‘Today’s Craig Melvin Subtly Shades Disney On-Air
What To Know
- On Today, the hosts reacted to a viral video of Disneyland Paris’ Olaf the snowman robot falling over during a recent meet-and-greet.
- Craig Melvin reacted to the clip by poking fun at Disney, which is a rival of NBCUniversal.
- The Today hosts aired all four hours from the new Universal Studios theme park, Epic Universe, back in May 2025.
The Today hosts burst into several laughs during the show’s “Pop Start” segment on Thursday, April 2, thanks, in part, to Craig Melvin.
Carson Daly began the daily segment by discussing pop culture stories such as The Super Mario Galaxy Movie‘s opening day box office numbers, Zendaya reciting the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit intro from memory during a recent interview, and Dylan Dreyer‘s new podcast, The Parent Chat.
One topic, however, got a big reaction from the hosts. “Do you want to build a viral sensation? Well, videos of the robot Olaf walking around — this is at Disneyland Paris,” Daly stated. “He’s been popping up all over the internet. But during a recent fan meet-and-greet, that poor snowman was spotted, well, freezing up a little bit.”
The show went on to play the viral TikTok clip, which shows the adorable Frozen-inspired robot tipping over during a recent outing at Disneyland Paris, with his carrot nose falling off his face. Disney workers quickly rushed out, placed Olaf’s nose back on, and carried the robot to a backstage area.
The video sparked several hilarious reactions from users, including one who wrote, “When my social battery dies in public settings.” Another added, “After seeing my bank account when I get back.”
@magictourclub Olaf just melted… literally 😭☀️ We didn’t expect THIS to happen at Disneyland Paris. Someone get this snowman an ice bath ASAP 🧊💀 #disneyland #fyp #olaf #trending #viral ♬ origineel geluid – magictourclub
In Today‘s Studio 1A, Daly exclaimed, “Olaf down!” Jenna Bush Hager, for her part, was upset that the robot’s carrot nose fell off. Daly went on to add, “With spring around the corner, this just isn’t the best season for a particular Frozen friend.”
Melvin, for his part, used the funny video to take a playful jab at The Walt Disney Company, which is a rival of NBC’s parent company, NBCUniversal. “That never happens at Universal, by the way,” he joked, referring to the Universal Studios theme parks. “Never happens at Universal.”
While his comment made his colleagues chuckle, Bush Hager pointed out, “‘Cause Olaf doesn’t go to Universal.” He replied, “That’s also true, yes.”
As morning TV viewers know, hosts frequently promote projects that fall under their respective parent companies. For example, NBC’s Today promotes movies released by Universal and Peacock original series, while ABC’s Good Morning America promotes Disney and Hulu entertainment and sports coverage on ESPN.
Back in May 2025, the Today hosts traveled to Orlando, Florida, to celebrate the opening of Universal’s latest theme park, Epic Universe. The show aired all four hours from inside the park, giving fans an inside look at the rides, entertainment, food, and more.
“Wow! I want to extend a huge thank you to the @visitorlando and @universalorlando teams for making this experience possible,” Melvin captioned behind-the-scenes Instagram pics from the special episode. “Kudos to the incredible @todayshow team who makes a major live show like this possible. It was truly epic.”
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