While some people are afraid that these movies are gone permanently, they are still available in the adults-only section of the streaming service.

Which Movies Have Been Removed From Disney+ for Kids?

Disney have produced many classics that have brought joy to generations of children worldwide. However, some of these movies are no longer available for youngsters to watch on Disney+.

These movies are no longer available on a child’s Disney+ account:

Dumbo Peter Pan The Lady and the Tramp Swiss Family Robinson The Jungle Book Aristocats

If you are wondering what’s wrong with each of these Disney movies, here are a few examples.

Why Has Disney Removed These Movies From Disney+?

These movies contain several racist undertones and stereotypical representations of minorities such as Native Americans, East Asians, and African Americans.

Dumbo

The beautiful moment wherein the titular Dumbo finally learns to fly is marred by two things in the 1941 film. First, the racial undertones of the stereotypical Black voices who teach Dumbo how to fly.

Second, the leader of the crows teaching Dumbo was called Jim Crow, named after The Jim Crow laws, which were put in place to legitimize segregation and anti-Black racism.

Peter Pan

In Peter Pan, the Lost Boys often dance in Native American headdresses and refer to the Native people as “redskins” as a racially charged slur. The 1953 film also shows the Natives speaking unintelligibly, disrespecting their culture, and stereotypically portrays them.

Lady and the Tramp

In the 1955 movie, a scene in the dog pound includes several racist portrayals and heavy accents from dogs coming from Mexico and Russia. Also, a scene with Lady and Siamese cats Sia and Am proliferate several anti-Asian stereotypes.

Swiss Family Robinson

The only non-animated Disney classic on this list, the 1960 Swiss Family Robinson had pirate antagonists that were a mismatch of cultural identities. Combining Asian and Middle Eastern people, the film had a rampant use of yellow and brown face. Also, it had confusing use of cross-cultural robes, make-up, and jewelry designed to create a generic, stereotypical barbaric appearance.

Jungle Book

With his speaking style, love for jazz, and lazy appearance, King Louie in the 1968 film Jungle Book is a racist caricature of African-Americans. This depiction perpetuated the otherness of Black people in the community.

Artisocats

Playing the piano with chopsticks, a scene featuring Shun Gon, a Siamese cat in the 1970 animation Aristocats, exemplified anti-Asian stereotypes. In addition to speaking with an accent, Shun Gon also has slanted eyes, bucked teeth, and sings a song with lyrics that mocks Chinese culture.

Educating the Next Generation of Disney Viewers

While these movies can’t be watched through a kids’ account on Disney+, they are still accessible through a standard adult account.

As such, you might wonder: if these titles are so problematic, why are they still on Disney+ at all?

In 2019, Disney launched a “Stories Matter” campaign, which aims to create a more diverse and inclusive platform for everyone.

Initially, Disney issued content warnings before each stream:

In 2021, Disney committed to reducing access to these titles to unsupervised children.

This move by Disney to keep these titles is a bold but appropriate one. By acknowledging its problematic past, but not erasing it, Disney keeps these titles as a necessary reminder of how far we have come (and equally how far we have to go) in creating more inclusive entertainment.

“We can’t change the past, but we can acknowledge it, learn from it, and move forward together to create a tomorrow that today can only dream of,” Disney states on its website.

By moving these titles to the adult-only section of the app, Disney makes a clear statement. Watching these classic Disney shows becomes a shared responsibility of educating children alongside entertaining them.