Disney

The guy who voiced the teacup in the OG "Beauty and the Beast" says a gay character in the new live-action flick is no big deal ... dude was always gay.

We got Bradley Pierce -- who played Chip in Disney's 1991 animated feature -- out at Craig's Tuesday night, and he told us anyone who thought Gaston's sidekick, LeFou, wasn't gay from the get-go is kidding themselves.

He also thinks it's hilarious that the people who are upset about LeFou have no problem with a woman falling in love with a buffalo.

An Alabama theatre owner is banning "Beauty and the Beast" because he doesn't want to expose his customers to the new gay character in the film.

The owner of Henagar Drive-In Theatre says Disney's decision to add its first homosexual character was the last straw for him ... and says he refuses to "compromise on what the Bible teaches."

He added, "If we can not take our 11 year old grand daughter and 8 year old grandson to see a movie we have no business watching it. If I can't sit through a movie with God or Jesus sitting by me then we have no business showing it."

He says he only wants to show "wholesome movies" without sex, nudity, homosexuality or foul language.

Hey, New England Patriots star James White ... you just scored the winning touchdown at the Super Bowl. What are you gonna do next??

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

Check out these pics of the 25-year-old running back enjoying the spoils of victory -- partying with Mickey Mouse at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando!

There's more ... Tom Brady just announced he's giving White the car he won for being the Super Bowl MVP -- saying he thinks White deserves it!

Great week for that guy, huh?!

Carrie Fisher's fans fired up their lightsabers one last time to honor one of the galaxy's greatest heroes.

Fans gathered at Downtown Disney Wednesday night in Anaheim, CA and paid a touching tribute to Princess Leia.

Mouse House fans will be able to get their hands on a rare piece of memorabilia when Walt Disney's last will and testament -- or the first draft, anyway -- auctions off for an estimated $60k!

The will was drafted in August 1941 and includes this interesting breakdown: half of his personal Disney stock was split between his 2 kids, and the other half he dropped in an "employees bonus pool." The doc isn't his final will ... Disney drafted 2 more before he died in 1966.

Profiles in History is unloading several other collector's items for animation fans, and conservative final bid estimates range from $12k up to $80k:

- Original "Peanuts" comic strips signed by Charles Schultz ($12,000)
- Wicked Queen art from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" ($15,000)
- Grinch and Max production cels from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" ($12,000)
- Walt Disney Legal License for Use of Walt Disney Inc. ($80,000)

There's a ton more available, including animation cels, when online and live bidding begins Dec. 9.

The makers of the "DuckTales" reboot are planning to solve mysteries and rewrite history once again ... and make fat stacks of cash while they're at it.

"DuckTales" filed trademark paperwork ... setting Disney up to produce themed kids' juices, soft drinks, toys, games, books and all other playthings. Translation -- expect to see the modern versions of Huey, Dewey and Louie on a crapload of merchandise very soon.

The reboot of the beloved '80s cartoon was announced last year and will debut in 2017.

Woo-oo!

"Doc McStuffins" is here to stay for a few more years ... so all the parents and kids worrying about the show getting cut can take a deep sigh of relief.

You'll remember back in June, Disney posted its renewal list and the popular show was missing ... so parents took to the web for a good old fashioned freak-out. However, we've learned season 5 has officially gotten the green light from network honchos.

The show features an African-American main character and has become a huge hit.

We're told season 5 won't officially hit the tube until 2018 ... so parents, get ready for some reruns until then.

Cue that damn theme song ...

"That's So Raven" star Orlando Brown says there's no real spin-off without him and the rest of the OG cast because it was the group dynamic that made the show a hit.

Raven-Symone announced Thursday she was leaving "The View" to helm part 2 of her ol' Disney series, but when we spoke to Brown on Friday he told us he still hadn't gotten a call about reprising his role.

Brown played Raven's BFF on the show, so fans think he'd naturally be a given for the spin-off, but there was beef between them earlier this year when Raven accused Brown of stealing her phone.

Blake Shelton ain't afraid to shake things up with Gwen Stefani, and he proved it by letting her take his Disneyland virginity.

Blake and Gwen were joined by her parents, 3 sons and a spooky Donald Duck at the Happiest Place on Earth. It's been a while since they were spotted together in public, but they're clearly still going strong. Even more noticeable is the giant "1st Visit!" pin on Blake, who turned 40 in June.

Gwen FaceTimed with him from the theme park last November, but that doesn't count. Our Disneyland sources tell us Blake thought twice before getting on Peter Pan's Flight.

Kiddie roller coasters are just not his thing -- not without whiskey or beer, we're guessing.

Matthew - 1
Mickey - 0

Disney World is making the monumental decision to shut its doors as Hurricane Matthew barrels into Florida ... TMZ has learned.

We're told the Orlando park will close down at 5 PM Thursday, but expects to open again Saturday morning. That's the plan ... but you gotta think that all depends on the damage.

Matthew's category 4 winds are expected to start tearing through South and Central Florida Thursday afternoon. Disney World has closed 3 previous times for hurricanes: once in 1999 (Floyd) and twice in 2004 (Frances and Jeanne).

Universal Orlando is also shutting down today, and also expects to find a way to open by Saturday.

Story developing ...

Disney has more than alligator problems ... it's being sued by a Pennsylvania man who claims his right hand is now partially paralyzed, the result of a venomous snake bite.

Michael Barth says back in July 2013, he was swimming at one of the Orlando resort pools when the snake appeared. He says there wasn't a Disney employee in sight, so he tried placing a towel over the snake so it wouldn't attack kids and adults who were at the pool.

Michael says the snake bit him on his right thumb, and he ended up in ICU for 5 days, pumped with 16 vials of anti-venom. He says he now suffers numbness and lost use in his right hand.

It's interesting ... after Lane Graves was killed by a gator, the Disney Resort posted warning signs, cautioning guests of alligators ... and snakes.

Disney star Michael Galeota's history of high blood pressure led to heart disease at just 31 ... this according to the death certificate.

The

-- obtained by TMZ -- shows the actor's cause of death was atherosclerosis heart disease ... a build-up of plaque that clogs the artery wall. Hypertension is also listed as a significant factor.

TMZ broke the story ... Michael died back in January and was discovered lying unconscious in his living room. He'd been battling high cholesterol and diverticulitis -- inflammation of the digestive tract.

The death certificate confirms the star of "The Jersey" on the Disney Channel died of natural causes.

A guest at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort saw an alligator looming in the area where 2-year-old Lane Graves was playing ... and she even sounded the alarm to someone at the hotel.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Orange County Sheriff's Office released a final report -- obtained by TMZ -- about the circumstances surrounding Lane's death.

According to the report, Shawna Giacomini, a North Carolina tourist, told investigators she was on the beach at 8:15 PM with her 2 daughters, and the girls saw an alligator about 5 feet from the shore, near the marsh. The older daughter told the Walt Disney World AV/Movie Coordinator about the gator.

The trio went to the store, and when they returned at around 9 PM the attack had already occurred.

The report details the attack, explaining Lane went toward the water with his dad and a pail. The dad saw a splash, looked over and saw the gator had locked onto Lane's head. He tried pulling the gator's mouth open, to no avail, and the gator dragged Lane into deep water.

The cause of death was cranio-cervical trauma and drowning.

Lane Thomas Graves' parents say they're not going to sue Disney over the alligator attack that killed him.

Matt and Melissa Graves say they're still struggling to "comprehend why this happened" ... and admit, "As each day passes, the pain gets worse." Still, they released a statement Wednesday morning saying they will not pursue a lawsuit.

Instead they plan to open the Lane Thomas Foundation "to keep his spirit alive."

Anna Eberhart, the keyboardist whose insane performance caused her band's video to go viral, wants to take her enthusiasm to the Happiest Place on Earth.

The 17-year-old who plays for the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps tells TMZ ... she's hoping if anything comes out of the clip -- which has reached over 3 million views this past weekend -- she's crossing her fingers for a role as a Disney princess ... specifically, Rapunzel.

Check out the vid, Anna explains why she was mean-mugging so hard and it's a classic. Seriously. Like ... a literary classic.

Disney Channel superstar Debby Ryan is walking away from her DUI arrest without a day of jail time, but she'll be on probation for 3 years ... TMZ has learned.

Debby pled no contest to reckless driving. In addition to the probation, she also must complete 3 months in a DUI program and perform community service.

We broke the story ... the star of "Jessie" was arrested in April for drunk driving after slamming her Audi into a Mercedes. During Thursday's hearing in L.A. Debby got 2 misdemeanor DUI counts dismissed in exchange for her plea.

It's a good deal for Debby, but not uncommon for first time DUI offenders.

She has to make another court appearance in September to determine how much she owes for the damaged Mercedes.