Disney Renames ‘Fairy Godmothers’ In Theme Parks With Gender-Inclusive Titles

Disney is filling the air with the magic of diversity as it introduces a more inclusive name change to the ‘Fairy Godmother’ title at its theme parks.

As spotted by the New York Post, both Walt Disney World and Disneyland have updated their websites to address makeover employees as “Fairy Godmother’s Apprentices,” as opposed to the traditional “Fairy Godmothers in Training.”

The name switch will take effect at Disney’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutiques, where makeovers are given to young visitors to turn them into Disney princesses or knights. As explained by theme park news blog Streaming the Magic, the subtle, gender-neutral change would better represent cast members who might not identify as female and prevents them from being grouped into female roles.

The boutiques, which have been closed since the pandemic, are set to reopen on August 25 with the new name coming into use.

Disney has made sweeping, rags-to-glass-slipper-level transformations to its ecosystem in a bid to become more inclusive and accessible. The Roger Rabbit ride in Disneyland, for instance, has reimagined Jessica Rabbit from a damsel in distress of sorts into a proactive private investigator, swapping out her tight-fitting red dress for a detective’s coat.

Beyond its parks, the entertainment giant has condemned Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, in which discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity have been prohibited in classrooms for children in kindergarten through third grade.

Disney itself has been criticized for hypocrisy, however. Despite its front-facing support for equality, the company’s executives have been called out by Pixar employees for rejecting inclusive scenes.

In response, Disney restored a same-sex kiss that had been pitched for Lightyear. The Toy Story prequel is currently banned in some countries as the company has refused to erase the brief moment from their copies. 

[via NDTV and New York Post, cover image via Disney / IMDb]