“Beauty and the Beast” quickly removed from Disney Park after controversial incident

It looks like two main characters were recently removed from one of Disney’s biggest shows, and fans are wondering what went wrong and why these characters were suspended from production.

For over three decades, Disneyland Park has thrilled audiences with its nightly spectacle Fantasmic!. With a mesmerizing mix of fireworks, water effects, pyrotechnics, music and live performances, the show transports guests into the enchanting world of Mickey Mouse’s imagination. From classic Disney heroes to legendary villains, Fantasmic! weaves a web of beloved characters and thrilling encounters that culminates in a triumphant battle between good and evil.

Although Fantasmic! has always been a beloved Disneyland cornerstone, the show has also had to overcome some challenges. In April 2023, the Maleficent dragon animatronic was caught in a fire, leading to the temporary closure of the show and requiring medical attention for several cast members exposed to the smoke. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, the incident resulted in significant damage to the lighting and stage, forcing the show’s creators to redesign the iconic dragon sequence.

The Maleficent dragon incident is not an isolated incident. Disneyland has experienced several fire incidents throughout its history. From castle fires to float malfunctions, the park has had to contend with pyrotechnics and electrical systems. While these incidents have disrupted operations and led to temporary closures, Disney has always demonstrated its commitment to guest safety and the restoration of its popular attractions.

Recently, a technical glitch during a Fantasmic! performance highlighted the complexity of the show’s pyrotechnics. An unexpected firework display during Mickey Mouse’s climactic scene highlighted the potential risks associated with large-scale pyrotechnics shows. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and the show continued to the end.

Despite these setbacks, Fantasmic! remains a beloved and iconic part of the Disneyland experience. Disney’s commitment to maintaining the magic of the show while prioritizing guest safety is evident in its ongoing efforts to enhance the spectacle and eliminate potential hazards.

Now another problem has arisen with Fantastic!

Disneyland guest Matt DH shared that Belle and the Beast were removed from yesterday’s performance of Fantasmic! at Disneyland Park. It appears that the float and characters were completely removed, but the music “Tale as Old as Time” continued to play. Meanwhile, the other Disney romance characters, Rapunzel and Flynn, and Ariel and Eric, continued to dance through the Beauty and the Beast section to avoid any lull in the show.

No Beauty and the Beast float at the first showing of Fantasmic! tonight at Disneyland, so the other floats danced to the song instead

No Beauty and the Beast float at the first showing of Fantasmic! tonight at Disneyland, so the other floats danced to the song instead pic.twitter.com/C20l727Aep

— Matt DH (@DisneyScoopGuy) July 28, 2024

Disney has not explained why the characters were missing from the show, but the reasons could be many. There could have been a technical issue with the float or costumes, maybe the cast members of the show were missing last night, and more. Either way, it’s clear that things weren’t going right, and in order to keep the show going as planned, a change was quickly made and the other four characters filled the gap.

This is probably not a permanent change, as Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney’s more popular intellectual properties without much controversy regarding the narrative.

When the live-action film came out, there were some issues with people not being happy that LeFou was part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Director Bill Condon’s reinterpretation of a classic hit a nerve: An Alabama drive-in theater boycotted the film, the Russian government considered doing the same, and the Malaysian film censorship board asked Disney to remove the gay scene from the film, which the studio refused to do. The fact that an Alabama theater, the Russian government, and Malaysian censors all opposed a Disney film was remarkable. That Alabama theater became part of the national debate about LGBTQ tolerance.

At the center of this controversy was the Henagar Drive-In in Henagar, Alabama. In 2017, a representative of the theater posted a now-deleted Facebook message explaining that they would not show the film because LeFou is gay and homosexuality clashes with the Christian faith.

“When companies continually force their views on us, we need to take a stand,” the March 2 Facebook post said. “We all make choices, and I make mine. If I can’t watch a movie with God or Jesus sitting next to me, then we don’t mind showing it. I know there will be some who disagree with that decision. That’s OK. We are Christians first and foremost. We will not compromise when it comes to the teachings of the Bible.”

The reach of the boycott was perhaps most evident in a petition supported by the American Family Association (AFA), a fundamentalist “family values” group. The petition, which stated that “Disney seeks to normalize homosexuality in its productions,” garnered over 50,000 signatures—more than 20 times the population of Henagar, Alabama (population 2,300, according to the 2010 census).

In the new Beauty and the Beast, Gaston and LeFou do not have a sexual relationship, although LeFou does think back to their time together during an unspecified war. LeFou had an unrequited crush on Gaston throughout the film and eventually realized he was gay, and realized Gaston would not return his feelings. The “gayest” part of the film occurred during the “Gaston” number, in which Condon and his colleagues used Ashman’s original text.

A spin-off with Gaston and LeFou was planned, but it hasn’t happened yet.

There was also a legal dispute regarding the film that Disney had to settle. You can read more about it here.

Despite this “woke” furor – an accusation that Disney has been repeatedly accused of – the Walt Disney Company has made it clear that it is committed to inclusivity and will not deviate from it, either in its films or in its theme parks (a good example of this is the removal of Splash Mountain and the addition of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure).

In addition, the live action Beauty and the Beast grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2017 and the tenth highest-grossing film of all time in 2017. So I think Disney doesn’t have to worry too much about promoting Belle and the Beast in their theme parks.

Have you ever noticed that there are characters missing from a Disney show or performance?