Disneyland's newly revamped Snow White ride has caused outrage by including a kissing scene that some claim teaches kids problematic ideas about consent.
The Californian theme park reopened last week after being closed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the debut of the new attraction quickly prompted backlash with the inclusion of the "problematic" kiss the Prince plants on Snow White while she's in a cursed trance.
A review of Snow White's Enchanted Wish, a revamped version of a scarier ride that launched when Disneyland opened in 1995, claimed consent in early Disney movies is a "major issue".
"The new grand finale of Snow White's Enchanted Wish is the moment when the Prince finds Snow White asleep under the Evil Queen's spell and gives her 'true love's kiss' to release her from the enchantment," an article on SFGate read.
"A kiss he gives to her without her consent, while she's asleep, which cannot possibly be true love if only one person knows it's happening.
"Haven't we already agreed that consent in early Disney movies is a major issue?" the review continued.
"That teaching kids that kissing, when it hasn't been established if both parties are willing to engage, is not OK?"
The article questioned why Disneyland chose to add in the scene in 2021, insisting it portrayed "old-fashioned ideas of what a man is allowed to do to a woman".
SFGate highlighted that problematic scenes from rides such as Jungle Cruise and Splash Mountain had been removed, and a "reimagining" of the ending in Snow White was required.
Still, the reviewers conceded that the final scene's "gorgeous special effects" and "twinkling lights" were "beautifully executed", but that it was vital that it was viewed as a fairy tale rather than a "life lesson".
