Disney World Father Raises Controversy over Transgender ‘Evil Queen’ Character

A father with four children reportedly complained about his dining experience at Walt Disney World Resort’s Wilderness Lodge, where they claimed a biological man was dressed as the iconic Evil Queen character from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs during a “meet and greet” event. The unnamed father shared their account with theme parks and entertainment news website That Park Place, stating that while waiting for desserts at Story Book Dining at Artist Point inside Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, they were invited to meet the Evil Queen character, played by a biological male in full facial appearance and makeup. The family had previously enjoyed “truly the best character experiences” with other villains but claimed that the voice of this particular character was unmistakably male when face-to-face. After flagging their waiter to report an issue, they spoke with a manager who assured them that the Evil Queen was indeed a woman despite being played by a man dressed in drag. This story has gone viral after footage surfaced online of another dining visit to this restaurant featuring what appears to be the same or a similar Disney performer playing the role as recently as January 2019. The website for Story Book Dining advertises meeting Snow White, Dopey and Grumpy in evenings while encouraging guests to “pose” with Queen if they dare.” In addition to these complaints about transgender actors onstage, reviews on travel review site TripAdvisor suggest that the food at Artist Point is not particularly good. One user described being seated late during a visit in March 2019 and said their disappointment was compounded by learning that “the evil queen” was played by a man – an experience which left their young daughter feeling crushed. Another reviewer from December 2023 also expressed shock at seeing the Evil Queen character portrayed as male, describing it as confusing for children but clarifying they are not against the LBGTQ community; rather supporting tradition and opposed to rewriting fairy tales. This story comes amid a years-long political battle between Disney World and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), who signed into law the Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” over guidance on how sexual orientation and gender identity are discussed in schools. In late March 2019, Disney reached a settlement agreement with DeSantis regarding governance of its theme park resort covering 25,000 acres.