TAYLOR KNIGHT:

FOR MANY OF US, DISNEY HOLDS  A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEART.

THE OLD-SCHOOL MICKEY AND MINNIE, THE “EARS” EVERY KID MUST HAVE, THE JOY OF HITTING THE THEME PARKS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND THE MOVIES THAT MAKE US WISH OUR LIFE WAS A FAIRYTALE.

WITH A HUNDRED YEARS OF ENTERTAINMENT, THE HOUSE THE MOUSE BUILT HAS SEEN ITS SHARE OF CONTROVERSY. 

IN PART, FOR CREATING RIDES AND MOVIES BASED ON THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – EVEN THE UGLY PARTS OF IT.

LET’S START WITH SPLASH MOUNTAIN. IT’S BASED ON THE DISNEY MOVIE “SONG OF THE SOUTH” 

THE FILM, PORTRAYS AFRICAN AMERICAN SLAVES LIVING HAPPILY ON A PLANTATION.   

NOW THERE ARE PLANS TO RENOVATE THE RIDE –IT WILL BE CHANGED TO SCENES FROM THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG.

THIS DISNEY FAN SAYS IT’S A CHANGE THAT’S LONG OVERDUE:  

KALEIGH CLINKSCALES: I LOVE THAT MOVIE. AS A BLACK WOMAN WHEN YOU SEE PRINCESS IN THE FROG COME OUT AND YOU SEE TIANA IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING.” 

TAYLOR KNIGHT: OTHER DISNEY FANS SAY DON’T MESS WITH PROVEN SUCCESS.   

AARON QUESTIONS WHY IS DISNEY TRYING TO PLEASE A SMALL CROWD AND KRISTEN IS UPSET HE CAN’T EXPERIENCE HIS FAVORITE RIDE ANYMORE.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE BRIDAL AUCTION? THAT RUBBED MANY PEOPLE THE WRONG WAY FOR THE OBVIOUS REASON.

DISNEY  REMOVED THE SCENE IN 2017 AND REPLACED IT WITH A CHICKEN SALE INSTEAD. 

THE HAUNTED MANSION LEFT SOME PEOPLE SCARED WITH THE DEPICTION OF DEATH.

AS YOU ENTER THE RIDE, A PICTURE REVEALS A MAN WITH A NOOSE AROUND HIS NECK. MANY RIDERS FOUND THIS INSENSITIVE TO SUCIDE. 

DISNEY DID NOT CHANGE THE RIDE BUT THEY NOW  GIVE RIDERS THE OPTION TO SKIP THE BEGINNING. 

WHICH BRINGS US TO TODAY: DISNEY RENOVATED THE JUNGLE CRUISE RIDE. IT WAS ORIGINALLY BASED ON THE MOVIE, THE AFRICAN QUEEN FROM 1951. IT WAS CRITICIZED FOR ITS NEGATIVE DEPICTION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

THE CHANGES WILL MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLE THE NEW MOVIE, JUNGLE CRUISE.

DISNEY SAYS THESE  CHANGES ARE CONSISTENT WITH ITS BRAND VALUES. A STATEMENT FROM THE COMPANY READS IN PART:  

WHEN DISNEY PLUS LAUNCHED IN TWENTY NINETEEN, THEY OPENED ITS MOVIE VALUT AND RELEASED MOST OF THEIR CLASSIC FILMS. 

 DISNEY ALSO PUT A STATEMENT ON SEVERAL OF ITS CLASSIC FILMS.  

FILMS LIKE DUMBO, PETER PAN, SWISS ARISTOCATS, FANTASIA, JUNGLE BOOK AND LADY AND THE TRAMP HAVE A WARNING PLAY AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH FILM. 

THE WARNING COVERS THE NEGATIVE DEPICTION OF PEOPLE AND CULTURES. AND ACKNOWLEDGES ITS HARMFUL IMPACT.

DISNEY LOVER JACQUELINE, PRAISES DISNEY’S NEW FOUND SENSITIVITY.  

JACQUELINE LABAYNE: ESPECIALLY AS WE’RE MOVING INTO A CLIMATE WHERE PEOPLE ARE REALIZING LIKE, THE NORMS OF BACK THEN AREN’T THE NORMS OF TODAY, AND THAT IS OKAY. 

TAYLOR KNIGHT: WHICH DISNEY RIDES OR MOVIES DO YOU FEEL ARE BEHIND THE TIMES? OR SHOULD WE JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE?

LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.