Disney’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the reimagining of Splash Mountain, has made headlines once again—this time for its merchandise choices. While the ride itself purposely steers clear of voodoo entirely, supposedly for the sake of cultural sensitivity, merchandise of Dr. Facilier, the voodoo villain of The Princess and The Frog, prominently graces the gift shop shelves.
The glaring contradiction highlights Disney’s complicated relationship with cultural representation virtue signaling, leaving fans questioning why the character was omitted from the attraction but still deemed marketable.
Dr. Facilier as depicted in the Disney film The Princess and The Frog – Disney+
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Reports suggest that Dr. Facilier, the sinister yet charismatic villain of The Princess and the Frog, was excluded from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure because the Disney Stories Matter department no longer wants to depict voodoo. Allegedly, this is part of a broader effort to avoid offending practitioners of voodoo, who have previously criticized the entertainment giant’s portrayal of their beliefs.
Don’t put him the ride but we’ll sell them next to each other 😂 pic.twitter.com/r5uYwNC5B7
— 🔥 FIVE FIRES 🔥 (@thecalibae) January 13, 2025
Stories Matter is a division of the Walt Disney company charged with altering existing content and experiences to bring them more in line with modern day politically correct sensibilities. It was the Stories Matter department that initially decreed Disney had to change the popular Splash Mountain attraction into the deeply troubled and unpopular Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. It’s also the department responsible for cultural sensitivity notices in front of movies like Dumbo, Peter Pan, and several episodes of The Muppet Show.
Concept art for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
This cautious approach extends to Mama Odie, who has been rebranded as a “Bayou Fairy Godmother” in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure rather than her original depiction as a quirky voodoo priestess.
The backlash against Disney’s portrayal of voodoo is not new. In 2010, Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado, Ph.D., a senior vice president at The University of Scranton, wrote a scathing critique of The Princess and the Frog’s handling of the subject.
“The terms Voodoo, Hoodoo, and conjuring are used interchangeably throughout,” she noted. “In the end, one is presented with an evil religion that will ultimately fail. I did not expect critical race analysis or a sophisticated presentation of Voodoo when I walked into the theater. It is, after all, Disney. I did not expect such a blatant, racist, and misinformed presentation of Voodoo, however. The reduction of religion to magic is also reaffirmed in the curious absence of Catholicism in the film.”
Dr. Facilier as depicted in The Princess and The Frog – Disney+
Disney appears to have taken such critiques to heart—perhaps too much so. The removal of voodoo from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure might seem like an easy solution, but it also sanitizes the cultural richness of The Princess and the Frog.
The irony is that while Disney steers clear of voodoo, it has no qualms showcasing other ancient religious systems. Marvel’s Thor franchise has glorified Norse mythology for over a decade, presenting figures like Odin, Thor, and Loki in ways that romanticize their divine roles and often mock them by portraying them as foolish.
Similarly, Disney’s Hercules celebrates Greek mythology, complete with larger-than-life portrayals of Zeus, Hades, and the Olympians. Hercules is also slated to get a Disney live action remake soon, and rumors are already swirling about inauthentic casting.
(L-R): Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Natalie Portman as The Mighty Thor in Marvel Studios’ THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. Photo by Jasin Boland. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
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These mythologies are treated as fair game for entertainment, even though they are still recognized as spiritual beliefs by some.
Adding to the inconsistency, Disney often uses these stories as opportunities for forced diversity. Recent Marvel projects have taken liberties with casting and characterization, prioritizing modern social agendas over cultural authenticity. Disney seems comfortable adapting European myths as long as they can tweak them to align with contemporary sensibilities. But when it comes to voodoo, the company retreats entirely.
Apparently for the Stories Matter department only certain stories matter…
So why is voodoo too sensitive for Disney, while Norse and Greek mythologies are freely adapted, commodified, and reimagined? The answer lies in Disney’s selective application of cultural respect. Instead of engaging with voodoo practitioners to create an authentic and balanced depiction, Disney chose erasure—a move that undermines its claim to champion diversity and inclusion.
Concept art for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
The decision to exclude Dr. Facilier from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure while selling his merchandise also reveals the true motivation: profit.
Disney continues to capitalize on the character’s popularity without addressing the deeper issues surrounding its portrayal of voodoo or lack thereof in the case of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Once again, the company finds itself caught between its own ideals and its bottom line, leaving fans to wonder whether cultural respect is truly a priority—or just another marketing ploy.
Do you think Disney was right to keep Dr. Facilier and voodoo out of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? What do you think about the company continuing to profit off the character in the gift shop? Sound off in the comments and let us know.
Vodoun, or voodoo, is a very real religion. It’s a syncretism of Yoruban mysticism and Roman Catholicism created by the slaves brought to the Americas. More specifically, the slaves in Haiti and what’s now the American South. Other Afro-Caribbean religions like Santeria and Paolo Mayombe also exist but have less in common with each other and voodoo than, say, Lutheranism and Calvinism do.
So Disney’s writers are proving they’re bigots by trying to hide a living religion practiced by a not-insignificant part of the world’s population because they don’t realize Dr. Facilier is a bokor (lit., “black (evil) magician”) and does not represent true vodounistas or their religious beliefs. Just like Satanists don’t represent Christians or Christianity and are just people cashing in on people’s fears.
You remind me of the babe (what babe?)
Babe with the power (what power?)
Power of voodoo (who do?)
You do (do what?)
Remind me of the babe