Disney remove trigger warnings on cartoons such as Peter Pan and Dumbo

13 February 2025, 11:45

Disney are removing trigger warnings on some of their classic films. Picture: Alamy

By Hope Wilson

The family-friendly brand have decided to get rid of trigger warnings on some of their classic films.

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Disney are scrapping trigger warnings on films such as Dumbo and Peter Pan, after announcing they were stepping away from Diversity, Equality and Inclusion policies.

The company have revealed they will be removing disclaimers on some of their films which previously said they contained “harmful” stereotypes and promoted racism.

This new ruling is a stark change to Disney's stance in 2020, with the business choosing to flag "negative depictions" in some of their movies which were available to watch on their streaming service Disney+.

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In 2020 Disney posted on their website: "These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now", however this statement has since been removed.

Peter Pan is one of the Disney films which will have its trigger warning removed. Picture: Alamy

Examples of trigger warnings on their films include Peter Pan (1953), with the company revealing its depiction of Native American people, "neither reflects the diversity of Native peoples nor their authentic cultural traditions.”

Viewers also saw trigger warnings on The Aristocats (1970) as the Siamese cat Shun Gon was “depicted as a racist caricature of East Asian peoples", while Dumbo (1941) “ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations."

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The Aristocats will see its trigger warning removed. Picture: Alamy

After removing these warnings, Disney will now add a short description in their 'About' section which will read: "This programme is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions", according to sources at Axios.

The company are also reportedly scrapping their “Reimagine Tomorrow” initiative, which was used to highlight talent from under-represented communities.