Disney World ditches animatronic potentially offensive to alcoholics

Walt Disney World reopened one of its attractions on Wednesday following a six-month refurbishment, though one animatronic character, Liver Lips McGrowl, was noticeably absent from the lineup.

The character, which had been one of 18 animatronic bears at the “Country Bear Jamboree” in Magic Kingdom, had been part of the attraction since 1971, when Disney World first opened in Florida. In January, the attraction was closed to undergo refurbishment, reopening Wednesday with a new character, Romeo McGrowl, in place of Liver Lips McGrowl. 

The removal of this character comes as the term “liver lips” refers to alcohol abuse and the damage it does to one’s liver, and is considered by some to be an offensive term.

The attraction is known for its animatronic characters singing a variety of country songs, with Liver Lips McGrowl credited for just one song during his time at the attraction “My Woman Ain’t Pretty (But She Don’t Swear None).”

Disney World’s refurbishment for “Country Bear Jamboree” comes a month after it reopened Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the replacement attraction for Splash Mountain. The original attraction featured characters from Song of the South, a film from 1946 that received criticism for how the film’s narrator speaks in a stereotypical Southern black vernacular.

The Washington Examiner has contacted Disney World for comment.