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When Walt Disney started a small company in the rear of a Los Angeles office in 1923, no one predicted the phenomenon that was about to sweep the world. Since then, the Walt Disney Company, along with its subsidiaries like Walt Disney Animated Films, Pixar, and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, has created over 500 projects for the screen and numerous books, toys, and movie memorabilia. Disneyland, Disney World, and Epcot Center theme parks worldwide draw millions of visitors annually, ranking Disney as the fifth top-grossing business on the Forbes list. With its success mainly appealing to children, Disney has been widely regarded as a secure and wholesome source of entertainment. But is this perception still accurate? How should Christians perceive Disney?
Since releasing its initial full-length animated film in 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Disney brand has been a reliable provider of high-quality products infused with family values. While targeting the child demographic, Disney classics have enchanted audiences of all generations. Animated features like Pinocchio (1940) have showcased artistic brilliance while promoting positive moral principles such as honesty, accountability, and discernment in choosing companions. Many individuals who grew up watching Disney cartoons and films continue to cherish all things Disney well into their adult years. However, brand loyalty often blinds us to subtle shifts, and, like most modern enterprises, Disney has started to follow the declining moral trend that mirrors our increasingly amoral society.
Over the past few decades, Christian leaders and advocates for family values have raised growing concerns about Disney’s trajectory. They point out, among other issues, the gradual departure from the Judeo-Christian worldview that most parents aim to instill in their children. From seemingly minor matters like tThe recurring theme that a beautiful girl needs a Prince Charming to solve all her problems (Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast), to more overt inclusions of openly gay characters (The Disney Channel’s Andi Mack), Disney’s efforts to mirror our evolving culture may actually be shaping it.
Other concerns about all things Disney include the following:
1. Establishment of a “princess culture.” In 2000, Disney launched the Princess brand of dolls, toys, and accessories featuring the fictional heroines of Disney films. This led to what the Washington Post describes as a “princess culture.” Numerous studies have explored the impact of this princess culture on children. Surprisingly, most studies found that young boys were positively influenced by this theme and tended to see their masculinity as a way to protect and rescue damsels in distress. However, the effects of the princess culture on little girls were not as positive. As expected, the notion of every little girl being a “princess” reinforced negative female stereotypes. Disney princesses are always portrayed as beautiful and often in need of rescue by a male. Disney has tried to break this pattern by creating characters like Elsa, Anna, Merida, and Rapunzel, but the princess culture may contribute to the sense of entitlement (and low self-image) that characterizes a whole generation of young women. Most little girls grow up to realize that the adult world does not treat them like princesses.
2. Open endorsement of the LGBTQ agenda. Since the early 1990s, Disney has openly backed homosexual issues. In 1991, Disney World hosted its first gay pride parade and in 1995 offered health benefits to gay executives for their partners—benefits that were not available to heterosexual couples living together. While there is debate over whether certain fictional Disney characters are efforts to normalize homosexual or androgynous lifestyles, the reality is that the Disney Channel has started to introduce “gay” characters.
Errors such as the “coming out” of Cyrus in season 2 of Andi Mack. Critics argue that, while the real world does contain such perversion, there is no reason to include it in shows designed for children.
3. Favorable portrayals of non-Christian religious practices. Pocahontas (1995) is undoubtedly one of the more egregious films in this category, with its promotion of New Age beliefs and Native American religion. But other Disney films have contained tributes to paganism (Fantasia, 1940) and shamanism (The Lion King, 1994).
Disney supporters contend that the inclusion of any of these elements does not negate the plethora of positive values and role models Disney also offers. They point out that children are exposed to far more these days than were the children of 50 years ago, and the Walt Disney Company’s questionable themes and support of LGBTQ issues do not affect today’s kids to the degree that children of yesteryear would have been affected. Others argue that parents are not forced to allow their children to view a Disney production they deem inappropriate, so there is no reason to ban Disney altogether.
The final decision for Christians about gray areas such as viewing Disney movies must be a matter of conscience «One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. », (Romans 14:5). Parents face a dizzying array of choices in rearing children, from schooling options to dietary restrictions. The choice of entertainment is merely one more. The danger comes when parents blindly entrust the moral and spiritual development of their children to any outside influence without thoroughly investigating the potential impact. Movies, TV, toys, and video games are now a huge part of childhood, and wise parents must never blindly assume products are innocuous because of the brand name. Trusting the name of Disney without investigating the specific product.
Is naive at best and spiritually dangerous at worst.
Wise parents maintain an ongoing dialogue with their children regarding what they observe and hear. They educate their children in truth from a young age, never entrusting moral guidance to the television or movie screen and never underestimating those influences. The Walt Disney Company is neither superior nor inferior to any other secular, profit-driven company and should not be viewed differently. If Christian parents cannot conscientiously support Disney in any form, they must openly and honestly explain the reasons to their children. However, they must also uphold those reasons consistently, or children will detect hypocrisy, and all efforts may fail.
With parental movie review websites easily accessible, no parent should be unprepared for the content children will encounter if permitted to watch a Disney film. The 21st century demands that parents avoid complacency or naivety. Satan is introducing chaos, deceit, and corruption into our world like never before, and Christians are unwise to assume this world is friendly and shares our values (see James 4:4).
The most effective protection for our children’s developing moral compass is to immerse them in God’s Word from infancy. Parents can teach children to identify falsehood and speak out against it. They can collectively memorize and reflect on Philippians 4:8, which states, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Parents should explain to children what this means and demonstrate its application in their own decisions. While watching a Disney program together and encountering questionable content, wise parents can seize this as a teaching opportunity. They can pause the show (if feasible) and discuss what was seen, or they can address it later, comparing Disney’s principles with the truths of the Bible. Children enjoy participating in these discussions and learning from them.
Discover inconsistencies and feel empowered when identifying additional errors independently.
Christians should perceive Disney products as we perceive all other offerings of this world. We might derive some advantages from certain aspects of them, but we must resist being enticed by them. Christian parents need to be cautious not to suggest to their young children that if Disney states or does something, it is automatically acceptable. Disney is demonstrating its unreliability as a proponent of biblical principles, and prudent parents will acknowledge this and react appropriately.
