Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS) has removed all mentions of gender from its introductory greeting in the Magic Kingdom fireworks show at Walt Disney World, which upset some fans while delighting others.
What Happened: The Orlando theme park has changed the “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dreamers of all ages” phrase that has been in place for the past half-century and replaced it with “Good evening, dreamers of all ages.”
Disney offered no press announcement of the change, which was brought to light via a Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) user who compared the introduction to a 2020 fireworks show to one from this week.
The change was first reported by Insider. It's part of an inclusivity push announced in April by Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, who pledged to move the company’s theme parks into “an environment where all people feel welcomed and appreciated for their unique life experiences, perspectives and culture.”
Related Link: NYC's Metropolitan Museum Of Art To Host Disney Exhibit
What Else Happened: Disney fans were divided on whether the updated introduction was a victory for diversity or woke politics.
On the thumbs down side, Patrick X. Coyle, vice president of Young America's Foundation, tweeted, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the folks running Disney have lost their minds.”
The Twitter account Are There Still Guardian Angels? was even more outraged, tweeting, “Walt Disney would burn Disney Parks to the ground! The Disney Empire was built for and by Boys and Girls!!!”
On the thumbs up side, Twitter user Terry Shull punctuated her tweet with two rolling-on-the-floor emojis and wisecracked, “Oooh...There's gonna be some upset bigots. Thanks @Disney for including everyone.”
Another user, Brooklynn Payge, tried to be more conciliatory by tweeting, “I get it. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls’ is iconic. That doesn't mean we need to keep it forever. Repeat after me Disney fandom: Change is ok. It is not the end of the world.”
Photo: Anthony Quintano / Flickr Creative Commons.