This past Sunday, a short commorating the 100th Anniversary of the Walt Disney Company debuted on ABC and while I did enjoy the short as a touching tribute to the legacy created by Walt Disney, I couldn’t help but think to myself as a neurodivergent lover of Disney is the studio still a good role model for families to look to in this day and age?
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Now, don’t get me wrong. I am still a lover of Disney, but in recent years, I felt as if Disney is starting to lose a little bit of the magic that I was introduced to as a child of the 1990s and early 2000s. What I mean by that is that while Disney has grown and evolved as Walt wanted it to, I feel as if they have grown in the wrong direction. I get the fact that it is likely because of changing social times and the age of social media, but the directions that Disney took have been kind of hit and miss.
There have been hits from “Frozen” to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to misses from the Disney Live Action Remakes and the changing of leadership with leaders that shouldn’t have been leading Disney in the first place. All this raises the question of whether or not Disney is still a good role model for families? When I watched “Once Upon a Studio,” I could only ask myself how would Walt react to all of the changes that befell his studio and company? Can families still watch Disney without thinking of the controversies surrounding the company?
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My answer would have to be “yes,” but a very cautious “yes” at that. Sure, the animated classics are still timeless as ever, but the controversies surrounding the live action remakes can ruin the magic for those who grew up on Disney and now families have to be exposed to the skeletons in Disney’s closet. I also feel that the more live action remakes are made, the more mixed messages we are sending to our families. They are being made to choose between the original and the remake and that is something that should not have to happen. If people like the remakes more, then I would probably say to be prepared for some flexibility when it comes to watching the original films in addition to the remakes. If people like the originals, more power to them. If people like both versions, then more power to them. But just remember that respecting other people’s opinions is important.
As for the theme parks, sure in recent years, people have probably wanted to stay away from the parks due to factors like COVID, videos of people fighting in the parks, high ticket prices, etc. However, one big factor that Disney should take into consideration is sensory awareness training for guests who are overstimulated with all the activity, especially those who are neurodivergent. In fact, during my 30th birthday trip to Disneyland a few years ago, I found myself getting overstimulated at times because of all the activity.
In terms of Disney’s acquisitions that made them more of a powerhouse, I feel as if they are mostly acquisitions that Walt himself would approve of. Some of these examples include Marvel, which has a quality to the original animated Disney features and National Geographic, that pays tribute to Walt’s love of science and nature.
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Next, one of the aspects that is featured in “Once Upon a Studio” is that the short has over 500 characters and many are characters that today’s generation has yet to be exposed to. While many of today’s families are focused on characters like Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Baylor, it’s important that the older characters from various classic shorts are introduced such as Susie the Little Blue Coupe, Amos Mouse and Humphrey the Bear, just to name a few. Many of their films are either featured on Disney+ or on various DVD and Blu Ray platforms.
But one character that you should really keep an eye is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. People need to remember that Oswald came before Mickey and was originally created by Walt and his team of animators until he was stolen by a greedy filmmaker named Charles Mintz.
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Finally, “Once Upon a Studio” hammers on the importance of never forgetting who Disney is in the first place. Nowadays, people see Disney as a major corporation that makes lots of money when in reality, it’s much more than that. There are lessons to be taught and learned and that is featured in the products that the company puts out to the masses. This is clearly shown in a brief scene where Mickey Mouse looks at a portrait of his creator, Walt Disney.
Disney isn’t just a brand, it’s a person’s surname that is associated with family entertainment that is more than entertainment. It is a movement, it is a teaching tool, it is a way of life and if people remember that, then Disney can live on for another 100 years!!
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Catch you all later!!
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