After Olaf suffered a malfunction at Disneyland Paris, Rapunzel had a rough moment of her own at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Some may see it as a bad omen for Disney, while others simply view it as a reminder to take greater care with its beloved characters. Either way, Rapunzel’s mishap marks the second Disney park incident in just three days.
Highlights
- Rapunzel’s hair was pecked apart by crows at Tokyo DisneySea’s Fantasy Springs area.
- The main character from ‘Tangled’ was reportedly removed from her tower for repairs.
- The incident comes after the new Olaf animatronic malfunctioned at Disneyland Paris, leading fans to believe “something is going on.”
Image credits: PopBase/X
On Wednesday (April 1), guests at Tokyo DisneySea’s Fantasy Springs area witnessed its Rapunzel animatronic being torn apart by crows.
The princess smiled and maintained her composure from the top of her tower, graciously moving her head from side to side as she gazed down at parkgoers, all while two crows ate her hair.
Image credits: PopBase/X
Videos of the incident have received millions of views across social media.
“WHAT IS GOING ON IN DISNEYLAND?” one fan asked.
“First Olaf and now Rapunzel… yeah something is going on,” one user shared.
“Their nests are going to be nice and warm....lol” another person added.
Disney fans quickly began linking events and spotting coincidences to explain the mishap
“This is what happens when you fire the Evil Queen,” said someone else, referring to Disney’s decision to fire Sabrina Von B. who went viral for her sassy interactions with parkgoers.
Another Disney fan suggested that organizers should “just put a plexiglass window in front of her.”
According to guests at Tokyo DisneySea, the Rapunzel animatronic has been removed from the tower while it undergoes repairs.
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Guests see the animatronic during the early stages of the Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival boat ride.
The ride, which opened in 2024, follows Rapunzel and Flynn Rider through scenes from the film Tangled, traveling from the tower to the kingdom’s annual lantern festival, as reported by Inside The Magic.
The slow-moving boat ride uses advanced animatronics, most of which are indoors, along with lighting and projection effects to recreate the film’s iconic scene of hundreds of floating lanterns illuminating the lagoon.
Image credits: DiscussingFilm/X
Tokyo DisneySea, like Tokyo Disneyland, is owned by The Oriental Land Company (OLC), which works with The Walt Disney Company via a licensing agreement. While Walt Disney Imagineering designs the attractions and animatronics, OLC operates them.
The park also includes attractions such as Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, a boat ride retelling the story of Frozen, Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure, and Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies.
The incident comes after the new Olaf animatronic created by Disney’s Imagineering team and Frozen’s original animators malfunctioned while interacting with guests in Paris.
Image credits: DiscussingFilm/X
On Monday (March 30), a day after his debut, the charming snowman suddenly stopped talking mid-speech, opened his eyes wide, and fell on his back, his carrot nose falling off and bouncing away.
Olaf’s hiccup inspired dozens of memes, with some sympathizing with the disappointed children and others finding the malfunction all too relatable.
Disney’s animatronics are having a rough week: the crow attack comes after Olaf malfunctioned at Disneyland Paris
The animatronic, designed to be the same size as the popular Frozen character, can roam freely around the park and interact with visitors using AI and the voice of Josh Gad, who voiced the snowman in the Disney films.
Disney had introduced the robot as part of a “new chapter in Disney character innovation” that merges technology with storytelling.
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The Olaf and Rapunzel incidents are just minor mishaps compared to what happened on the first day Disneyland opened its doors.
The California theme park first opened on July 17, 1955, featuring 20 attractions. The day would become known as Black Sunday among park employees.
Nothing comes close to Disney’s chaotic opening day, which became known as Black Sunday
Image credits: Wing1990hk/Wikimedia
The original plan was to invite a limited number of people, including press personnel and celebrities, who would be greeted by Walt Disney. However, many attendees were able to forge invitations or simply break in, resulting in an estimated 28,000 people entering the park.
Among the issues the company encountered were rides breaking down, restaurants running out of food and drinks during the hot summer day, and a gas leak in Fantasyland that forced the area to close to the public.
Image credits: Wing1990hk/Wikimedia
The Mark Twain riverboat also started to sink, overloaded with guests, and water fountains didn't work. This unfolded as millions of viewers tuned in to ABC to watch the big opening day.
When asked by reporters how he felt about the park's incomplete elements, Disney said, "I don’t expect the place will ever be finished. That’s what I like about it. That it will always be growing.”
The company quickly got over the bumpy start. By September of that year, the park was already celebrating its millionth guest, with each paying just $1 for an adult ticket.
The Rapunzel mishap sparked a flurry of hilarious jokes
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