Minnie Mouse Got A New Outfit, And Of Course Disney Fans Have Opinions

A great deal of the Disney brand is built on nostalgia for itself. Disney’s classic animated characters have been around for nearly 100 years and in many ways they’re the same characters now that they were back then. But Minnie Mouse just got a significant makeover as part of Disneyland Paris’ 30th anniversary, and people have some oddly strong opinions about it.

The new look in question puts Minnie Mouse in her first pantsuit. It was created by fashion designer Stella McCartney and honestly, Minnie is looking pretty good here. Check it out. 

But change at Disney upsets people, whether it’s character designs or theme park programs. So while there are plenty of comments from people who like Minnie’s Disneyland Paris look, there are just as many who take issue with it, though the reasons for the negative response cover a lot of ground. There are, of course, those that just don’t like the change. Part of the issue is almost certainly that the outfit is a pantsuit at all. The particular fashion choice comes with some of its own baggage. Minnie Mouse in a pantsuit is apparently a signal of the end times. 

Some, however, have at least a slightly nuanced view of the change. Some don’t mind seeing Minnie Mouse in a pantsuit, they just don’t love the look of this particular pantsuit. The feeling here is seemingly that even the new outfit should contain some elements of Minnie’s classic look. 

Others have looked at the largely single tone blue pantsuit and not read it as a pantsuit, but rather as pajamas. Give it a quick glance, and it’s easy to see where this idea comes from. You need to give it a good look to really see that Minnie’s not getting ready for bed. 

But all the hype and the frustration, some of which is even coming from Fox News, is overlooking the fact that this is really just one in a long line of Minnie Mouse designs. Her traditional look of the red dress with white polka dots isn’t going anywhere. In cartoons and theme parks and anywhere else we see Minnie her costume changes with her environment. She has a different look for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary as well. This is just one new look for one specific event. 

It’s unclear at this point if this pantsuit design will even exist beyond this single image. Will we be getting multiple fashion designers giving their own take on Minnie Mouse? Will Minnie characters at Disneyland Paris be wearing this outfit in the parks themselves? Even if they do, when the 30th anniversary celebration in the parks ends, Minnie’s costume will likely change to something else. Though fans will likely find reasons to be upset by that too.