Disney hasn't always had the cleanest record with race representation with some of its past and most notable films. Classics as Peter Pan, Aristocats, and Dumbo are plagued with racial stereotypes and inaccuracies that have followed the legacies of these movies for decades. Now, Disney is trying to rectify that with their Stories Matter initiative.
Yesterday it was announced that the Jungle Cruise ride will be given an overhaul to reflect a more sensitive look to indigenous tribes and get rid of the "return to civilization" story of the ride as well. Last year it was also revealed that Splash Mountain will get a facelift and become Princess and The Frog-themed.
Disney isn't stopping there. This might have just been discovered, but we noticed it missing earlier this month when Peter Pan had been moved from kids-only profiles on Disney+ while trying to play it for one of our kids.
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Turns out, Disney pulled Aristocats, Dumbo, live-action Swiss Family Robinson, and Lady & The Tramp in addition to Peter Pan from Kids profiles. Now it didn't pull them from the service, but if you go into a regular account, you're greeted by this message with a countdown of 15 seconds before the movie starts.
This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it, and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.
Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe.
It seems that Stories Matter will try and not erase the past, but educate the mistakes and make progressive choices going forward in how these characters are represented in the future.