“Ladies and gentlemen” is back on the loudspeaker.
Disney diehards are divided amid trending claims that the formerly nixed “ladies and gentlemen” salutation at its theme parks has been restored — signaling, to some, that the world is “returning to normalcy.”
“It was very nice to hear that ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ has returned to the Magic Kingdom Express Monorail recently!” tweeted a Disney World devotee, known as “Theme Park Cheetah,” alongside footage of the train’s automated address, featuring the gendered speak.
“For context,” continued the fan, “it was removed around 2021 when Disney tried to make the parks more ‘inclusive.’”
Representatives for Disney did not respond to The Post’s request for comment regarding the alleged resurrection of its original script.
But warmly welcoming park guests with a cheery “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” was once the brand’s standard.
In fact, Jack Wagner, known as “the Voice of Disney,” estimated that he uttered the phrase over 8 million times during his two-decade tenure as park announcer for Disneyland, Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland.
The pandemic, alongside sociopolitical unrest in 2020, however, triggered a change at the wonderland, inspiring executives to do away with some of its more controversial features — including gender-specific wording and words from the late Walt Disney.
At the time, the company emphasized in a statement that it wanted its “guests to see their own backgrounds and traditions reflected in the stories, experiences and products they encounter in their interactions with Disney.”
“That means cultivating an environment where all people feel welcomed and appreciated for their unique life experiences, perspectives and culture,” it reads. “Where we celebrate allyship and support for each other. And where diverse views and ideas are sought after as critical contributions towards our collective success.”
“We’ll never stop working to make sure that Disney is a welcoming place for all.”
And while all are still welcome, the resurrected “ladies and gentlemen” salute has social media split in two.
“We’re so f–king back,” raved a virtual reveler.
“This is a bigger deal than people may think. This was a purposeful change (hopefully due to the new leadership), that is signaling that Disney may be pivoting back to their family oriented ways,” another agreed. “If the parades also get this introduction, then this will mean more.”
“The word is returning to normalcy,” an equally delighted Disney fanatic forecasted.
Unsurprisingly, not everyone online echoed similar enthusiasm.
“I’ll take ‘Why does anyone give a crap’ for 200 Alex,” teased a spoilsport on X.
“Imagine we’re on the brink of WWIII and this is what you’re concerned about,” wrote another, chastising Theme Park Cheetah for causing the social media fuss.
The Disney buff unapologetically responded, saying, “No it’s just absolutely stupid that ‘ladies and gentlemen’ has become ‘problematic’ in today’s world.”
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