Disneyland’s 67th anniversary celebrations turned sour over the weekend as some fans watched as the Mouse House abandoned its controversial founder, Walt Disney.
Fans took to social media to call out the company for dropping Walt’s iconic Inauguration Day speech, which has been on display every year since 1955 at the Anaheim, Calif., theme park.
“Why Did Disneyland Cut Walt Disney’s Inauguration Day Speech From Today’s Anniversary Celebrations?” Asked A fan on Twitter.
Walt Disney, the man behind Mickey Mouse, is both celebrated for his talent and condemned for alleged anti-Semitic and racist views. Although there is some debate over those claims, in recent years, the Mouse House has made sure to distance itself.
Disney did not respond to requests for comment.
“Liberals think Walt was racist trying to distance,” another Twitter user wrote,
“Awful. Today the company uses Vault only as a marketing opportunity and not a guiding force. Why did they have to cut this speech? I dunno. @Disneyland do better,” wrote another the user.
Walt’s speech invokes the “ideals, dreams and hard facts that have made America,” which one Twitter user called “taboo” for Disney’s “wake up” agenda.
“Because it mentions both history and facts, two things that are taboo to the awakening agenda,” user tweetedAdding a piece of speech.
They point to changes to some controversial park attractions, such as the removal of a shrunken head dealer character named “Trader Sam” from Jungle Cruise, or the “Take a Girl for a Bride” scene from “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Get rid of the ride. The scene depicts crying women tied to ropes.
Another controversial move was when the company decided to change its strict dress-code policy to more inclusive the use of “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” from its theme parks. Since last year, theme park workers can show up to work in costume of any gender they wish, with visible tattoos.
Several Twitter users commented that the Disney founders would condemn the change in their namesake company.
“Walt is rolling in his grave. Wokness has infected and damaged Disney,” one user wrote,
This year, Disney has found itself embroiled in a culture war in Florida over the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. First, Disney CEO Bob Chapek declined to speak out against a Florida law that prohibits discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation for children in kindergarten through third grade.
The lack of response angered Disney employees, causing Chapek to denounce the law, putting him in the crosshairs of Florida Gov.
In response, DeSantis signed a law that would strip Disney’s Florida theme parks of their self-governing status. The legislation, which was signed in April, dissolves the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which operates over Orange and Osseola counties, as an autonomous entity with a mandate to impose taxes, build infrastructure, grant licenses and manage its own Has the power to set its own zoning laws.
The new law that dissolved the district would not take effect until June 2023.
