Disneyland’s Evil Queen reveals details behind her shocking firing

Shockwaves hit the Disneyland fandom when the performer who went viral as the Evil Queen from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was abruptly fired and escorted out of the park.

Actress and singer Sabrina Von B. stunned in her character performance of the icy Evil Queen, going viral and drawing fans from around the world to the California theme park.

All of that came to a screeching halt earlier in January. After eight years of “keeping the magic,” she was “let go” by The Walt Disney Company and escorted out of the very gates she first entered at age 18.

“It happened a lot more quietly than you would think,” she recalled. “I was walked out of the gates… I walked out of the same gates I walked in from my first day there.”

The actress couldn’t comment on the exact reason behind the termination but said that she felt it was “unwarranted.”

“The virality played a small role, but ultimately, the popularity of my character was not why I was let go,” Von B. said, adding that the firing had nothing to do with her age, her performance or her look. 

Right after Disney axed the Evil Queen, Von B. was escorted out through the fairy-tale-kingdom gates — much like the bitter end of the classic movie, where the Queen is cast off a cliff.

“It was a shock,” said Von B. “It all happened very quickly, I didn’t get a proper goodbye.”

As part of Disneyland’s theme park policy, character actors must “keep the magic” by concealing their true identities from the public. Now that Von B. is a free agent, she has officially unveiled herself to fans online — racking up millions of followers who were sad to see her go and eager to find out what she’ll do next.

“I feel like Disney’s policy on characters — their character performers remaining anonymous — which obviously some do want to, and that is completely fine, but not even making it like a possibility to come out publicly and show your work definitely is a bit of a weird spot to be in, but you know, it’s part of the job when you sign up for it,” she said.

“I did a good job of keeping that magic up until the end, when I no longer had to anymore.”

Von B. described her shedding the cloak as akin to the Hannah Montana character. “I’ve been playing this character for a long time, but then, people are finding out it’s me. It’s like a big reveal, said Von B. “It just sort of feels like that double life is now formed into one.” 

Von B.’s alter ego, the Queen, is beloved for her quippy comebacks and viral one-liners, including her “all natural” slogan referring to the Queen’s no-makeup beauty, which have endured online.

“The Queen really just takes over. It’s a huge improv exercise — but when you’ve done a character so long and live in that brain for so long, sometimes magic just comes out,” said Von B., who added that it had been an “honor” to laugh with her fans but that she wished she could have left on her own terms. 

“I wish Disney treasured or valued their cast members in a way, and realized the value that every individual brings to their company, before sort of removing them,” she said. “I wish that it didn’t feel like we were dispensable to them.”

The actress always intended to move on from the role as her career blossomed, but she also loved what she did and wasn’t ready to leave. 

“I just really ultimately loved my job and was keeping it as long as I could, until one of my dreams came into fruition,” she said.

“Keeping the magic” is an important part of Disney’s performances but it can also make it hard for the actors to gain traction in their own careers when they can’t disclose what they are working on publicly. 

“I think that the policy of keeping the magic, in and of itself, I don’t find it problematic or offensive. Their policy falls within the at-will doctrine. Disney is selling magic, that is what they are doing, so I don’t think it is any different from any other employment rule or procedures that employers have,” said employment attorney Marina Fraigun. 

The same goes for Von B.’s job. Without knowing the exact reason for her termination, it’s hard to say if she has a wrongful termination case. However, “Even if we believe that the virality of her fame is what got her fired, I still don’t think she has a wrongful termination claim. If [she] was fired for her performance or her actual act or what she did, I would need those facts to evaluate,” said Fraigun. 

“I know things on the other side will come out alright in the end, but it was a devastating loss for me. It’s like losing your best friend,” Von B. Said. 

Since the news broke of her separation from Disney she’s been focused on auditioning and taking her career to the next level. 

“I’m truly just taking it all in right now. And it’s really amazing to receive so much love and support, and I’m really grateful,” she said. But the job loss has had real-world ramifications and has landed the actress in a “bit of a tight spot.”

As she plans to put all her eggs in one basket and shoot for the stars, she also knows if she had to, she could always turn to the service industry.

“I’ve always wanted to work in a coffee shop,” she said. 

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