Is Disney Magic here to stay? 

The Disney Princesses are coming to life…Starting from Walt Disney’s first ever live-action-release: Beauty and the Beast, to the most recent: The Little Mermaid. Walt Disney’s goal is to bring the magic to life, but many are starting to question if the magic is even still here. 

Watchers have begun to pick up on the inaccuracies of the new Live Actions–from the complicated plot changes to even character changes. Even more publicity has started to arise since the release of the Little Mermaid. Lenniya Howard, a junior at Elkhart High, expresses concerns for the evolving change: “I do understand that real world and animation are two different things, but accurately depicting a character that has been created is a key factor in the success of the live action recreates.” Howard realizes they have to take animation and turn it into real life but continues to hold a strong grudge against Disney towards Flounder’s makeover in The Little Mermaid. “He just looked completely different, and it even took the magic away a little bit!” While the live action movies are a big hit on the screens, Howard prefers the original animations. “They just hold the nostalgia and magic that make you feel little again; changing them is taking the magic away, and you just don’t get the same feeling.” Howard expresses the importance of inclusivity and diversity, and appreciates Disney’s attempt for change, but questions why Disney is changing the old when we can simply create new. 

The Disney Princesses continue to hold the magic chased when young, but as the Princesses come to life, the magic is dying. Fans are coming to the realization of wanting their favorite princesses to remain animated; seeing them come to life could ruin the movie as a whole. Howard shares a love for Princess Tiana, but truly wishes the movie stays strictly animated. “I’m too scared to see how the live action would turn out. I hope the movie can remain to its true self so that the magic can stay alive.” Casting is a huge aspect of the live action movies, and Howard is concerned with how it could completely turn Princess and the Frog around. Not only is appearance disrupting the Disney Magic, but so are the plot changes. Disney is rumored to change the idea of the seven dwarfs and replace them with a group of human bandits instead. The tale of true love is also foreseen to be taken away and altered. Howard reacts with shock towards this: “Instead of changing what we know and love, Disney should take the opportunity to create new fairy tales that can hold the same magic as the current princesses do.” 

While most fans feel the princesses have been changed far too much, Howard feels quite the opposite for Beauty and the Beast. “I feel that the movie was very well done, and to me, it’s definitely the most accurate one I’ve seen.” Howard still does prefer the original version, but the remake was done surprisingly well. But, it unfortunately held false hope for the remaining princesses. Howard hopes the future can hold completely new stories and new princesses with the importance of diversity and inclusivity, with the desire that the original princesses can remain magical in the way audiences will always remember them.