Summary
Perhaps one of the most iconic attractions atWalt Disney World, Peter Pan’s Flight was closed over the summer for a short period of refurbishment and has recently reopened to guests. Peter Pan’s Flight is a staple of the Fantasyland areas of Disneyland andWalt Disney World. However, riders have noticed a major change to one of the ride’s most controversial scenes, which features a group of Native Americans.
Peter Pan’s Flight opened at Walt Disney World in 1971 alongside the Florida park’s debut. Guests can see Peter, Wendy, Captain Hook, and the rest of the characters as they are taken on a magical flight through London and Neverland. Peter Pan’s Flight is one of several attractions experiencing extensive refurbishments asWalt Disney World introduces a variety of changes. Both the movie and the ride have been called out in recent years for the stereotypical depictions of Native Americans, including the song “What Made the Red Man Red?” When watching the film on Disney+, viewers are now shown an acknowledgment of the “negative depictions” of people and cultures.
Peter Pan’s Flight reopened last week, and riders were quick to notice something was different about the Native American scene. The original version of the scene shows Princess Tiger Lily, the Chief, and a few other Native Americans gathered around a fire, faces solemn and arms crossed. The new version of the scene features Tiger Lily dancing with an elderly woman and three others happily gathered around a drum.BlogMickeyuploaded a full ride-through video to their blog earlier this week.
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While the original scene was considered controversial, the new change is stirring up a mixture of praise and criticism. Many are praising Disney for its efforts in including better representation of various cultures and peoples that it has stereotyped in the past, as with the closure of Splash Mountain and theinclusion of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Unfortunately, Disney will always face criticism from fans of the original version of the parks and the films, despite the attempted efforts at inclusivity and respect.
As of yet, the Disneyland version of the attraction seems to be unchanged, although it is not impossible that the scene will be updated the next time the ride closes for refurbishment. Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland are constantly changing in order to stay relevant with popular movies and franchises. Earlier this month,Space Mountain at Disneyland closedfor a brief routine refurbishment, but announcements from the recent Disney D23 event have fans wondering what else is in store for the beloved parks.
Disneyland
Disneyland is a theme park based in Anaheim, California that incorporates popular rides based on Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and more.
