Source: The Hill
Tuesday 6 July 2021 12:48:54
Disney has removed the phrase "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls" from a greeting announcing its widely recognized Magic Kingdom fireworks show.
The change is "part of a broader effort," a Disney spokesperson told CBS News. "It's not about one or two things."
"Good evening, dreamers of all ages," an announcer now says in the greeting.
CBS notes that this development comes just months after Disney announced that it would be adding "inclusion" as a fifth component to its customer service priorities. The original four components were: safety, courtesy, show and efficiency.
"We want our guests to see their own backgrounds and traditions reflected in the stories, experiences and products they encounter in their interactions with Disney," the company said at the time.
Part of the "broader effort" on inclusivity appears to include revisions to well-known rides such as the Jungle Cruise and Splash Mountain. The Register reports that when the Jungle Cruise returns on July 16, it will have removed negative depictions of native people.
Splash Mountain will also no longer have racist undertones in its ride that stem from the 1940 Disney movie "Song of the South" and will instead use themes from "The Princess and the Frog."
The Orange County Register notes that the iconic fireworks show at the theme park had been on pause since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic ahead of its return on July 4th.