The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has deleted any allusions of gender from the Magic Kingdom fireworks show’s inaugural greeting, which has enraged some fans while delighted others.
What Happened: The Orlando theme park has replaced the phrase “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dreamers of all ages” with “Good evening, dreamers of all ages,” which has been in place for the past half-century.
Disney made no public disclosure about the alteration, which was discovered by a Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) user who compared the start of a 2020 fireworks show to one from this week.
Insider was the first to report the change. Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, declared in April that the company’s theme parks would be transformed into “an environment where all individuals feel accepted and valued for their unique life experiences, viewpoints, and culture.”
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What Else Happened: Disney fans were split on whether the new introduction was a win for diversity or a victory for woke politics.
“Ladies and gentlemen, lads and girls, the folks controlling Disney have lost their minds,” Patrick X. Coyle, vice president of Young America’s Foundation, tweeted.
Are There Still Guardian Angels?, a Twitter account, was even more upset, stating, “Walt Disney would set fire to Disney Parks! For and by Boys and Girls, the Disney Empire was formed!!!”
Terry Shull, a Twitter user, added two rolling-on-the-floor emojis to her tweet and wisecracked, giving it a thumbs up “Oooh, there’ll be some irritated racists. Thank you for including everyone, @Disney.”
Brooklynn Payge, another user, attempted to be more accommodating by tweeting, “‘Ladies and gentlemen, lads and girls,’ I understand. That does not imply that we must preserve it indefinitely. If you’re a Disney fan, repeat after me: Change is fine. It isn’t the end of the world as we know it.”
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