It turns out some guests are skipping more than just the long lines at Disney—they’re skipping entire princesses. And now, cast members who’ve worn the tiaras and walked the carpets are speaking out.
A former Disney princess has gone viral for revealing what she calls one of the most quietly painful experiences a character performer can face on the job. Spoiler alert: it involves guests picking favorites. And no, it’s not part of the magic.
When Skipping a Princess Isn’t Just Rude—It’s Personal
Kayla Nicole, a former Disney cast member who spent eight years performing as Ariel, Merida, and Cinderella, recently dropped a bombshell on TikTok that has the Disney fan community buzzing. In her video, she gets real about what it’s like when guests come to meet multiple characters at once—and blatantly snub one of them.
“If you’re in a meet-and-greet location like the hall, where you have one princess on this carpet and a different princess on the other carpet, do not skip one to go to the other,” Kayla says.
We’re not talking about forgetting a wave or taking too long in line. We’re talking full-on, walk-past-her-like-she’s-not-even-there behavior. And it happens more often than you’d think.
Meet-And-Greets Are Timed—And Snubbing Messes It All Up
While you might be thinking, “Who cares if I’m just trying to meet my kid’s favorite?”—well, Disney cares. A lot.
“Per our rules, we’re supposed to average around 70 seconds for each interaction to make it fair for every family,” Kayla explains. “So if you’re skipping a princess, you are saving one minute of your time and potentially causing a world of hurt to that performer.”
The skipped princess isn’t just standing around awkwardly. She’s still “on,” still in character, and now dealing with an empty interaction in front of a crowd. Yikes.
“Not Even Acknowledging You”: The Real Toll on Performers
Kayla opened up about how these moments don’t just cause operational slowdowns—they’re emotionally draining, too.
“How would you feel getting consistently skipped over? With side eyes and smirks and backs turned, not even acknowledging you.”
And for performers of color, it cuts even deeper. Kayla specifically calls out the tough dynamic faced by cast members playing characters like Princess Tiana or Elena of Avalor—who often appear together at Princess Fairytale Hall.
“Imagine you’re a person of colour playing Elena or Tiana, the two characters that meet in the hall. In real life, you feel looked over, given fewer opportunities, etc., and then you come to your job and people are still looking over you.”
That’s not just a one-off interaction. That’s trauma stacked up over dozens of performances. According to Kayla, there were times they had to stop loading guests into the room because the actress playing Elena was crying after repeated snubs.
“We’ve had to stop loading the rooms so many times throughout my Disney career because my Elena was crying at how she was being treated.”
Just Say Hi—It’s Literally That Simple
Kayla’s advice is easy to follow: show up, smile, and let the character do the rest. The whole point of Disney magic is that the cast members bring the experience to life.
“If you’re a guest, just walk up, smile, and say hey,” she said. “The performer should, in theory, take the reins and guide the entire interaction from there on. Just ‘yes and’ everything they say and it’ll be over before you know it.”
Seriously—just let the princess lead. No monologue required.
Fans React: “Elena Was My Daughter’s Favorite”
If you’re wondering whether guests really act this way, sadly, yes—and some fans have witnessed it firsthand. But others shared heartwarming stories about interactions with lesser-known characters like Elena.
One commenter wrote:
“Elena was my daughter’s favourite princess when we went. People kept skipping her over, and she spent extra time with my little, and we never knew of that princess before.”
Another fan added:
“I never watched Elena’s show, but we had such a great interaction when I met her! I’m glad she took the reins because honestly, I was so nervous about what to say to her. Total sweetheart!”
Don’t Be That Guest
Disney’s character performers train for months to create seamless, magical interactions. But the truth is, they’re real people with real feelings under the wigs and face paint. The next time you meet more than one character at a time, don’t ignore one just because they weren’t on your autograph list.
Take the picture. Share the moment. Acknowledge the crown.
Because behind every princess, pirate, and mouse is a performer hoping to make your day magical—and wishing you’d do the same in return.
