Disney theme parks are known for their magical experiences and costumed characters. But when a male Disney employee dressed as a “Fairy Godmother apprentice” recently went viral for ushering children into a dress store, the reaction was anything but magical.
The viral video, which was posted to TikTok by Kourtni Faber, showed the male employee wearing a blue dress with heavy blue eyeshadow. He can be heard introducing himself to the children as “one of the fairy godmother’s apprentices,” before escorting them inside the store.
Disney has a man in a dress working in the dress store for little girls at Disneyland. This is who Disney wants girls to see when they first walk in to pick out a dress. pic.twitter.com/Ta2dwyAaSa
— Jason Jones (@jonesville) May 30, 2023
The video quickly gained traction on social media, sparking a heated debate among users. Many were in support of the employee’s costume, while others criticized Disney for not featuring a female character for the job.
“Think how many real girls want that job at Disney and they gave it to him for a reason…” tweeted Dave Rubin, the host of the Rubin Report.
Brandon Morse, a senior editor at Red State, tweeted, “May you never suffer the same destruction of your legacy that poor Walt [Disney] has.”
Sara Gonzales, host of The News and Why It Matters on BlazeTV, told her followers to “stop taking your family to Disney.”
On the other hand, writer Avi Woolf called the costume “harmless” and said it “looks silly to any kid.”
“Stop seeing enemies everywhere, we have enough real ones,” he wrote.
The employee in question was dressed as a “Fairy Godmother apprentice,” which is the new gender–neutral term at Disney that replaced the previous one, “Fairy Godmothers in Training.”
The video sparked debates on Twitter, with many users calling out Disney for seemingly depriving female employees of costumed roles. Others chose to support the employee, noting that hiring him may have been an effort by Disney to create an inclusive environment for all genders.
Currently, Disney has yet to comment on the reaction to the viral video. But regardless of the outcome, it is clear that there is a growing demand for gender–neutral roles in Disney films and theme parks, as evidenced by the widespread awareness of this employee’s costume.
What’s particularly interesting about this is how intentional it is. This is a dude with a mustache in a dress. Not a “trans” person. Think how many real girls want that job at Disney and they gave it to him for a reason…
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) May 30, 2023
