No, Disney Did NOT Cancel Tinker Bell
It looks like it’s time to debunk some silly Disney trending topics again! This time, they’re going after a literal six-inch-tall fairy.
Recently, there’s been some talk of Tinker Bell being “canceled” by Disney, and I’m here to tell you why that’s utterly ridiculous.
No, Disney Didn’t Cancel Tinker Bell
To begin, we gotta go back to the global pandemic we all experienced (don’t worry, it’ll be quick). After the Disney World theme parks shut down for COVID-19 in 2020, they reopened with a lot of modified or temporarily paused experiences.
One of those was character meet and greets. The experience didn’t return to normal until 2022.
Before the shutdown, Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell both met at the Town Square Theater in Magic Kingdom. When character meet and greets were officially brought back, only Mickey Mouse returned to the spot.
![Town Square Theater](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-wdw-Magic-Kingdom-Town-Square-Theater-Tinker-Bell-Signage-Removed-scaled-1-1024x763.jpg)
![Town Square Theater](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-wdw-Magic-Kingdom-Town-Square-Theater-Tinker-Bell-Signage-Removed-scaled-1-1024x763.jpg)
Town Square Theater
Contrary to some nonsense out there, this wasn’t because Tinker Bell was “canceled” by Disney World. It’s simply because they stopped having a character meet and greet for her over here, you know, just like they changed a TON of things around the parks and resorts after the shutdown.
Heck, Restaurant Marrakesh is apparently still permanently closed over in EPCOT and is acting as a makeshift lounge spot. Things change at Disney World! The Disney parks are always changing and evolving, which was Walt Disney’s intention of the theme parks.
There is no underlying political motive here, and I can prove it.
First, let’s look at the claims — the New York Times wrote a piece back in 2022 referencing the disclaimer Disney has put at the beginning of Peter Pan on Disney+ warning against offensive content.
![Stories Matter Tinker Bell Offensive Content Peter Pan Disney Plus Disclaimer](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Stories-Matter-Tinker-Bell-Offensive-Content-Peter-Pan-Disney-Plus-Disclaimer-1.jpg)
![Stories Matter Tinker Bell Offensive Content Peter Pan Disney Plus Disclaimer](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Stories-Matter-Tinker-Bell-Offensive-Content-Peter-Pan-Disney-Plus-Disclaimer-1.jpg)
Photo: Disney
They then went on to claim part of this warning is because Tinker Bell is “body conscious” and “jealous of Peter Pan’s attention” in the film, and they vaguely site “Disney executives” as the ones who gave that reasoning.
![Disney Wish Spa](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Tinkerbell-Peter-Pan-1024x576.jpg)
![Disney Wish Spa](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Tinkerbell-Peter-Pan-1024x576.jpg)
Image Credit: Disney
Their article says this info was “according to two current Disney executives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential information.” Okay, sure. I mean, just randomly referring to ambiguous executives is not really a valid source — they’re basically saying the source is “trust me bro.”
When you actually go to Disney’s website giving the reasoning behind the disclaimer of the film, they only say the offensive depictions of the Native people in Peter Pan are the reason for the disclaimer. There is no mention of Tinker Bell, or these issues, in the disclaimer before the movie, and there is also no mention of any of this on their website.
![Stories Matter Tinker Bell Offensive Content Peter Pan Disney Plus Disclaimer](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Stories-Matter-Tinker-Bell-Offensive-Content-Peter-Pan-Disney-Plus-Disclaimer-2.jpg)
![Stories Matter Tinker Bell Offensive Content Peter Pan Disney Plus Disclaimer](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Stories-Matter-Tinker-Bell-Offensive-Content-Peter-Pan-Disney-Plus-Disclaimer-2.jpg)
Photo: Disney
If this was Disney’s reasoning, they don’t make it known at literally any point, as they do with the actual reasoning for the disclaimer.
So, where is this train of thought coming from? Why are people picking on Tink?
![Arts PhotoPass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Arts-Tinkerbell.jpg)
![Arts PhotoPass](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Arts-Tinkerbell.jpg)
Photo: Disney
If for some reason you think Disney removed the Tinker Bell meet and greet because her clothes are too scandalous (which is what people spewing this idea are claiming without directly saying), then let me ask you this: why then have all depictions of Tinker Bell not been removed from the parks?
Tinker Bell still flys down from Cinderella Castle at the end of the Happily Ever After fireworks in her signature outfit. She is still featured in the Festival of Fantasy parade every day. She is still in the Peter Pan’s Flight ride. She still has her own statue in Magic Kingdom.
![Peter Pan's Flight](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Peter-Pans-Flight.png)
![Peter Pan's Flight](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Peter-Pans-Flight.png)
Photo: Disney
If you think it’s just because a meet and greet might offer too close of a look at her outfit (which is, in my opinion, perfectly appropriate for a literal fictional fairy), then why can you still meet her over at Disneyland Park? Tokyo DisneySea just built a whole LAND based in part on Tinker Bell, for crying out loud.
![Fantasy Springs Tokyo DisneySea](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fantasy-Springs-Tokyo-DisneySea-07.jpg)
![Fantasy Springs Tokyo DisneySea](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Fantasy-Springs-Tokyo-DisneySea-07.jpg)
Photo: Disney
If we keep going with this train of thought that her outfit is inappropriate and that’s why Disney canned the meet and greet, then why can you still meet Ariel over at her grotto in Magic Kingdom in her literal bra?! It’s made of seashells (and movie accurate) and honestly still appropriate, but it is objectively more revealing than Tink’s outfit.
![Ariel's Grotto](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_9267-1024x768.jpg)
![Ariel's Grotto](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_9267-1024x768.jpg)
Ariel’s Grotto
Oh, yeah, and we literally saw Tinker Bell meeting and greeting in EPCOT last month! So, it’s obvious that Disney isn’t worried about her having a meet and greet. Or canceling her. People are overreaching and bored.
If you’re worried about people being “influenced” to objectify women because of these “revealing” outfits, then maybe you need to look inward and learn simply to just, oh I don’t know, NOT objectify women. And teach your kids the same.
Because where is this same outcry for Tarzan’s outfit? For Gaston’s tight pants? Winnie the Pooh isn’t even WEARING pants! But, you don’t think of that in the same way, right? So maybe don’t think that way about female characters, either.
The point is, you don’t hear these criticisms from really anyone except the people trying to get you riled up about it. This is a nonexistent issue that does not warrant your time or attention. I promise, Tinker Bell is doing just fine.
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/1180w-600h_121218_tinker-bell-fun-facts-1024x521.jpg)
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/1180w-600h_121218_tinker-bell-fun-facts-1024x521.jpg)
Photo: Disney
Stay tuned for more Disney news and updates!