Disney pulls Song of the South song 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah' from parade


Disney continues to sever ties with Song of the South.
"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," the song that originates from Disney's 1946 movie Song of the South, has been pulled from the Magic Happens parade at Disneyland, the Los Angeles Times reports. Officials confirmed to the outlet that a lyric from the song was removed from the parade soundtrack without specifying why.
Presumably, though, it's for the same reason Disney is overhauling Splash Mountain: because Song of the South has been condemned for utilizing racist tropes. The film takes place on a Georgia plantation in the Reconstruction-era South, and one of the main characters is a Black man, Uncle Remus, who works there and sings "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said in 2020 that Song of the South is "not appropriate in today's world," and the NAACP has said it "helps to perpetuate a dangerously glorified picture of slavery" by giving "the impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship." In "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Uncle Remus sings about "what a wonderful day" it is. The Magic Happens parade now features a Peter Pan song in place of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," the Times reports.
Disney's log flume ride ride Splash Mountain was based on Song of the South and features the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." But the company announced in 2020 the ride will be retooled as Tiana's Bayou Adventure based on The Princess and the Frog, which features Disney's first Black princess. Splash Mountain closed at Disney World earlier this year, though it is still open at Disneyland.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
May 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include how much to pay for a pardon, medical advice from a brain worm, and a simple solution to the national debt.
-
5 costly cartoons about the national debt
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on the USA's financial hole, rare bipartisan agreement, and Donald Trump and Mike Johnson.
-
Green goddess salad recipe
The Week Recommends Avocado can be the creamy star of the show in this fresh, sharp salad
-
Lilo & Stitch: is Disney's latest live-action remake its worst yet?
Talking Point The studio's retelling of the 2002 original flattens its fuzzy blue protagonist – but could still be a box office smash
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
Snow White: Disney's 'earnest effort to meet an impossible brief'
Talking Point Live-action remake of Disney classic is not the disaster it could have been – but where's the personality?
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
2025 Oscars: voters, record-breakers and precedent-setters
The explainer A walk through Academy Awards history, both past and present
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation