The most magical place on earth might be losing some of its most famous characters.
Disneyland fans are furious at reports that certain characters who typically roam the theme parks year-round will be scaled back after the Halloween season ends.
Villains including the Evil Queen and Maleficent are rumored to only return to the parks during spooky season, which is typically celebrated from mid-August through October 31 each year.
A spokesperson for Disney denied the removal and called it a “fan site rumor” in a statement to The Independent, saying, “Villains are an important franchise to us and will continue to be available in our theme parks. We are building a whole land on villains at Walt Disney World as part of that expansion.”
However, the rumors of some villains leaving the park were first sparked by multiple viral videos of Disney actors playing the Evil Queen who, while remaining in character, cryptically said that the role will disappear at the end of the month.
“Are you soaking up all of your time with me before the end of the Halloween season and my imminent retirement back to my dungeon for an undisclosed period of time?” the Evil Queen said in one video shared to TikTok.
“They’re revoking her invitation, so I guess they’re revoking mine as well,” she said, gesturing to an actor playing Maleficent next to her. “You can all go and cry to the powers that be in this kingdom that don’t rule adequately or fairly… that every day, every moment, that you miss me.”
She then urged anyone watching the video to complain to Disney as well.
Another video shows an other actor playing the Evil Queen saying, “Yes, go complain! Tell them that you want me, specifically, all year round.”
In another video, she hints to visitors that the Tremaines, also known as Cinderella’s wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and Mother Gothel from Tangled, will join her and Maleficent in leaving after Halloween ends. She also appeared to confirm that Cruella will stay at the park year-round.
Disney didn’t immediately return The Independent’s request for clarification on the rumored exits.
Theme park enthusiasts have shared their disappointed reactions to reports of the exits across social media, with many sharing that they left complaints on Disney’s website.
“That’s unfortunate because a lot of the evil queens are legendary characters that people visit the park to meet,” one X user wrote, while another deemed the rumored changed “unfair.”
Live action characters from Disney’s movies roam around in all four of Walt Disney World’s theme parks in Florida, as well as the two parks at California’s Disneyland Resort. The surprise interactions and meet-and-greets have been a staple since opening day in 1955.
Losing the villains isn’t the only thing that Disney has come under fire for lately. Earlier this month, Walt Disney World announced price hikes for tickets to all of their parks.
Plus, the entertainment giant has been trying to cut costs recently, resulting in mass layoffs.
