Go Woke, Go Broke: Disney’s Magic Died with the Pronouns
- Raven
- Jul 17
- 6 min read
Like millions of children around the world, I grew up enchanted by Disney's storytelling. As a young girl, I dreamed of being a Disney princess, twirling in a sparkly gown, or an adventurous archaeologist like Nicholas Cage in “National Treasure.” This remains one of my favorite and most memorable films to this day. Disney was synonymous with wonder, imagination, and wholesome family entertainment. But as I grew older, the rose-colored glasses came off. The magic faded, replaced by a grim realization. Disney is no longer the family-friendly beacon it once was. Today, it is a corporate machine pushing woke ideology, questionable content, and identity politics onto children. The evidence is undeniable, and it is time to put Disney on blast for its predatory pivot. Let's dive into the moments that expose Disney's descent into dangerous territory.
Win or Lose: A Near-Miss?
Disney's upcoming animated series “Win or Lose,” set to stream on Disney+, managed to take the woke agenda to new lows. The show, centered on a co-ed middle school softball team, was originally slated to include a transgender storyline. Yes, you read that right. A transgender storyline in a children's TV series aimed at tweens. The idea that a show for little kids needs to delve into identity politics is not only inappropriate but deeply disturbing. It is a blatant attempt to normalize controversial and often inappropriate concepts for kids who are still figuring out the world around them.
(Photo by Entertainment Weekly, 2024)
Thankfully, this story has a silver lining. Disney scrapped the transgender storyline, reportedly fearing backlash from parents. Good. Parents are waking up, and their voices are being heard. But the fact that Disney even considered this storyline is a damning indictment of its priorities. Why is a company once known for timeless classics like “The Lion King” and “Cinderella” now flirting with content that sexualizes childhood innocence? Disney's flirtation with transqueer narratives in kids' programming proves they are more interested in appeasing activist groups than protecting their audience. In 2022, the company changed the name of Fairy Godmothers in Training at its U.S. theme parks to a gender-neutral term, citing inclusivity. This move, detailed by CNN, aimed to allow men in drag to work in the boutiques aimed at 9-year-old girls, previously staffed only by women.
Wish: A Flop Fueled by Forced Identity Politics
Disney's 2023 film ‘Wish” is another glaring example of the company's obsession with pushing woke narratives on kids. Marketed as a heartwarming, family-friendly animated musical, “Wish” promised to celebrate Disney's 100-year legacy. Instead, it became a lightning rod for controversy by introducing a non-binary character, Dahlia, a supporting figure explicitly identified as “non-binary” in promotional materials. A children's film was being hijacked and used as a vehicle to insert gender ideology into a film created for young audiences. The result was a catastrophic flop. “Wish” grossed just $180 million dollars against a $200 million dollar budget, a financial disaster that reveals a simple truth: PARENTS ARE FED UP!
(Photo Credit: Screen Rant, 2023)
Disney's decision to include a non-binary character in a film aimed at children is not just tone-deaf. It is reckless. Children do not need to be bombarded with complex, politicized concepts like non-binary identity. They are kids, not pawns in an ideological culture war. A child cannot be non-binary or trans because they lack the cognitive and emotional maturity to grapple with such concepts. Yet Disney seems determined to force-feed these ideas to impressionable young minds, alienating its core audience in the process. This whole ordeal sends a clear message: families want entertainment, not indoctrination.
Wreck-It Ralph: Sexual Innuendo in Kids’ Films
My first exposure to this phenomenon was Disney's 2012 film “Wreck-It Ralph,” which features Ralph, an arcade game villain who seeks to become a hero, in a colorful, fast-paced adventure aimed at children with themed soundtracks across digital worlds. However, the innocence ends there. In one scene, Ralph helps Vanellope, a child under 18, build a race car, overlaid with Rihanna's “Shut Up and Drive,” a song laden with sexual innuendo. Rihanna's 2007 track, with lyrics like "You look like you can handle what's under my hood, you keep saying that you will, boy I wish you would," is far from kid-friendly, promoting suggestive themes that are unsuitable for children's movies. Why would Disney, known for wholesome entertainment, approve this? Was it an oversight, or a calculated move to normalize adult themes for kids? This isn't a minor mistake: it signals a troubling shift in Disney's priorities.
A Pattern of Politicized Behavior
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. Disney's track record in recent years is littered with red flags. Consider Disney's broader corporate moves. In 2022, leaked internal videos revealed Disney executives boasting about their not-at-all-secret LGBTQIA+ agenda and efforts to add queerness to children's programming. It came straight from the horse's mouth. Disney is actively working to embed identity politics into its content, targeting kids as young as preschool age. Disney's theme parks, cruise lines, and resorts have also faced criticism for hosting Pride events aimed at families, complete with drag performances and rainbow-themed activities. When did family vacations become a political statement?
(Photo: Disney Dining, 2025)
Disney's 2023 remake of The Little Mermaid faced criticism for lacking the “kink elements” present in the original animated film, according to a New York Times review. The New York Times piece noted that the remake toned down these suggestive aspects to appeal to a broader, more family-friendly audience. They claim that the original featured Ursula with a seductive, larger-than-life persona that included subtle “seductive undertones.” You know it's bad when they're trying to sexualize Ursula. “The Little Mermaid” has always been a family-friendly children's cartoon. Modern remakes certainly do not need “kinky, seductive undertones.” These are fish we're talking about here – fish don't have kinks! Enough!
(Photo: The National Desk, 2023)
Disney, Do Better
As a lesbian and a former Disney fan, I am heartbroken to see a company I once loved turn into a vehicle for indoctrination. Disney's obsession with woke politics, pushing non-binary characters, transgender storylines, sexualized content, and now drag queen performances, has no place in children's entertainment. Kids deserve to be kids, free from the weight of adult ideologies. No child needs to be told they are trans, non-binary, or part of some ever-expanding alphabet soup of identities. They need stories that spark imagination, teach universal values, and let them enjoy the innocence of childhood.
Parents, it is time to hold Disney accountable. Skip the theaters. Cancel your Disney+ subscriptions. Let your wallets send the message that we won't tolerate this garbage being pushed on our kids. Disney, you can do better. Go back to making films and shows that families can enjoy without fear of indoctrination. The magic isn't gone yet. But it sure is fading fast.
References
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CinemaBlend. (2023). Pride Month at Disneyland and Disney World. https://www.cinemablend.com/theme-parks/pride-month-at-disneyland-and-disney-world
CNN. (2022, July 20). Disney theme parks ditch “Fairy Godmothers in Training” title in favor of gender-neutral language. https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/20/us/disney-bibbidi-bobbidi-boutique-gender-neutral/index.html
Disney Dining. (2025). Disney’s ongoing Pride events at parks and resorts. https://www.disneydining.com/disney-pride-events-2025/
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