Disney’s kingdom of happiness makes a comeback into a new world

For far too long it has been silent. No happy laughter of children; no squeals of delight at the sight of Micky, Donald, Ariel or Princess Aurora.

Silent for 116 days to be precise. But now Disney World in Florida, flagship theme park of the brand and that has brought joy to millions of little kids — and bigger kids too — is making its comeback and reopening this weekend.

Virus took its toll on Disney’s happiness jewel

As with just about everywhere in the world, the virus took its toll on the happiness jewel in the Disney crown. It is a place roughly the size of the city of San Francisco and with enough workers to populate a medium-sized town — roughly 75,000 employees or “cast members” at last count.

Sadly, the real world will intrude, with health measures being paramount in a state that has over 220,000 coronavirus cases and more being reported every day.

But the feeling is that happiness, joy and the magic of Disney can be paused for a while, yet never stopped. As per the famous circus saying: the show must go on.

Disney experience has been reimagined for our new world

“From increased cleaning and disinfecting across our parks and resorts, to updated health and safety policies, we have reimagined the Disney experience so we can all enjoy the magic responsibly,” Dr Pamela Hymel, the Chief Medical Officer for Disney Parks, said in a blog post.

“We implemented our health and safety measures after considering the guidance of government and local health authorities.”

But there are concerns, not least from Disney workers, who have suggested a delay in opening, and also from the head of the union representing Disney workers, who has emphasised the need to “get it right”.

Other changes on the horizon for a new-look Disney World

While the new and hyper-sanitised universe of Disney goes about its business, there are also other changes on the horizon that remind us the real world is never too far away.

The famous Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom Park is to be re-themed as Disney takes account of the rising tide of change being brought about by the Black Lives Matter movement.

Splash Mountain’s current theme is based on the 1946 Disney film Song of the South which has been criticised for its stereotypes of black people.

Tale is an adaption of an oral tradition with roots in slavery

The movie featured the well-known “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah” theme tune, which is carried through to Splash Mountain as it chronicles the adventures of super-chilled Br’er Rabbit and co-star characters Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox.

The Disney tale is an adaptation of an oral tradition passed down by African-Americans in the southern United States at a time when slavery was rife.

Recently various groups have petitioned Disney to remove all references to the movie as it is inappropriate in today’s world.

“Disney parks should be a home for all to enjoy regardless of race, age, whatever your background may be,” one online petition said. “While the ride is considered a beloved classic, its history and storyline are steeped in extremely problematic and stereotypical racist tropes from the 1946 film Song of the South.”

Story of a princess and a frog will now come to the fore

The company has agreed and the new theme of the famous water ride will be based on the Princess and the Frog, which is Disney’s 2009 film about a frog prince wanting to be human again.

https://twitter.com/DisneyParksNews/status/1276187950812852226

“We pick up this story after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure — featuring some of the powerful music from the film — as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance,” Disney said.

“The new concept is inclusive — one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year.”

Watch the trailer here:

According to the website Click Orlando, due to the pandemic no date has been announced for construction of the new ride.