Disney officials have opted to remove a lyric from a classic Disney song featured in the soundtrack for a new parade.
Disneyland in Anaheim, California, has omitted a reference to the song “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” from the soundtrack of the Magic Happens parade. The lyric “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” sung near the parade’s conclusion, referenced the 1946 film Song of the South. It was replaced with the lyric “Think of the happiest things,” featured in the song “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” from the 1953 animated film Peter Pan, according to AL.com.
The Magic Happens parade made its reappearance on February 24, some three years since it last appeared prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The parade had only run for a couple of weeks before the pandemic forced Disneyland to close its gates. It is scheduled to occur twice a day at the California theme park.
Song of the South has drawn controversy due to its portrayal of African-Americans and plantation life. The song “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” achieved some acclaim, including a Best Original Song Academy Award in 1947.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), while commending the cinematography of the film, ultimately denounced it due to unrealistic impressions portrayed on screen and undertones in the film.
“Making use of the beautiful Uncle Remus folklore, Song of the South unfortunately gives the impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship which is a distortion of the facts,” said the organization in a statement, according to Frommer’s.
The company had essentially disowned the film and placed it in the “Disney Vault” following its last theatrical showing, according to You Must Remember This.
The decision to remove the song from the parade is just the latest of the entertainment giant’s attempts to distance itself from references to the film.
Disney World in Orlando closed an entire ride in 2020 due to its connection to the film.
The popular ride Splash Mountain was shut down so it could be given a facelift. Whereas its theme used to revolve around popular animated characters from Song of the South, it is now set to be themed around the 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog, according to Vox.
Disney said the ride will reopen in 2024 as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Efforts to remove the film from public sight, however, do not end there.
Disney CEO Bob Iger has already confirmed that the film will not appear on the streaming platform Disney+, nor will it have a home DVD release.
The CEO claimed that the reappearance of the film would not be appropriate for current audiences and that “it wouldn’t be in the best interest of our shareholders to bring it back, even though there would be some financial gain,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.