schema:text
| - A rumor that The Walt Disney Company banned women from driving at the Tomorrowland Speedway attraction in Florida's Magic Kingdom theme park circulated online in December 2024.
On Dec. 12, 2024, the TikTok account (archived) Mouse Trap News posted a clip that claimed Disney implemented the new rule "to reduce the number of crashes and near fatalities on the ride."
@mousetrapnews Disney is UNDER FIRE for this extremely controversial move! #disneyworld #disneynews #tomorrowlandspeedway #autopia #womenpower ♬ Life is a Highway - Rascal Flatts
That post received nearly 3,000 comments within 24 hours of it being posted, with some users seeming to interpret the rumor as a factual recounting of real-life events. Someone wrote, "Statistically, women cause more accidents, that's why disney [sic] decided this way and someone thinks it's sexist. Before 2025, we will have reached the point where statistics are sexist. Congratulations."
Mouse Trap News' Instagram account and website also made the claim. According to an article on the website:
Disney Bans Women From Driving at Tomorrowland Speedway
Disney bans women from driving at the Tomorrowland Speedway. This is to reduce the number of crashes and near fatalities on the ride.
In fact, according to the DOT, 95% of crashes at the Tomorrowland Speedway are caused by women. Disney is doing this to make their rides safer. From now on, only boys and men can drive the cars.
Of course, Disney is putting a very positive spin on this. According to an official statement, "In order to make our rides as safe as possible, only men will be able to drive cars at the Tomorrowland Speedway. This allows women to take on the all-important role of passenger princesses. No longer do they need to worry about driving, instead a man can do that."
However, there was no evidence to support any of the claims. Disney's database of press releases contained no such announcement, and there was no evidence to suggest the entertainment company had enacted the purported ban. If it had, reputable news outlets would have reported on it. That had not happened.
Rather, Mouse Trap News, which created the rumor, describes its output as satire and parody. Its "About" page states:
Mouse Trap News is the world's best satire and parody site. We write fake stories about Disney Parks stuff. From Disney Park announcements to Disney Hotel and resort news to made-up Disney partnerships, you can be assured that anything you read here is not true, real, or accurate, but it is fun. So technically our slogan The Moused Trusted Name in Disney News isn't true, but we thought it was creative and funny, so we are running with it.
The bio for the outlet's TikTok account states: "Real Disney News That is 100% FAKE."
Snopes has addressed similar claims from Mouse Trap News in the past, including the assertions that Disney World released a $10 million park-entry ticket and that the theme park was testing out a hurricane defense system.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.
|