Snow White “True Love’s Kiss” Causes Arguments

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snow whites enchanted wish

Both Images: Credit Disney

The newly reimagined Disneyland Resort attraction Snow White’s Enchanted Wish was a reworking of the classic Disney attraction, Snow White’s Scary Adventure (known as Snow White and Her Adventures when the ride first opened in 1955). In order to make the attraction more appealing to a larger crowd and the children that love Disney’s first Princess, the Imagineers retooled and reimagined the ride to be happier and enhance the classic storyline. But the new scene that shares Snow White and The Prince’s first kiss is causing quite the argument online.

snow white's enchanted wish
Credit: Disney

Snow White’s New Ending Causes Arguments

During the reimagined ending scene on the attraction, Imagineers have us flipping through the pages of Disney’s classic film, seeing both the poisoning of Snow White as well as her reawakening via True Love’s Kiss. This scene wasn’t previously included in the attraction, as we focused on the Evil Queen/Old Hag’s fall from the rocks (still included in the story!). Now, the final scenes of the attraction showcase the True Love’s Kiss before showing Snow White as happy as ever with all of her animal friends surrounding her as The Prince waves in the background.

snow whites enchanted wish
Both Images: Credit Disney

But the big news this week is the San Francisco Gate newspaper publishing an article about the attraction changes with a high-alert review of the last sequence, saying that true love is not possible if both parties do not give consent to kiss.

The new ride includes a more comprehensive storyline — but that’s also the problem. 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. 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? That teaching kids that kissing, when it hasn’t been established if both parties are willing to engage, is not OK? It’s hard to understand why the Disneyland of 2021 would choose to add a scene with such old fashioned ideas of what a man is allowed to do to a woman, especially given the company’s current emphasis on removing problematic scenes from rides like Jungle Cruise and Splash Mountain. Why not re-imagine an ending in keeping with the spirit of the movie and Snow White’s place in the Disney canon, but that avoids this problem? 

Fox Business News as well as the Daily Mail added to the argument with articles discussing “cancel culture” but not really concerning themselves with the fact that the story was one of Walt’s originals and true to the Grimm Fairy Tale.

Twitter users both retweeting the articles and discussing the issue weighed in, commenting mostly that the classic Fantasyland attraction needs to exist and those arguing to cancel Snow White’s kiss are going a bit too far.

Twitter user Alison (@happilyeveralis) said, “I read the article hoping it would say anything but some dribble about nonconsensual true love’s kiss… SPOILER ALERT: It most definitely is about that because too many people are ridiculous idiots. Did y’all think they would rewrite the freaking story???”

Another Twitter user by the name of Alynn B (@alynn2361) commented that those on both sides of the issue could cease arguing for the sake of a fairy tale and allow us to wish for happy endings, dreams, and possibilities of better things.

She’s quoted, “New scene from Disneyland’s Snow White ride is prompting backlash – Fox News GIVE ME A BREAK!STOP TAKING the classics that made us all wish for the happy ending, dreams, & possibilities of better!!!!!  […]

User @JVATALARO commented on the idea with exhausted hilarity, not really knowing what to do with Fox News’s running with the story.  “‘You know, sometimes I think ‘We are so screwed’. I don’t know where these Jack-A-Loons come up with this stuff’. ha ha ha Jack-A-Loon, that’s one you don’t hear every day. Lol”

snow white
Credit: Disney

Snow White’s Enchanted Wish Ride Through

Our Inside The Magic ride through from Disneyland Park’s reopening will give you a rider’s point of view of the attraction. You’ll see the new brilliant colors, new animatronics, and gleaming scenery, as well as the True Love’s Kiss sequence. What do you think of the new attraction ending?

 

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Snagged from Disneyland Resort’s page for Snow White’s Enchanted Wish attraction, the ride description reads,

Follow the Fairest of Them All
Settle into a wooden mine cart and accompany Snow White as she flees from the evil Queen.

Begin your fairytale journey in the cozy cottage of the Seven Dwarfs, then visit dazzling mines filled with glowing gems. Soon you’ll be riding into the Queen’s sorcery chamber and discovering a magic mirror just as Snow White bites into a poisoned apple!

When all looks lost, will Snow White find her own happily ever after?

What do you think of the new ending? Leave us a comment below!

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