Has Mickey Mouse Been Replaced as Disney’s Mascot?

Claim:

The Walt Disney Co. is replacing Mickey Mouse as its mascot.

Rating:

Labeled Satire

On August 8, 2024, Mouse Trap News published “breaking news” that Mickey Mouse would be replaced as the official mascot of the Walt Disney Co. because its copyright expired earlier this year:

BREAKING: Mickey Mouse Removed as Official Disney Mascot

Breaking news, Mickey Mouse is no longer the official Disney mascot. Disney has decided to make their new mascot Figment.

Disney is doing this because the Mickey Mouse copyright expired this year. All future Disney branding will focus on Figment instead of Mickey. According to an official statement, “We did extensive research, to determine who the new Disney mascot would be. We also looked at sales to quantify the decision. Ultimately we were between Figment, Sonny Eclipse, and Tinker Bell. Figment however proved to be the top runner and we are excited to have him as our new mascot.”

Mouse Trap News also posted a TikTok video about the “news” that had more than 140,000 views at the time of this writing.

We’ve seen the claim before. Mouse Trap News published similar “breaking news” in February 2023 that Mickey would be replaced as the company’s official mascot:

BREAKING: Mickey Mouse Out as Official Disney Mascot

Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse in 1928. No one would have guessed the impact Mickey would have nearly 100 years later. He continues to be a dominant figure for the Walt Disney Company and the face of Disney.

However, we have some breaking Disney news. In 2024, Figment will replace Mickey Mouse as the official Disney mascot.

Figment is the mascot for EPCOT’s Imagination Pavilion. While the purple dragon may be getting its own movie, it didn’t replace Mickey. Moreover, Mouse Trap News isn’t a real news site. It says on its about page that every story on its website is fake:

“Mouse Trap News is the world’s best satire and parody site. We write fake stories about Disney Parks stuff. From Disney Park announcements to Disney Hotel and resort news to made-up Disney partnerships, you can be assured that anything you read here is not true, real, or accurate, but it is fun.”

Mouse Trap News says the same thing on its social media accounts. Its TikTok bio says “‼️Real Disney News That is 100% FAKE‼️”

If it was really breaking news, other publications would have been quick to report it. That was not the case. The only places that wrote about it were those debunking the satire, often describing it as a “TikTok hoax.”

It is true that early versions of Mickey Mouse, like the animated cartoon “Steamboat Willie,” entered the public domain on January 1, 2024. There has been no indication Disney will stop using the character as a mascot.

“Ever since Mickey Mouse’s first appearance in the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie, people have associated the character with Disney’s stories, experiences, and authentic products,” the company said in a statement to Observer in February 2023. “That will not change when the copyright in the Steamboat Willie film expires.”

For further reading, we previously reported on other fictional content from Mouse Trap News, such as stories that said Disney would be lowering the drinking age to 18, demolishing Cinderella Castle, and had filed a patent for a rollercoaster that jumps off the track.

Source: Mouse Trap News, Deadline, Evening Standard, Snopes, Observer