Seth Meyers weighs in on Snow White Disneyland controversy, says Mr Toad’s Wild Ride is the real problem

The film’s kiss – which features in the ride – has been criticised for happening ‘without consent’

(Disney / Late Night with Seth Meyers)

Seth Meyers has weighed in on the heated public debate currently surrounding Disney’s Snow White. 

The controversy arose after an op-ed about the recently revamped ride Snow White’s Enchanted Wish at Disneyland, Florida went viral.

Mimicking the animated classic, the ride ends with the prince kissing the animatronic princess as she sleeps in order to awaken her from her poisoned slumber.

The review criticises the ride for including the kiss since it happens “without her consent, while she’s asleep”. Although many people agreed that it is an outdated concept, others have said the argument is an example of the world “gone mad” and is reflective of “woke” or “cancel culture”.

Meyers spoke about the controversy during yesterday’s episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers (5 May). 

“Republicans as a party are just fully out of ideas, they have nothing constructive to add to the national discourse, they spend their time whining hysterically about hamburgers and Dr Seuss and are still trying to get the last election overturned,” he said.

“They’re so desperate to be outraged about utter nonsense, they spent an entire day getting mad about the Snow White ride at Disneyland.”

The show then featured a number of clips taken from Fox News, in which TV hosts including Tod Piro and Jillian Mele railed against “Snow Woke” and “cancel culture going after poor little Snow White”.

(Walt Disney Studios)

Referring to Louisiana Senator John Kennedy’s criticism of the review (“I don’t know where these jackaloons come up with this stuff”), Meyers said: “You’re a United States senator, you should be spending your time talking about stuff that actually matters instead of a ride at Disneyland.”

The late night host then quipped: “Unless you want to talk about Mr Toad’s Wild Ride because it is very insane to me that in that ride, which is for small children, Mr Toad goes to hell – and doesn’t come out. It just ends there in hell and the ride’s over.”

Mr Toad’s Wild Ride is loosely based on Disney’s adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s 1908 classic The Wind in the Willows. 

People on the ride assume the role of Mr Toad, travelling through England before meeting their demise in a railway tunnel and ending up in a depiction of hell.

You can find our rundown of five Disney films to have aged poorly here.