We all know that Disney is a pretty evil company at times, but are they as evil as this TikTok video allegedly claims? What TikTok video, you might ask? Well, the one that just went viral due to the subject of said video claiming that Disney drove her store out of business, is what. You can check it out for yourself below:

Disney Going Full Galactic Empire?

@michaelmanzella37

#neworleans #nola #sad #closing #disney #fyp #trending #movies #disneygram #hurricanekatrina #covid

♬ original sound – michaelmanzella37

TikTok user michaelmanzella37 just posted this video of a New Orleans store in the French Quarter (called the Southern Cotton Company) allegedly closing down because of Disney filming there. The video in question centered around a sign the store owner posted on the window. Said sign claims, exactly as spelled:

“Thanks DISNEY and NOLA FILM office for putting me out of business after 37 years of business at this location.

I survived Katrina , the BP oil spill, an armed robbery, the building next door collapsing, mandatory covid closure, to name just a few…

Who would believe MICKEY MOUSE would take me down!”

Seemingly for emphasis, near the end of the video, you can hear a random bystander shout: “Fuck Mickey!”. Regardless, this TikTok video is now officially viral, with over 120.8k views as of this writing. And yet, not everyone can agree on what this means.

Viral TikTok Video: Opposing Sides

Tiktok video screenshot showing the Southern Cotton Company's sign explaining their closure due to Disney.
Something seems a bit fishy here.

Nola.com reported that Disney did indeed film in New Orleans on January 27, 2022 for their reboot of The Haunted Mansion, so we have evidence there for Disney’s presence. However, the Daily Mail cites a list of TikTok users who contradict that claim. One user commented: “When film companies film in areas with stores or restaurants they normally pay them anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 a day so that owner is lying.” Another user points out: “No. You never completely shut down a business. They pay you to rent it out and they’ll stage some stuff and change the window display.”

TikTok user commenting: "When film companies film in areas with stores or restaurants they normally pay them anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 a day so that owner is lying."
TikTok user commenting: "No. You never completely shut down a business. They pay you to rent it out and they'll stage some stuff and change the window display."

And yet, not all users agree with that sentiment, including the video’s poster: Michael Manzella himself. He explained that the “store was directly next to an empty lot where Disney erected a show building to film”. Apparently, the store owner literally “had to go through constructing filming” just to get into her own store. The only other entrance was “on the other side of the street”, with “no foot traffic in front of her store”.

Michael Manzella commenting: "This store was directly next to an empty lot where Disney erected a show building to film."
Michael Manzella commenting: "I don't think you understand. The building Disney erected is in the lot directly next to this. She's had to go through construction filing. Nuts." "Sure, walk around. Or on the other side of the street. No foot traffic infront of her store. Very sad."
Pretty compelling evidence from the man on the scene.

On top of that, the Southern Cotton Company’s Yelp page adds weight to their word against Disney. They only have 1 review, but the reviewer gave them 5 stars, with the reviewer saying: “This store had a fantastic assortment of reasonably priced cotton clothing by California Drawstring and Match Point that I’d not been able to find anymore in south Texas.  There were so many choices of designs and colors, all in my size, that it was difficult not to bust my budget and buy one of each!  On my second trip to New Orleans this will be the first–and only—store I’ll visit.”

Conclusion

It all seems to suggest that the owner of Southern Cotton Company is telling the truth, and Disney seems to be at least partially responsible for the closure of her store. Even worse: without compensation. Or at least, insufficient compensation for the store to avoid closing. Disney, of course, has yet to comment on this at the time of this writing. What do you think though? Care to add your opinion on this matter in the comments section?

Source: TikTok, Nola.com, Daily Mail, Yelp