“Major Cringe Fest”: Native American Guest Calls Out Disney

Both the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort offer a plethora of attractions and experiences for visitors of all ages to enjoy. At Magic Kingdom Park, Guests can meet their favorite Disney characters, watch fireworks shows like “Happily Ever After,” and ride classic attractions such as Space Mountain and Jungle Cruise. Meanwhile, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort is one of the only Parks of its kind where visitors can go on safaris and enjoy shows like “Fantasmic!”

Related: Disney Uses This Ingenious Tactic to Control Guest Behavior

However, while the Disney Parks are beloved by Guests, recently, the Mouse House has been on the receiving end of much criticism for its recent decisions—many fans believe Disney is “pandering to woke audiences.” This mainly has come on the announcements of Black singer and actress Halle Bailey being cast as Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid or Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell in Peter Pan & Wendy.

Another movie that has also been spotlighted is Pocahontas but on the opposing end. Many have criticized Disney for romanticizing a tragic story of a young Native American girl. From certain song lyrics to the portrayal of the Native Americans themselves (something that many pointed out in the original Peter Pan as well), many have found fault with the movie.

@calimwolf

Look up the full lyrics for a major cringe fest #disneyworld #disney #disneyepcot #pocahontas #disneypocahontas #disneytrip #disneyhacks #nativeamerican #nativetok #indigenous #indigenoustok

♬ original sound – That one guy

However, what is less covered is how that can impact Guest experience in the Parks. One Native American Guest shared a video of her visit to Walt Disney World with the in-video text:

POV: you’re a Native person visiting Disney and the two kids behind you keep singing “Savages, Savages, Barely even human,” from Pocahontas

Many in the comments both expressed their sympathy to the creator for going through that experience, while others came to Disney’s defense, explaining what the point of the song really was—“to emphasize the villains of the story.”

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The creator also clarified her views in response to a comment where someone defended the children saying “children emulate what they see, doesn’t mean their beliefs align with the song.” The OP responded, “[she didn’t] think the 7 year old children were aware of what they were even singing which is part of the problem.”

It’s certainly a difficult and complex situation to find yourself in as a Guest, and Disney has made its intentions clear of being more inclusive and correcting its previous mistakes.

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