Disney has removed “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” from its park greeting, censoring any mention of gender in an attempt to be gender-inclusive. The new greeting people at the park hear? “Good evening, dreamers of all ages.”
The automated announcements at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida — which plays before all performances — is now missing its traditional phrase, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls.”
A Twitter user posted a video of the announcement from 2020, as well as the announcement from 2021, to showcase the difference.
Watch Below:
Disney removes ”Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls” from Happily Ever After pre show announcement.
Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls FOREVER! pic.twitter.com/joWLcYBgMf
— Showcase of Wishes (@ShowcaseWishes) June 30, 2021
Last year, the announcement introduced a performance by saying, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dreamers of all ages.” This year, the announcement can be heard evading any mention of gender by simply stating, “Good evening, dreamers of all ages.”
A Disney spokesperson told Newsweek the line was removed as part of the company’s attempt to promote diversity at its parks.
The new gender neutral pre-show park greeting was rolled out earlier this year at Tokyo Disney Resort, and will soon be featured at the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
The company first announced its new initiative in April, with Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro stating, “Inclusion is essential to our culture and leads us forward as we continue to realize our rich legacy of engaging storytelling, exceptional service, and Disney magic,” adding that this is “just the beginning.”
Not everyone, however, is pleased to hear about the changes made at Disney. And the backlash has been swift on social media.
“The world gets dumber and dumber every day,” one Twitter user reacted.
“I HATE THAT. BRING IT BACK NOW!!!” another tweeted.
“What if someone identifies as a Nightmares, not a Dreamer? That’s not very inclusive to say dreamers,” another Twitter user pointed out.
“You can feel the magic draining from Disneyland with each passing day,” another commented.
“I’m offended because I’m a gentleman and not a dreamer. I feel discriminated against, but that won’t matter,” one individual said.
“Man Disney is rolling in his grave. Count on it!” another wrote.
In April, D’Amaro detailed Disney’s inclusion-focused “Four Keys” — Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency — instituted so cast members can “better cultivate a culture of belonging.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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