Fact Check: Has the Walt Disney Company retired Mickey Mouse? Viral article debunked

Social media has become the hub of many articles claiming that the Walt Disney Company has retired the iconic character, Mickey Mouse.

Everything started on July 28, 2023, when a website called Inside the Magic published an article claiming that the iconic Disney mascot is benignly retiring "immediately," stating:

“The Walt Disney Company is about to do the unthinkable: retire Mickey Mouse. here is a reason why millions of Magic Kingdom Guests wear the Mouse ears on their dream vacations every year. However, it seems that the House of Mouse is about to shut down its lead character today, July 28, on the 100th anniversary of the company.”

Social media users stunned as articles spread on the internet claiming the retirement of the iconic Disney mascot. (Image via Inside the Magic)

The article was soon shared on many social media platforms, including Reddit. However, while the news about the mascot retiring shocked many, there was still no official confirmation from Disney.

Since no spokesperson or company has officially announced the same, the news can be assumed to be fake and untrue.

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The same website again made similar claims about Disney retiring Mickey Mouse

After making shocking claims, the website published another article making similar claims. Two days after they published the article, they talked about how the copyright for Mickey Mouse, which is with Walt Disney, is all set to expire. In that article, they claimed:

"The copyright for Walt Disney’s 1928 cartoon Steamboat Willie — which introduced the world to Mickey Mouse — is set to expire and enter the public domain in three years. The rights would include the Mickey Mouse that we saw in the film, which is different from other character iterations as time progressed. Now, that third year has arrived."

However, neither Disney nor any of its spokespersons have officially announced the same. Hence, this news, as well as the one preceding it, can be assumed to be untrue and hold no authenticity.

As the news article claimed that fans would soon have to say goodbye to Mickey Mouse, many were startled and left in a state of shock.

However, others tried to debunk the news and bring forth the truth about the misleading article. At the same time, many other people commented on the news being spread, simply calling it "clickbait."

Social media users stunned as articles spread on the internet claiming the retirement of the iconic Disney mascot. (Image via Reddit)

Here is how social media users reacted to the news shared on Reddit by an anonymous user.

Social media users stunned as articles spread on the internet claiming the retirement of the iconic Disney mascot. (Image via Reddit)

Social media users stunned as articles spread on the internet claiming the retirement of the iconic Disney mascot. (Image via Reddit)

Social media users stunned as articles spread on the internet claiming the retirement of the iconic Disney mascot. (Image via Reddit)

Social media users stunned as articles spread on the internet claiming the retirement of the iconic Disney mascot. (Image via Reddit)

This incident again sheds light on how one should verify their resources before believing any information. It means that until the news comes from a reliable source, it should not be trusted or shared further.