The Walt Disney Company holds a relatively impeccable brand image, one that has been known and loved by millions over generations.

Disney World Skyliner

Still, sometimes even the happiest and most wholesome of brands will take a hit from a surprising accident or miscommunication. From the Skyliner incident last year to the international closure of all Disney parks, check out these 6 times that Disney had to deal with a public relations nightmare!

1. Attempting to Claim #Maythe4th on Twitter

Just a couple of weeks ago Disney dealt with some backlash as they were accused of trying to claim #Maythe4th on Twitter. Basically, Disney+ tweeted that use of the hashtag implied consent to Disney’s Terms of Service. Since #Maythe4th has been around for a while, users across Twitter were not happy with Disney attempting to attach their terms to it.

By sharing your message with us using #MayThe4th, you agree to our use of the message and your account name in all media and our terms of use here: https://t.co/G0AyToufQ5

— Disney+ (@disneyplus) April 27, 2020

 

Pretty soon, subscribers and lawyers alike flocked to their keyboards and phones to explain that Disney could not attach consent of their terms to the hashtag, according to Insider.

It’s Chewbacca!

A few hours later, Disney+ tweeted again clarifying that the controversial tweet had a limited application for the purpose of a possible surprise feature on Disney+ on May 4th. The clarifying tweet said, “The above legal language applies ONLY to replies to this tweet using #Maythe4th and mentioning @DisneyPlus. These replies may appear in something special on May the 4th!” Still, twitter audiences condemned the poor handling of the promotion.

Click here to check out the official May the 4th video from Disney!

2. Trademarking the Phrase “Hakuna Matata”

A few years ago, the company dealt with some uproar over their trademark on the Swahili phrase, “Hakuna Matata.” Despite, being trademarked back in 1994, some activists ignited backlash leading up to the release of the live-action The Lion King in 2019, according to Deadline.

Hakuna Matata Shirt

The negative response was rooted in the fact that a trademark on a common Swahili phrase felt disrespectful to the culture. Zimbabwean activist Shelton Mpala was quoted saying, “While we respect Disney as an entertainment institution responsible for creating many of our childhood memories, the decision to trademark ‘Hakuna Matata’ is predicated purely on greed and is an insult not only to the spirit of the Swahili people but also, Africa as a whole.”

Hakuna Matata Tee

Disney responded by mentioning that the phrase is copyrighted only for use on t-shirts and doesn’t prevent individual use of the phrase. They also noted that plenty of popular phrases have been trademarked over the years such as “Merry Christmas” and “Seasons Greetings.” Eventually, backlash died down without any further action from Disney. 

Want to see how Disney World celebrated the release of 2019’s The Lion King? Click here!

3. Applying to Trademark “Dia de los Muertos”

“Hakuna Matata” hasn’t been the only trademark that left Disney in hot water. According to USA Today, during the 2013 production of Disney/Pixar’s Coco, Disney attempted to trademark the phrase “Dia de los Muertos,” the name of the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead.

©Disney

Within hours uproar ensued. People accused the company of attempting to trademark a cultural tradition. Lalo Alcaraz, the creator of the comic strip “La Cucaracha,” tweeted: “Disney to trademark Dia de Los Muertos, also your dead relatives.” Yikes.

Plaza de la Familia

Disney ended up pulling the trademark application on the same day saying, “As we have previously announced, Disney-Pixar is developing an animated feature inspired by the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos. Disney’s trademark filing was intended to protect any potential title for our film and related activities. It has since been determined that the title of the film will change, and therefore we are withdrawing our trademark filing.“

Do you love Coco? Click here to make an iconic dish from the film!

4. Charging an Elementary School for Showing The Lion King

We’ve got another time that The Lion King spurred a controversial situation! Earlier this year, Disney fined a Californian elementary school $250 for showing 2019’s The Lion King at a fundraiser, per CNN Business.

The Lion King ©Disney

According to CNN, many around the country expressed distaste for Disney’s “very corporate” action. Though the school’s Parent-Teacher Association begrudgingly agreed to pay the fine out of the $800 that they made for the fundraiser, the backlash ended up having Disney pull the fine and issue an apology.

©Disney

Then-CEO Bob Iger personally apologized tweeting, “Our company @WaltDisneyCo apologizes to the Emerson Elementary School PTA. I will personally donate to their fundraising initiative.”

Click here to remember a Lion King animator and Disney icon, Ann Sullivan.

5. The Skyliner Accident and Other Transportation Incidents

Sometimes accidents in the park bring serious PR challenges for Disney! Walt Disney World has seen a few large-scale transportation tragedies in recent years. You might remember the devastating monorail crash in 2009 (you can read the Orlando Sentinel’s coverage here).

Monorail at Disney World

In 2019, just after the opening of the brand-new Disney Skyliner System, the Skyliner had an accident that caused a complete shutdown of the transport with guests stuck onboard for hours.

Disney Skyliner

Thankfully, there were no injuries. But naturally, many Disney fans were put-off by this incident. Disney had to contend with unhappy guests who were directly affected by the incident, as well as those raising questions about the company’s attention to safety — some even citing the fatal monorail crash.

Riviera Resort Skyliner

In response, Disney released a statement that expressed apologies to all affected guests and reassured that they were investigating the cause of the incident. The following weeks saw the addition of a dedicated guest relations line for the Gondola System.

Want to find out how Disney compensated affected guests? Click here!

6. The Closure of All Disney Parks Internationally

As you’re probably aware, Disney parks around the world closed in early 2020 in response to the global health crisis. With such large-scale closures and pressing health concerns, Disney has had a whole new PR landscape to navigate.

Disneyland Main Entrance

With a lot of what-ifs as the crisis progresses, Disney has been hesitant to make any official statements regarding a reopening. Still, quotes from Disney executives and Bob Iger show that work is going on behind the scenes to prepare Disney for a reopening of the parks that focuses on health and safety for guests and Cast Members.

An Empty BoardWalk Resort

Disney has taken the first steps out of the worldwide closures by reopening Shanghai Disneyland on May 11th. The park reopened with guests and cast members required to wear face masks, strict sanitation procedures being practiced throughout the park, as well as extensive social distancing protocols being enforced. This reopening signals the very start of Disney’s slow crawl out of the longest and most extensive closures the company has ever faced.

To upkeep the brand in the interim, Disney has continued a few merchandise releases as normal and even released a bunch of online content such as live streams, the Disney Magic Moments website, and new features in the Disney parks apps.

Click here to experience some Disney magic from home!

Unfortunately, Disney parks are not immune to tragedy. Disney has had to respond to many incidents over the years (including several that we’re not mentioning here), but in most, if not all, cases they handled it with as much tact as the situations allowed.

While the current closures are certainly the lengthiest and most publicly broadcasted of Disney’s Public Relations woes, at each turn they have been ready to face the press and the public with a thoughtful response.

Looking for updates on the Disney parks closures? Click here!

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Which do you think have been some of the worst situations for Disney? Share your thoughts in the comments!