Did the Cinderella Disney castle burn down? On the evening of February 2024, a satirical website, Mouse Trap News, which describes itself as a parody website, claimed that the Disney World Cinderella castle burned down in the early morning of that day. Following this event, they shared a video compilation on their social media accounts. The video reached over 26.2 million people on TikTok, 108.3 thousand people on Twitter, and more than 6 thousand people on Instagram. This news rapidly spread, promoting panic and sadness among Disney lovers. Fortunately, after the chaos, multiple Disney workers confirmed that the claims were false. They explained that the smoke was the aftermath of a fireworks show.
Many websites started to publish articles debunking the controversial claim regarding the burning of the Cinderella castle being on fire. Yet it had already spread on social media causing a lot of discussion among the public. Several users fomented panic insisting that they had witnessed the fire, writing comments such as “It’s true, I’ve seen it. I was there, man” and “I was here! it was very smoky during the day.. there were people selling parts of the castle to others as souvenirs!” These comments caused consternation for many internet users. Nonetheless, some people claiming to be Disney workers refuted the news as false. They stated: “I work in Magic Kingdom and this is false news! Probably smoke from fireworks” and “I’m a concierge where I sell tickets and this is false news.”
The first clip originated from a singer called Sacha. (@SachaOfficialMusic.) Who shared the clip on TikTok on February 8, 2024, and who later deleted the post from social media. The clip had a caption that read “Is it me or is the castle at Disney World on fire.” This led to speculation among the public. Later, a spokesperson for the singer confirmed through an email that the video was taken on February 6, 2024, at 11:37 am. Demonstrating how the viral clip showed the aftermath of a fireworks show and not a fire incident at the Disney castle.
Disney is known for the fabulous shows that create lifetime memories for its guests. This is why Disney has a professional team that works to keep the public and the Disney cast safe. They have entertainment technicians, specialized in pyro and special effects. Carol Brickett was a key member of Walt Disney World’s pyrotechnics team. She began working since 1986 on Epcot’s “Laserphonic Fantasy.” With her professional experience, she developed a safety guideline for all the technicians, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for any eventuality. She stated, “Anything can happen at any time, and that’s what we teach people. It’s explosives. It’s fireworks. Something is going to happen. It’s not if, it’s when.” While accidents like this could always happen, Disney’s professional team is dedicated to ensuring the safety of everyone.
After Mouse Trap News used the viral clip with a misleading intention, they published some revealing pictures of the Cinderella castle in flames.
These pictures show a fierce fire that appears to be ripping apart the castle- but not everything is what it seems. Mouse Trap News stated “It took nearly an hour for firefighters to respond and start battling the flames. However, by that time it was too late. Cinderella Castle was already fully engulfed in flames.” and even questioned why the firefighters took so long reaching the scene. It turns out that the images were indeed manipulated by an AI generator and the Disney castle still stands today.
Fortunately, Mouse Trap News is a site that writes and publishes fake stories about Disney, they assure that “anything you read here is not true, real, or accurate, but it is fun.” And describe themselves as a 100% parody. This website has covered viral fake news in the past, including “Tylor Swift and Travis Kelce renting out Disney World” or “Women can now give birth inside Disney World.” It is important to note that all these stories are FAKE. However, this did not stop the public from speculating and from falling for the mean prank.
Work Cited
BenZvi, Maggie. “THE WOMAN BEHIND DISNEY’S INCREDIBLE PYROTECHNIC SHOWS” Coffee or Die Magazine, https://coffeeordie.com/woman-behind-disney-pyrotechnics. Accessed 6 March, 2024.
Monaghan, Becca. “Did Disney’s Cinderella Castle actually burn down?” Indy100, https://www.indy100.com/tiktok/disney-cinderella-castle-burn-down. Accessed 6 March, 2024.
Boardwine, Andrew. “Viral Video Claim Scares Disney World Guests” Inside the Magic, https://insidethemagic.net/2023/02/smoke-fills-magic-kingdom-frightening-scene-ab1/. Accessed 6 March, 2024.