 on a character meet and greet dinner at Walt Disney World… only to discover the Evil Queen character was almost certainly a biological male. This represents the first time we've heard of Disney using a… pic.twitter.com/jHRt64wl4O
— wdwpro (@wdwpro1) April 23, 2024
The man and his family were having dinner, and when it came time to meet the Evil Queen, the father told the waiter that he believed it was a “drag queen” playing the character. He informed the waiter that he had spent a lot of money on his Disney World vacation this year and had spent tens of thousands of dollars over the years.
He also told the waiter that it showed a lack of respect because having someone play a role whose gender identity did not match the character was against his “family values,” and he did not want his child to be a part of that.
He asked to speak with the manager, who assured the father that a woman was playing the role and that she had been “so excited” to get the role of the Evil Queen.
However, that did not satisfy him, and he asked if it was a “biological male,” and the manager responded that she “could not answer that.”
Credit: @sergiosdadjokes
She (the manager) went even further, trying to shame me, informing me that ‘she’ was so excited to get the part as the Evil Queen. For a brief moment, I thought, ‘Maybe I’m wrong,’ but then I realized I was just being gaslighted.
Despite the family’s outrage, most of the reaction on social media was positive. Several former cast members pointed out that most of the characters in costumes were played by women, including males.
Other comments pointed out that the person playing the Evil Queen was portraying a fictional character whose sexual orientation is irrelevant to the character.
It is also important to note that Disney has not confirmed the gender identity of the person playing the Evil Queen in this video.
What do you think of the controversy surrounding the Evil Queen at Disney World?
I’m proud of this Christian father for standing up for what is right. Disney has taken it too far condoning what God condemned.
Not everyone is Christian. Stop pushing your beliefs on other people. I don’t care what your beliefs are. Not everyone shares them. Mind your own business. Simple as that.
Read your bible
It goes both ways. Stop pushing your beliefs on other people. Not everyone believes or supports what you do.
Mind YOUR own business as well.
I think the man needs to grow up. Life and the world is not about him and his little mind.
100% mind you business!!! It’s rude to ask someone their sexual identity or orientation. Don’t like it?!?! Don’t go to Disney because they accept people for who and what they are! It’s 2024 get with the times! You are just one of those stuck up Christian’s obviously, doesn’t the Bible say not to judge others that’s Gods job?! Why don’t you mind yours and keep on movin! I support Disney for this 100% even if that was the case, good for them!
It is not clear to children.
WDW is supposed to be the happiest place on earth. I am glad you think badly of all Christians. Very humane of you. It should have been noted thus families could decide to go there or somewhere else to eat.
Actually it’s not relevant, so let’s keep things as usual! This is a show oriented for children, Disney is..so why not let it remain this way, for the majority?
A lot of people get this wrong but WDW, Florida, is the most magical place on earth. Disneyland, in California, is the happiest place on earth.
Your comment shows your narrowmindedness. You unequivocally call this act of bias “right”. And you then posit yourself as a religious scholar, deciding for us what God condones and condemns.
If you have to ask… you shouldn’t.
Your personal beliefs and values are yours, not to be imposed on others, we all are entitled to our own beliefs and values.
If you are a Vegetarian, that does not mean I have to eat Vegan in your presence. If you like to drink (alcoholic beverages), that doesn’t mean I have to drink alcoholic beverages in your presence; if you are a practicing sober alcoholic, that doesn’t mean I cannot drink alcoholic beverages in your presence. (and so on and so on…)
Everyone is free to their own set of beliefs and, values. But No one should feel entitled to impose, demand or expect others to conform based on their own personal choices. If you do not like, agree, or feel comfortable with someone else’s choices, you are free to remove yourself. Demanding to be informed of someone else’s biology, (gender) is a step too far; No one has the right to make such a demand. How arrogant and self-indulgent! I’m curious just how eager that man (or woman) demanding gender identification would be to drop his/her draws and display gender? Or is that the underlying point (“The lady doth protest too much, methinks”) is the person making the complaint deflecting his/her own internal demonds?
For crying out loud! I am so unhappy after reading this story. As I was reading I wondered if it was another person wanting to be compensated with a free meal.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion but to make such a big deal over this! Do you really think a child would be able to tell the difference? Only if the parent made a a todo over this I’m sure.
It seems to me that more people are offended by something that use to be an “oh well” attitude.
Enjoy Disney! And stop nitpicking!
Did she do a good job? Was she believable as the Evil Queen? That’s all that’s important. If whomever pulls off the role, then it’s all good. Don’t Japanese Noh plays only allow males on stage, even to play women? Didn’t Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon do almost an entire movie as women? No one bitched about that now did they? People it’s just so not important about the actor’s sis identity, it’s about how well the role was played.
Don’t Like It? Don’t Disney. SMH
I think this gentleman and his family should have been escorted out of the park. There is no need, or desire, for hatred and bigotry in this magical world where we can dream what we wish and be who we want to be. I am an avid 72 year old Disney fan and take my grandchildren every year. They have only asked if the character was the real one. I suggest this man and his family find another form of entertainment.
Amen
Where in the 10 commandments does it talk about gay/queer or whatever. Don’t judge who plays who. Some men have high voices and some women have low voices. We are not all created the same.
Everyone has the right of there own opinion , if a person can’t say what he feel’s or voice his opinion. And get bulled on by other people. then as a Nation we lost our freedom of opinion.
You can have an opinion, no one is saying you can’t, but when that opinion is heavily disagreed with or out of line, you better be prepared for the backlash that comes with it.
Any grown man who wants to dress up as a women and be in front of little kids is sick!
Your comment just shows how uneducated, bigoted and how much of a snowflake you are. Men throughout history have dressed up as women for the purposes of theatrical productions and entertainment ever since Shakespeare because women were bared form it legally. In Japan, same thing, Kabuki theater banned women from participating, so men have been playing women’s parts for over hundred’s of years. In mainstream Hollywood you’ve had Dustin Hoffman play the leading man and women in Tootsie, Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire, and John Travolta as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray to name a few. Educate yourself and learn the facts when you should be more concerned about Boy Scouts and the Catholic Church if you’re actually concerned about children.
I agree with what Jason said. If he is a man, be man then.
Disney World is for kids who do not see or think about the sex of a character. People need to lighten up and vote Ron DeSantis out of Florida.