Disney World replaces 'offensive' character at popular attraction
Disney appears to be continuing to wipe out controversial undertones embedded inside of its theme parks.
After the Walt Disney World Resort shut down a classic attraction, the Country Bear Jamboree on Jan. 27, it appears that the company decided to replace one of its characters whose name was viewed as “offensive and derogatory.”
The Country Bear Jamboree, which is a “country-and-western” musical starring 18 audio-animatronics bears, is a beloved attraction at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park that has been a stable since 1971.
Related: Iconic Disney World attraction closed, misses its last goodbye
To the surprise of many fans, it was announced in September 2023 that the famous Country Bear Jamboree will be shut down and revamped into the Country Bear Musical Jamboree this year. The show will now feature new genres of country music such as “Bluegrass, pop-country, Americana, rockabilly and other styles,” according to a Disney Parks Blog post, and will open sometime during the summer.
The poster advertising the upcoming Country Bear Musical Jamboree also unveils a new character; Romeo McGrowl. The new character appears to be a revamp of an original character of the band, Liver Lips, with a new name and blonde hairdo.
The term “liver lips” has been used to describe an individual’s swollen and red lips due to heavy alcohol consumption. “Liver lips” is also considered a “derogatory” and “offensive” racial slur that has been used against African Americans to describe the color or shape of their lips as sickly or unhealthy. The controversy surrounding the term is likely the reason why Disney decided to replace the character.
Walt Disney Co. did not immediately respond to TheStreet's request for comment. 
In the past, Disney has battled accusations of racism at its popular theme parks. Last year, Disney closed its beloved Splash Mountain ride at its theme parks to remove music and characters based off of its controversial film “Song of the South.” The movie was released in 1946, and it is about a 7-year-old boy who visits a plantation. The movie has received criticism for its use of racist stereotypes to portray African Americans and plantation life.
Splash Mountain will be revamped into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based off of the 2009 movie “The Princess and the Frog”, and will reportedly reopen sometime this year.
Disney’s famous “it's a small world ride,” which is a boat ride that passes a cast of singing audio-animatronic children from around the globe, was also subject to criticism as some guests have found the depiction of the Asian children in the ride racially insensitive. An eagled-eyed user on TikTok last year pointed out that Disney recently repainted the faces of the Asian dolls to include features that were less stereotypical.
@themouselets A great change by Disney for making this update! #disneyworld #disneynews #disneyparks #disneysecrets #disneytiktok #smallworld #disneyinclusion #disneydiversity ♬ It’s A Small World - Little Apple Band
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