Photo credit: Walt Disney Animation Studios

At the D23 Expo last weekend, the Walt Disney Company announced that it plans to bring characters from the controversial Peter Pan (1953) in an all-new Walt Disney World Resort experience. The nightly “Disney Starlight” parade will also feature fan favorites from Pinocchio (1940), Frozen (2013), Magical (2021) and more.

Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, unveiled the parade concept image shown above at Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase on Saturday. The highly anticipated panel included announcements about projects planned at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disney Cruise Line and Disney parks internationally.

The inclusion of Peter Pan comes as something of a surprise to fans who know the historical context of the Walt Disney Studios film. The Walt Disney Company has publicly denounced parts of the film, particularly the stereotypical and offensive portrayal of Native American characters such as Tiger Lily.

As part of its “Stories Matter” campaign, the Walt Disney Company commissioned independent experts to identify culturally insensitive elements of its films. It identified and explained offensive aspects of films such as Aristocats (1970), Dumbo (1942) and Swiss Family Robinson (1960).

“The film portrays Native Americans in a stereotypical manner that does not reflect the diversity of Native Americans or their authentic cultural traditions,” Disney wrote about Peter Pan. “It shows them speaking in an unintelligible language and repeatedly refers to them as ‘redskins,’ an offensive term. Peter and the Lost Boys dance, wear headdresses and other exaggerated tropes, a form of mockery and appropriation of Aboriginal culture and imagery.”

In 2020, Disney+ added a 12-second disclaimer Peter Pan and other films that contain offensive images or stereotypes. They promised not to remove the content and instead to reflect on the harm it has caused:

“This program contains negative portrayals and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and remain wrong today. Rather than removing this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it, and encourage conversations to create a more inclusive future together. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspiring and empowering themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the world.”

That Walt Disney World Resort chose Peter Pan and Wendy Darling as part of its new nighttime parade is surprising, but not entirely unexpected.

Disneyland Park premiered its modified version of Fantasmic! this year after the devastating fire in 2023 that destroyed the Maleficent dragon animatronic. To the surprise of fans, Fantasmic! replaced a pirates of the Caribbean Scene with a restored version of a decommissioned Peter Pan Sequence. The controversial character returns to the spectacle’s iconic pirate ship to fight Captain Hook and rescue the Lost Boys.

Should Peter Pan stay at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.