Disneyland removes Song of the South tune 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah' from Magic Happens parade
Disneyland has nixed an Oscar-winning song from its Magic Happens parade.
Amid Disney parks' ongoing initiative to transform two popular Splash Mountain attractions to remove controversial elements from the 1946 movie Song of the South, the California resort has also removed the memorable "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" tune from the daily parade.
Park officials confirmed the news to the Los Angeles Times, though representatives did not immediately respond to EW's request for information.
Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort Disneyland has removed 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah' lyrics from daily Magic Happens parade
The parade recently returned on Feb. 24, following a multi-year hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic, which also brought on unprecedented, lengthy closures of Disney parks around the world, from Hong Kong and France to Florida.
According to the Times, the parade returned without "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," and instead featured a song from the 1953 animated classic Peter Pan.
Orlando's Disney World resort shuttered its Splash Mountain flume ride in January. Its reimagined Princess and the Frog version — dubbed Tiana's Bayou Adventure — is set to open in 2024 alongside Disneyland's iteration of the beloved ride, which is still operating before it, too, will close for refurbishment at a future date. The parks will remove inspiration from the Song of the South movie, which was based on Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus book, and is widely considered to portray racist representations of Black people in the American south.
Disneyland also previously revamped its long-operating Jungle Cruise boat ride to remove "negative portrayals" of native people.
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