Doug Parks Disney World’s first Mickey Mouse dies at 60

Doug Parks Disney World's first Mickey Mouse dies at 60

This article comes to us from the Orlando Sentinel.

The man widely believed to be the first Mickey Mouse at Walt Disney World has died.

Doug Parks of Gotha died Aug. 29. He was 60.


Disney officials would confirm he was an entertainment cast member, but would not say whether Parks was the first costumed Mickey Mouse at the Magic Kingdom when it opened in October 1971. His family, likewise, was reluctant to spoil the so-called Disney Magic.

But a story and a picture of him at home that ran in the Orlando Sentinel in 1971 identified him as Disney World’s first costumed Mickey Mouse. He later trained two other substitute “mice.”

“Employer-erected barriers” made it difficult at the time to talk to Parks about his work at Disney, where his identity was protected, the article stated.

Click here to keep reading.

Please note: some posts may contain affiliate links which means our team could earn money if you purchase products from our site

D2T-1

Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.

Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.

Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel

Name(Required)
MM slash DD slash YYYY
MM slash DD slash YYYY
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!

YouTube player

Written by:

13,295 Posts

Chip is the owner, editor, and writer of Chip and Company. When he is not writing about Disney News or Planning Tips, you will find him counting down the days to his next Disney Vacation.
View All Posts
Follow Me :