The holidays at Walt Disney World are a magical time. There is absolutely wonderful entertainment that you’ll only find this time of year, but some of it just got a little less magical. A character who might otherwise have gone by completely unnoticed recently went viral on TikTok, which appears to have ultimately resulted in the character’s removal.
We’re not talking about Mickey or Donald here, but a character that, unless you’re a huge Disney World nerd like me, you’ve probably never heard of. Tally the Elf was a character appearing in the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, a special event that’s part of the excellent Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a special hard ticket event at Magic Kingdom. The Cast Member playing Tally had been a viral sensation of late for just being a lot of fun putting various guests on the “naughty list.” Tally was even recently called out by USA Today.
"Naughty! You have 22 days!" Tally the Elf tells Disney World visitors if they're on Santa's naughty or nice list this year. pic.twitter.com/goWGZTMtrYDecember 10, 2024
People really loved him, but people got so into the character that some apparently tracked down the name of the Cast Member playing the part. This reportedly resulted in some interactions between Tally and guests that were not “in character” as guests would use the Cast Member’s real name in an attempt to get his attention so they could interact with him. It now looks like this has resulted in Tally being pulled from the parade.
@amandapag31 ♬ original sound - Amanda
This is why we can’t have nice things. People suck and I'm mad at everything. There was absolutely no need for this, and yet here we are. The fact that so many people loved Tally the Elf is a testament to the talent and charisma of a Cast Member who everybody else will now miss because of the inappropriate actions of a few obsessive jerks. Anybody doing this should be banned from Disney World. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
It’s ok that people loved Tally the Elf, and I completely understand why people wanted to know who the Cast Member was playing the part, but if that information isn’t readily available, it should be left alone. Not treating a character like a character inside the parks is just insane. Why would anybody think that was ok?
Back in the day when I was a regular attendee at the Mad T Party at Disney California Adventure, we all knew the names of the performers in the band. Most of them were aspiring musicians who released their own music and performed outside the parks under their own names, so finding that information wasn’t too hard. But I’m not aware of a single incident where fans would call them by their real names during a show. That’s just a line you don’t cross.
Disney Parks Cast Members are the people who make the magic. Whether they're in costume, hugging kids, or just helping you get on board an attraction, they are simply doing a job. Sometimes that job is in the public eye and sometimes it can make them minor celebrities. Sometimes it results in Disney World guests being rude or abusive. Honestly, this sort of behavior regarding Cast Members should be treated no differently.
