Disney is no stranger to controversy.
Splash Mountain Before It Closed in Magic Kingdom
It has made some controversial changes at the parks over the years (like the removal of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights), has created some divisive snacks, and has been caught in the middle of its fair share of scandals. But sometimes, when the controversy has become too strong, Disney has totally ditched those complicated things. So just what has Disney abandoned over the years? Some of these things you might be familiar with — but other things might be a total SHOCK.
McDonald’s
We begin with one you’re likely familiar with. For years, Disney had a close relationship with McDonald’s. You could even find McDonald’s fries in Magic Kingdom, McDonald’s items at Restaurantosaurus in Animal Kingdom, and the DINOSAUR ride was sponsored by McDonald’s (some theming from that still remains in the ride if you know where to look).
According to Reuters, that deal was reportedly worth $1 billion to Disney and included all kinds of cross-promotions for its films and shows.
©Photo Courtesy of AllEars
So what happened? Well, back in 2006 Disney started to introduce some guidelines that stopped the licensing of Mickey Mouse and other iconic Disney characters on food that failed to meet certain minimum nutritional requirements. That same year, a report from the Institute of Medicine indicated that junk food marketing was contributing to childhood obesity.
Ultimately, Disney and McDonald’s chose not to renew their agreement (which had previously lasted for 10 years). ABC News notes that some suggested Disney chose to end the deal because it didn’t want to be linked to childhood obesity, but both companies reportedly rebutted those reports, saying that the decision to end the relationship was mutual.
Gaming info on the side
At the time, McDonald’s spokeswoman Lisa Howard said the decision to end the partnership “had nothing to do with the McDonald’s menu or health concerns.” And a Disney spokesperson said, “we look forward to a more flexible, non exclusive relationship where we will be working with them on a case-by-case basis.” Ultimately, however, McDonald’s items were removed from Disney’s parks and a partnership wasn’t renewed…until much later.
Yum!
Since 2006, McDonald’s, Disney, and their relationship with one another has dramatically changed. McDonald’s has worked to make Happy Meals “more nutritious and less fattening.” And back in 2018, McDonald’s was aiming to make all U.S. Happy Meals 600 calories or less. Interestingly, it was also in 2018 that Disney and McDonald’s entered into a Happy Meal promotion partnership — the FIRST since ending their relationship in 2006.
The new agreement is non-exclusive and focuses on promotions, which would include Happy Meal toys themed to Disney films. The agreement, however, did NOT bring McDonald’s back to the Disney theme parks.
Adult Happy Meal
Since then, we’ve seen McDonald’s release a number of Disney Happy Meal toys. Will McDonald’s food ever return to Disney’s parks? That has yet to be addressed, though it seems unlikely considering the partnership has been in place for years now and that has not happened. But if you ever crave a Quarter Pounder, you can hop in a car and visit the McDonald’s on Disney World property (which was remodeled in 2020!)
Bob Chapek
Another thing that Disney “ditched” following some serious controversy is former CEO Bob Chapek. Now, let’s be clear, Chapek was removed from his position for a number of reasons and different sources cite different ones.
One major issue was the earnings report released in November 2022. That served as a sort of tipping point for some within the Company. The company reported a 9% increase in revenues for the quarter and 23% for the year, while Disney Parks, Experiences and Products saw a 26% increase. And Disney+ continued to add subscribers. But, at that time, Disney reported $1.5 billion in quarterly losses and revenues missed expectations.
©Disney
Some considered Chapek’s tone during the earnings call to be overly positive given those large losses. And some reported that he was focusing on less impactful things (like positive responses to the return of certain holiday events) rather than the money-losing elephant in the room.
Following the earnings call, Chapek announced via an internal memo that Disney would cut costs with layoffs and hiring freezes. This news and the way in which these things were handled did not sit well with some of the executives at Disney.
Bob Chapek ©Disney
But there were other issues too. Chapek got the Company embroiled in a number of controversies during his short tenure. Early on, there was the battle with Scarlett Johansson over her contract and the Black Widow film. Then, Chapek got entangled in a political battle in Florida related to the Parental Rights in Education Bill (what critics called “Don’t Say Gay”). After initially refusing to issue a statement, Chapek faced tremendous backlash from certain fans and employees (which led to walkouts). Chapek later reversed his position, issued a statement against the Bill, and Disney committed to fighting the bill and getting it repealed or declared unconstitutional.
That didn’t sit well with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who criticized Disney’s response. That controversy ultimately led to another — the a bill that would dissolve Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, a structure that had been in place for over 50 years and allowed Disney to have a lot of control over its land in Florida. Since Iger’s return, the situation with Reedy Creek has changed. The District is remaining in place, but it has a new Board appointed by the Governor, changing Disney’s level of control.
Bob Chapek
Couple that with some reported strife between Chapek and the former (and beloved) CEO Bob Iger, and it was a recipe for disaster for Chapek, which ultimately led to his removal and Iger’s return. But Iger has a lot of problems to face as Disney’s returning CEO, so only time will tell what changes will ultimately be made with the Company as a result of his return.
Communal Underwear
Yes, this is as…strange…as you think. According to an article from the Los Angeles Times, many of those who are “friends” with Disney characters (like Mickey Mouse, Goofy, or Cinderella) in the parks had to wear Disney-issued jock straps, tights, or bike shorts under their costumes because regular underwear would bunch up and become noticeable.
Previously, Cast Members in these roles would turn in their undergarments each night (along with the rest of their costume), and then pick up another set the next day. Disney officials had reportedly said that hot water was used to clean these items, but a shop steward from Teamsters (a union that represented some of the “friends” of popular Disney characters) said that apparently, the laundry wasn’t doing so.
The main cheese!
Get ready for some less-than-sanitary details. Apparently, some Cast Members complained about getting undergarments that were smelly or stained, and the Teamsters representative even said that there were cases where some workers had gotten pubic lice or scabies.
A Disney spokeswoman had indicated that the garments were immediately laundered after they were worn and that Cast Members could ask for new items if they weren’t happy with the condition of the ones they got. But that simply wasn’t enough. Ultimately, after almost 2 months of negotiations, Disney and Teamsters made a tentative agreement so that workers would have individual undergarments assigned to them that they could then take home and clean themselves. That agreement was made back in 2001.
Jasmine
Let that sink in. Disney stopped requiring workers to use communal undergarments in the same year that the first Harry Potter movie was released. That’s…a lot to think about, so we’ll just leave you here with your thoughts.
Celebration School
Another project Disney left by the wayside was Celebration School. Years ago, Disney — through Celebration Company — developed the Florida town of Celebration, not too far from its Disney World theme parks. The first residents moved in around 1996. According to the New York Times, one vital part of the “cozy atmosphere” of Celebration and a big draw for people to move to the town was “Celebration School.” But things with Celebration School didn’t quite go as hoped.
©CNU
The school had been designed by “education experts” Disney brought in from Harvard University and other places. It had a VERY unique kindergarten-through-12th-grade approach. Resources would be shared between grades, there could be multi-age groupings, and there were no letter grades initially (instead kids got individualized assessments).
But parents weren’t all that pleased. They complained about a lack of homework, the inability to track progress without grades, and confusion surrounding the unstructured classes. And teachers were struggling with the structure too since they had to deal with the burden of multi-age classrooms and no written curriculum.
©Target
The first students started in the fall of 1997, but by the summer of 1998, some decided to pull their kids out. Others stuck around and argued for changes. Textbooks were brought in and more structures added, but then a “bombshell” shook things up. It was decided that a new high school would be built and the school would leave its kindergarten-to-high school concept behind.
Ultimately, in 1999 the New York Times reported that some parents were queuing up to remove their kids from the school — the turmoil was too much. For some, the “potpourri of progressive methods” was too much, while for others the move away from the initial progressive approach has caused them to leave.
Walt Disney’s Hometown Museum School Room
Disney’s original plans for the school simply didn’t work out. Nowadays, Celebration K-8 and Celebration High are the 2 main schools within the Celebration Community and resemble a bit more of the “standard” experience you’d expect from a traditional school. In the high school, for example, there are college/career prep courses, honors courses, advanced placement, duel enrollment, grade calculations, virtual courses, and more.
Disney’s America
Could a THIRD Disney park have existed at one point in another place in the United States? It could have! In 1993, Disney announced plans to build a 3,000-acre park (focused on American history) right outside of Washington, D.C. called Disney’s America. Michael Eisner reportedly felt passionately about the project.
It was meant to be focused on some “emotionally stirring, heart-wrenching stories based on important themes in American history,” and was supposed to have a balance of challenging and sobering themes with more lighthearted ones. Its goal was to educate while entertaining guests.
American Adventure in EPCOT
But it faced some heavy opposition both from residents in the area and historians. There were concerns about it creating “uncontrollable sprawl,” but things got even more complicated at a November press conference.
According to The Imagineering Story: The Official Biography of Walt Disney Imagineering (by Leslie Iwerks), in a 1993 press conference, Bob Weis (who was then the Imagineering Senior Vice President and lead Imagineer on the project) said, “How can you do a park on America and not talk about slavery? This park will deal with the highs and lows…We want to make you feel what it was like to be a slave, and what it was like to escape through the Underground Railroad.” That statement quickly became one targeted by opponents.
American Adventure in EPCOT
Eisner defended Weis’ statement and how the Imagineers had done a lot of work putting things together. Though Disney cited the local economic benefits and signed up historians to advise Imagineers, it wasn’t enough. David McCullough, president of the Society of American Historians shared, “We have so little left that is authentic, that is real, and to replace it with plastic history, mechanized history, is a sacrilege.”
The American Adventure
Congress even stepped in at one point when a Senate subcommittee heard testimony from proponents of the park and opposition historians. A protest was also organized which saw around 3,000 protestors opposing the park walk from the Washington Monument to the Capitol while chatting the phrase “Hey hey, ho ho, Disney’s got to go.”
There were fears of overcrowding, the possibility that it would overshadow important Civil War sites, doubts about Disney’s ability to handle darker issues, concerns about the land being used, and more. Ultimately, between opposition from the “Washington establishment,” wealthy landowners, and geographic concerns (with the site of the park being just minutes from a place where 2 bloody Civil War battles were fought), Disney’s America ended.
American Adventure
Disney ultimately surrendered in September of 1994. Eisner concluded that they were “in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people…it was every day, every day they were after us and I just didn’t have the stomach.”
American Adventure Pavilion in EPCOT
But at Disney, some ideas don’t “die” they just change. Some ideas ultimately got worked into Disney California Adventure Park, in a way. Soarin’ Over California and the Condor Flats section of the park were pulled from ideas for the America park. And Grizzly River Run came from an idea for a Lewis and Clark expedition-themed white water rafting ride.
So while Disney’s America never came to be, some of the inspiration lives on in other forms!
The Fox Brand Name
Another thing Disney sent into the trash bin was the FOX branding associated with 20th Century Fox. As BBC News reports, Disney completed a $71.3 BILLION deal to buy various Fox media assets. Part of that included the acquisition of 20th Century Fox. But along with that purchase came some major changes.
©21st Century Fox
After acquiring some of the Fox assets, Disney changed the names around. 20th Century Fox is now 20th Century Studios. Fox 21 Television Studios became Touchstone Television, and Fox Searchlight became Searchlight Pictures.
So why rebrand? Well, there could be a number of reasons, but according to the BBC, there were some suggestions that Disney’s rebranding was being done to distance itself a bit from the Fox name and what the BBC calls “Mr. Murdoch’s highly partisan, right-wing Fox News network.”
©Fox10 News | Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
According to NPR, some outside legal observers have indicated that the Fox News Channel could be in “real legal jeopardy” in light of a billion-dollar lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems over “lies broadcast about the 2020 presidential race.” Disney’s changes took place in early 2020 and around August 2020, but still, it could have sought to distance itself from the Fox branding before some of the more intense complications arose.
Splash Mountain
And finally, we reach Splash Mountain. The ride has officially been CLOSED in Magic Kingdom and is set to be closed soon in Disneyland Park. It’ll be reimagined to be a Princess and the Frog-themed ride called Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. But why?
As NPR points out, the controversy with Splash Mountain comes from the film it was based on — Song of the South. The film is “set on a Georgia plantation after the Civil War and depicts what the NAACP in 1946 called an ‘idyllic master-slave relationship which is a distortion of the facts.’” Characters from the film as well as some of the songs from the movie appeared in the ride.
Splash Mountain Construction
A few years ago, Iger shared that Song of the South would not come to Disney+ and that the film is “not appropriate in today’s world.” The new ride will pick up where the Princess and the Frog movie left off, have you join Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure and help the gang as they prepare for a special Mardi Gras celebration. To learn more about the ride, click here.
And if you wondered whether or how some of these things might be interconnected, just take a second to watch this old commercial about McDonald’s and Splash Mountain — it truly was a different time back in 1989.
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Check out our new Tiana-inspired merch!
Which will you get?
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Which of these things were you surprised by? Tell us in the comments.
The post McDonald’s, Splash Mountain and 5 More Controversial Things Disney Decided To Ditch first appeared on the disney food blog.
