When most people go to theme parks, they focus on the rides. I certainly used to be that way, but in recent years, I’ve begun to embrace the fun of live entertainment at theme parks. Whether it’s a scheduled stage show, a photo-op with a popular character or a random interaction, there’s nothing quite like the experience of “meeting” your favorite fictional character, talking with them, and maybe hugging them.
It’s essentially a form of live theater. However, as with all live performances, the possibility of something going wrong, be it in a big or small way, certainly exists. When it comes to your favorite characters at Disney Parks, it happens. A TikTok video is currently getting a lot of attention for bringing together lots of different clips of things going wrong for your favorite Disney Princess or other characters, and honestly, it’s pretty funny.
Fans are losing it in a variety of ways over this, from laughing to crying. Great comments on the post and a repost on X include:
- Mrs. Incredible's face falling off would have sent me spiraling as a child 😭
- i feel like ariel running into a wall would be part of her character, since walking and swimming are different
- Whoops! Even the characters in the parks have bad days.
- I can just hear Groot as he falls "I Am Groooooot" and hits the floor 😆
I had seen a few of these before as standalone clips. The video of Mrs. Incredible losing her face or Dale kicking the trash can in anger, both from Disney California Adventure, have made their way around the internet before. Some of these were new to me, however, including the ones from overseas Disney Parks, including Rapunzel losing a shoe and Ariel straight up walking into a wall.
These sorts of mishaps are honestly to be expected. Any time you’re dealing with any sort of live performance, there’s a chance things could go slightly wrong. Most of these are pretty minor mishaps, all things considered. Considering the number of interactions these characters have every day of the year, it’s impressive that this sort of thing doesn’t happen more often.
Honestly, the clip of the kid running to hug Pluto and Pluto taking a dive is the sort of thing that I’d expect to happen every day in Disney Parks. We know that visibility in some of these costumes isn’t great, so they don’t always see the kid coming to be ready for the impact. The Groot crash is another one that, due to the size of the costume, isn’t necessarily that shocking to see. It’s part of what makes the fact that it doesn’t happen often all the more impressive.
I hope the people in the costumes don’t feel too bad when things go a little sideways, or that some people might be having fun of their own when that happens. It’s all part of the job, and the Disney cast members usually do amazingly well. Disney Parks simply wouldn’t be the same without the life and energy that these characters bring, and that’s all because of the people who do the work, both backstage and onstage, to make it happen.
