A performer playing the Evil Queen at Disney World. (Getty)
A family has allegedly complained after encountering a “biologically male” performer at a Walt Disney World restaurant.
The father of a family-of-four is said to have complained to a member of staff while dining at the Story Book restaurant, at Artist Point, Florida – a themed lodge with performers dressed as characters from Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.
Speaking to Disney-focused blog That Park Place, the father said he told the waiter serving his table that he had a problem with a “man dressed in drag”.
While waiting to be served, the family were reportedly invited to meet the “Evil Queen”, a character the father said they had “high hopes” for. But after claiming the performer had a “man’s voice,” he complained.
He said the performer was “a man” and that he felt “disrespected” by Disney because it did not conform to his “family values.”
After complaining to the waiter, he then discussed the situation with the manager.
“I stated we are a conservative Christian family,” he said. “I’m spending $8,000 (£6,400) on this trip in addition to the tens of thousands I’ve spent together in the past at Walt Disney World and Disney Cruises, and that this is not right.
“For the most part, the manager just listened and never once apologised for anything. At one point [the manager said]: ‘I can assure you that she is a woman’.”
The father is then said to have pressed further and asked whether the Evil Queen was a “biological male,” to which the manager allegedly replied: “I’m sorry sir, I cannot answer that.”
The irate customer continued: “She 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 realised I was just being gaslighted.”
While the gender identity of the performer has not been confirmed, several social media users were less than impressed by the family’s outrage.
“How fragile do [you have] to be, to be mad that an actor is playing a role they got hired for?” one wrote.
Another wrote sarcastically: “I’m sorry but I just can’t believe it. A Disney villain portrayed by a drag queen? What next, a Disney villain modelled on a drag queen?” and shared a picture of the The Little Mermaid‘s Ursula, who was inspired by drag star Divine.
There was similar online outrage in 2023, when a much-loved Disney employee dubbed “Nick the fairy godmother” was filmed welcoming kids to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disneyland California. In the video, Nick describes their role as “the fairy godmother’s apprentice” as they welcome a child to the store.
After the video went viral, Nick faced an inevitable backlash due to their gender presentation in the clip. However, many people leaped to their defence, saying Nick was the highlight of their visits to Disneyland, with one happy customer writing: “I’m obsessed with Nick. Slaying every time I see them at Disney.”
PinkNews has reached out to Disney for comment.