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Tripadvisor just made a surprising selection for its “Best of the Best Things To Do” in the “<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cAmusementWaterParks-g191">Amusement &amp; Water Parks</a>” category. It wasn’t Magic Kingdom, it wasn’t Dollywood, and it wasn’t Universal Studios. It was a retro-style theme park situated in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania.
Knoebels (kuh-NOH-buhlz) may seem like a strange selection when it’s held up against the amusement park heavyweights that everyone knows. But if you’ve been there, like I have, then it makes perfect sense.
Any American who has ever yearned for a return to simpler times when people smiled at each other and the world felt hopeful should plan a visit to Elysburg, where America&#8217;s largest free admission amusement park is located.
The Tripadvisor award isn’t its first recognition; the park, located three hours northwest of Philadelphia, has popped up on various “best of” and “hidden gems” lists over the years. But taking top honors on the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1926 is worth celebrating. 
I lived close enough to make a day trip for years before I took my kids for the first time. Now we go at least once per year, and usually more often than that. My kids love it. I love it. And even in this economy, my budget loves it. 
The most appealing thing as a mom of five is the affordability, especially compared to other popular amusement parks. As ticket costs keep creeping up, with Disney admission <a href="https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-world-raises-2027-ticket-prices-to-new-record-of-219-with-more-increases-likely-for-christmas/">hovering around $200 average</a> and even Dollywood costing $100 per person, it makes amusement parks for big families economically unwise. Remember, that’s the cost just to walk in the door, not counting food — because bringing your own is usually prohibited — souvenirs, gas, and all the other expenses that pop up during a long day of fun. 
<div id="attachment_1104475" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1104475" class="size-large wp-image-1104475" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-3-432x576.jpeg" alt="Knoebels" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-3-432x576.jpeg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-3-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-3-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-3-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-3.jpeg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />Amanda Harding</div>
It’s free to get into Knoebels. Yes, you read that correctly, 100% free. 
And you know what else? You can bring your own food without strategically wrapping it in towels buried deep in your swim bag (not that I would ever do that). 
Knoebels is known for having some truly delightful and unique culinary options, such as Gator Bites (lightly fried alligator meat served with a tangy Boom Boom dipping sauce), a pickle on a stick, traditional Pennsylvania Dutch apple dumplings, and even a build-your-own baked potato bar. But, if you’re on a budget and would rather pack your own PB&amp;J, that’s fine too. There are shaded picnic tables and pavilions all over the park for anyone to enjoy the lunch they purchased or packed.
<div id="attachment_1104471" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1104471" class="size-large wp-image-1104471" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-2-432x576.jpeg" alt="Knoebels" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-2-432x576.jpeg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-2-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-2-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-2.jpeg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />Amanda Harding</div>
As someone who rarely goes on rides, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate not being forced to pay admission for amenities I’m not going to use. Visitors can purchase ride-all-day wristbands every weekday in the summer and off-season. Otherwise, ride tickets can be purchased in as little as 50-cent increments, so a park visitor could show up, pay nothing to enter, bring his own lunch, ride the famed Phoenix wooden roller coaster, and go home spending no more than $4.50. 
You know why? Because parking is free, too. Also, if you end your day with extra tickets, just save them for the next trip. They never expire.
Besides just being budget friendly, Knoebels is totally nostalgic and unique. It’s attached to a campground and retains that laid-back, unhurried feel. With more than 100 rides and attractions, there is something for everyone, and it’s impossible to be bored. My favorite is the little kid section, filled with old school classics such as self-propelled Hand Cars, Kiddie Bumper Cars, Red Baron Planes, and everyone’s favorite: The Whip.
<div id="attachment_1104473" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1104473" class="size-large wp-image-1104473" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-4-768x576.jpeg" alt="Knoebels" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-4-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-4-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-4.jpeg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Amanda Harding</div>
For Disney lovers, they even have spinning Tea Cups.
My older kids enjoy the thrill rides, such as the massively popular Flying Turns, a bobsled-style roller coaster that has no metal track and instead uses gravity and momentum to send riders on an exhilarating ride. We never leave without a ride through The Haunted Mansion, and I love taking it slow on the scenic Pioneer Train. 
<div id="attachment_1104477" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1104477" class="size-large wp-image-1104477" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-1-768x576.jpg" alt="Knoebels" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Knoebels-1.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Amanda Harding</div>
There are just so many reasons to love Knoebels. They are extremely pro-military, offering active duty service members a free $40 book of ride tickets and retired or disabled veterans a $20 book of ride tickets once per season. The park also hosts an annual Armed Forces Day offering free ride passes for service members. 
In a world where costs keep climbing and customer service continues to decline, when things break easily but cost more, where kids are constantly plugged into devices, Knoebels stands out as an homage to the way things used to be. It’s quaint, it’s retro, it’s safe, and it’s lovely. The employees are friendly, the rides are fun, and the overall feeling is family-friendly nostalgia.
The reason my family keeps going back is because of the memories we’re making at a place that’s a vision of what this nation used to be. It’s not pretentious and flashy, but it doesn’t have to be. The fact that a free admission park that runs on tradition just beat every major theme park in the country says something about what Americans truly want.
Hope to see you there.

PEOPLE ON SWING RIDE AT…

The Tiny Theme Park That Just Beat Disney At Its Own Game

amusement park

Disney

Upstream

Hilary Duff graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition this month and immediately turned heads while showing the world you don’t have to bare it all to be that girl.
The child actress, icon, singer, and now mom of four told SI she would not pose in a bikini for the famous photoshoot. Instead, the 38-year-old opted for a more modest look.
&#8220;Like, I have had four kids. I feel comfortable showing this. I don&#8217;t feel comfortable showing this,&#8221; Duff told Kylie Kelce, another mom of four, on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCcCQcXMKVw">Not Gonna Lie</a> podcast. &#8220;And they&#8217;re like, &#8216;Got it. Got it. Got it.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The 2026 SI Swim issue officially dropped Tuesday <a href="https://t.co/6WtFaChAhf">https://t.co/6WtFaChAhf</a>
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/2054181690961023039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
Duff donned a white one-piece with a deep plunge neckline for the summer 2026 issue. Her hair was slightly wavy, reminding millennials of Duff’s often crimped locks on the hit Disney Channel show &#8220;Lizzie McGuire.&#8221; The makeup was a natural, glowy look, perfect for the occasion, as Duff posed at a sandy beach bar in South Caicos back in February.
&#8220;The editor-in-chief is incredible. The photographer was who I wanted. It got to be my whole styling team, my hair and makeup,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They wanted me to feel my best.&#8221;
But this shoot was about more than looking pretty. Duff told Kelce she wanted this shoot to represent how proud she was of her body after giving birth to four children and showing up for her family every single day.
&#8220;My body’s worked really hard for me and produced an entire family,&#8221; Duff said.
She shares her son Luca, 14, with ex-husband Mike Comrie, and three daughters, Banks, seven, Mae, five, and Townes, who turned two earlier this month, with husband Matthew Koma.
In a previous interview with <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@time/video/7632386823280545054">Time</a>, Duff opened up about how her views on a woman’s body changed, especially after becoming a mother.
&#8220;I obviously, you know, grew up during that time where all of us were trying to, like, disappear and be waifs, and that’s not natural for my body,&#8221; she said. &#8220;For most of our bodies, especially as we endure the hormonal changes or motherhood and pregnancy, and all of those amazing things that make us women, right? So stronger, not smaller is a huge, impactful statement that resonates with me.&#8221;
Arguably the most popular magazine cover to be featured on, Duff, despite her confidence in her skin, was still intimidated to &#8220;model,&#8221; she told Kelce.
&#8220;My first reaction was like, &#8216;sh*t&#8217;— I thought I&#8217;d get in, like, rip-roarin&#8217; shape,&#8221; Duff said. &#8220;And I&#8217;m also, I&#8217;m not a model. I&#8217;m 5&#8217;2&#8230; had four kids… it scared me.&#8221;
The pop star, who is touring this summer for the first time in almost two decades, decided to embrace the nerves and do the cover shoot.
&#8220;At this stage in my life, I feel really proud of myself.&#8221;

Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Hilary Duff Ditches Tradition For 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover

Entertainment

hilary duff

News

The latest Star Wars movie, “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” is being trashed by mainstream critics who would normally be the most sympathetic viewers.
It currently has one of the worst review scores of any &#8220;Star Wars&#8221; film on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes as the film gears up for its Memorial Day weekend debut. As of Wednesday, it’s sitting at a 60% critical rating with 120 total reviews.
That makes it one of the worst of the 12 “Star Wars” movies at the moment, with only “The Phantom Menace” and “The Rise of Skywalker” getting lower scores.
The plot description says, “The evil Empire has fallen but Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they enlist the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu.”
Many critics who saw it mentioned that it felt more like an extended, unnecessary episode of the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” which premiered in 2019. They argued it didn’t deserve a theatrical release at all.
“&#8217;The Mandalorian and Grogu&#8217; merely stitches together what is clearly three episodes of the previously planned fourth season of The Mandalorian and calls it a day. There’s not a whiff of effort here,” a review from The Independent <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/mandalorian-grogu-movie-review-star-wars-b2980000.html">said</a>. 
“As a mid-season arc for the character of ‘Pedro Pascal’s sultry voice inside a metal bucket’ and his tiny, puppet son, this might have been adequate, if uninspired. As a so-called feature film event, blown up to Imax with Sigourney Weaver roped in to deliver a few lines, it’s the dullest and most inconsequential Star Wars film ever made,” the reviewer added.
“There’s no reason for anything in this movie except the wish to make even more money,” the reviewer from Roger Ebert <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-wars-the-mandalorian-and-grogu-pedro-pascal-movie-review-2026">observed</a>, giving the film 1.5 stars out of a possible 4.
“The runtime saps energy and when it’s all done, the scrolling credits for all those special effects goes on a full five minutes. You used to leave a new &#8216;Star Wars&#8217; movie on a cloud. Here, that galaxy is far, far away,” the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mandalorian-grogu-movie-review-star-wars-970e8562f8adf65c6cb03cb845f84b85">reviewer</a> from Associated Press wrote.
Even the good reviews weren’t that great. 
“Mandalorian and Grogu is, basically, four Mandalorian episodes wearing an IMAX trench coat,” one review said.
“The plot is non-existent and it really does feel like a fully CGI movie. But when it&#8217;s just Mando and Grogu going from A to B it&#8217;s such a sweet story,” another <a href="https://thefilmmaven.com/the-mandalorian-and-grogu-review/">wrote</a>.
The project was <a href="https://www.slashfilm.com/2172558/the-mandalorian-and-grogu-box-office-preview-star-wars-movie/">reportedly</a> relatively low-cost for a “Star Wars” film with a rumored budget of around $165 million, including a $21.75 million conditional <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/02/26/star-wars-the-mandalorian-grogu-to-be-filmed-in-california-through-the-states-film-and-tv-tax-credit-program/">tax credit</a> by the California Film Commission. That would mean it needs to make around $400 million to break even. 
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” debuts in theaters nationwide beginning this Friday, May 22.

Mandalorian and Grogu

Even Mainstream Critics Hate The New ‘Star Wars’ Movie

Box Office

Hollywood

Movies

Star Wars

Families embarking on cruise ship vacations may have more to worry about than infectious diseases. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently raided five cruise ships, including one Disney cruise ship, as they identified predators viewing and distributing child sexual exploitation material. 
The operation took place in San Diego between April 23 and 25, leading to 28 individuals being arrested, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/06/us-news/disney-cruise-ship-staffers-among-28-arrested-in-child-porn-sting/">The California Post reported</a>.
“After boarding the vessels and interviewing 26 suspected crew members from the Philippines, one suspected crew member from Portugal, and one from Indonesia, officers confirmed all subjects were involved in either the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing of CSEM or child pornography,” a CBP spokesperson told the outlet.
“CBP cancelled their visas and these criminals are being removed from our country,” the statement went on. 
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and fully cooperated with law enforcement. While the majority of these individuals were not from our cruise line, those who were are no longer with the company,” a Disney rep said in response to the news.
Some passengers reportedly witnessed the arrests on board the ship last month, but the reason for the raids were unknown at the time. Some Left-leaning online commenters incorrectly deduced that the employees were being targeted for their immigration status, which led to them criticizing ICE operations. 
The news comes during a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hantavirus-scare-triggers-evacuations-on-cruise-ship-as-it-heads-to-next-port">bad PR week</a> for cruise ships. A luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak and marooned since Sunday off the coast of Cape Verde has been making headlines after three people, two of them seriously ill, were evacuated.
Three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – have died in the outbreak.
A total of eight people are suspected to have contracted the virus, with three of them confirmed by laboratory testing, the World Health Organization said.
Disney employees have been accused in engaging in heinous sex crimes in the past. A Florida sheriff said that his department regularly caught Disney employees during undercover operations while revealing the results of a week-long investigation into human trafficking in 2022. 
Guillermo Perez, a bellhop for Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, was arrested during the sting, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-always-have-disney-employees-florida-sheriff-reveals-results-of-human-trafficking-investigation">reported</a>.

Disney Magic cruise ship

Feds Raid Disney Cruise Ship In Major Child Porn Sting

Child pornography

Crime

Customs and Border Protection (CPB)

Disney is hitting reset on its own magic, and a new fairytale playbook is coming to life.
New CEO Josh D&#8217;Amaro is laying out a clear plan for where the company goes next, and it comes down to three things. Double down on Disney’s biggest franchises. Expand its reach globally. Lean into new technology like artificial intelligence.
In plain English, Disney wants to take what already works, its most popular characters and stories, and stretch them across everything. Movies. Streaming. Theme parks. Merchandise. Cruises. All of it.
That shift is already starting to show.
For the first time, Disney says its streaming business, including Disney+, is seeing real momentum, with double-digit revenue growth. The company now expects that growth to reach at least 10% this year. That is a big deal for a division that has been expensive and under pressure for years.
The bigger change is how Disney plans to get there.
D’Amaro made it clear the company sees AI as a major tool moving forward, not just in the background, but across everything from how content is made to how it is marketed and delivered to viewers. He also stressed that Disney plans to keep human creativity at the center, even as it experiments with new technology.
At the same time, Disney is betting heavily on its intellectual property, the franchises that already generate major revenue. Think sequels, spin-offs, and familiar characters showing up everywhere. The company pointed to the success of Zootopia 2 as a blueprint. A strong box office run, massive streaming numbers, and continued visibility in parks and retail.
It is all part of a larger strategy. Build once and profit across every platform.
Disney is also continuing to refine how people use its platforms. New features on Disney+ aim to keep viewers engaged longer and coming back more often. Over at ESPN, the company is still working to grow its direct-to-consumer business into a stronger long-term revenue driver.
Why does it matter?
This is not just corporate strategy. It is going to shape what people actually see.
Expect more sequels. More familiar franchises. More crossover between what you watch at home and what you experience in parks or buy in stores. Disney is clearly leaning into what already works and finding new ways to expand it.
At the same time, the push into AI and new technology could quietly change how content gets made behind the scenes, even if audiences do not notice it right away.
The big picture is simple: Disney is not tearing everything down. It is tightening the system and trying to make every part of it work together more efficiently than before.

Disney World

A Big Disney Reset Is Quietly Taking Shape

Disney Channel

Disneyland is cracking down on certain behaviors causing disruption in their theme park, which has some visitors crying foul.
The biggest rule update causing an uproar is a cell phone policy nicknamed &#8220;Stow it, Don’t Show it&#8221; that would require guests to fully put away their phones when going on certain rides, including Mickey &amp; Minnie’s Runaway Railroad and the Incredicoaster, as <a href="https://insidethemagic.net/2026/04/disneyland-bans-stanley-cups-and-phones-on-certain-rides-to-protect-guests-from-themselves-rl1/">reported</a> by the Disney-focused site Inside the Magic.
Another item guests won’t be able to bring on the ride is heavy insulated tumblers. This rule is popularly known as “the Stanley ban,” referencing the popular brand-name cup. It was implemented as a reaction to an increase in “unplanned downtimes” for rides last year, per <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/travel/disneyland-cracks-down-guests-sweeping-new-restrictions-sparking-backlash">Fox News</a>, which was all due to security incidents related to guest behavior.
It all comes down to common sense. Phones and metal cups can become projectiles during high rates of speed on these and other rides, which poses a potential safety threat to riders. Cast members have been instructed to conduct visual checks and refuse to dispatch the ride if phones or cups are visible, the outlet noted.
There will also reportedly be cast members searching bags before guests get in line for the rides, specifically looking for oversized cups.
Natalie Katzka, director of attractions engineering services at Disneyland, spoke at a briefing on the updates. &#8220;Handheld filming is no longer permitted on these high-motion rides. … Phones must be fully secured in a bag or pocket before boarding,&#8221; Katzka confirmed.
Disneyland will reportedly be providing cubbies and storage lockers for phones and other loose items.
Beyond just posing a risk of flying through the air and hitting someone, Inside the Magic noted, phones and big cups could cause other problems. A dropped phone could trigger an “E-stop,” or emergency safety stop of the ride, while liquid from a spilled cup could mess with magnetic and electrical components of the ride and cause delays. These disruptions have larger repercussions across the park as staff would have to spend time addressing these issues and wait times for other park visitors would increase.
While the changes make logical sense, some Reddit commenters are mad about the cell phone policy in particular because the app is required for ride access and payment throughout the park. 
&#8220;Their entire ecosystem … requires you to use your phone for everything. This is laughable,&#8221; one Reddit user wrote.
&#8220;Disney makes everything as app-based as possible … then complains about people being glued to their phones,” another commenter agreed.

Disneyland

Disney Just Banned Two Items You’d Never Leave Home Without

California

cell phones

rules

Marvel and DC comic writer Deniz Camp seemingly posted his disappointment about President Trump’s assassin failing at his mission, then backtracked and faced even more criticism for playing dumb.
It all started when Camp posted on X, “Missed again :(” just after news broke over the weekend that there had been an assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., Saturday night.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Missed again 🙁
— Deniz Camp (@DenizCamp) <a href="https://twitter.com/DenizCamp/status/2048217802289369538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
His comments were immediately flooded with outraged followers, even fellow leftists who were disgusted by the seeming celebration of violence.
“Pretty sickening to see a writer I once admired wishing death on the President of the United States,” one reply said.
“Bravo on the all-time self-own. Heroism and hope in your comics, pure glee at political murder in your tweets. Mask fully torched. Exactly why comics suck now and nobody cares what you &#8216;creatives&#8217; think anymore. Enjoy the backlash and canceled orders,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/RiftWatcher73/status/2048795499042410762">wrote</a>.
Instead of deleting the post or apologizing, Camp made the claim that he was talking about something else entirely.
Follow up tweets included one that said, “I am so bad at darts!” alongside a stock image of a dartboard with darts not hitting their mark, and another that said, “People are really passionate about darts.”
No one in the comments believed that Camp was posting about darts. Many X users tagged DC and Marvel in the posts.
Camp is a comic book writer who has worked across Marvel, DC, and independent publishers. He wrote for “The Ultimates” for Disney-owned Marvel and contributed to X-Men-related projects. He&#8217;s also the writer of “Absolute Martian Manhunter” for DC’s “Absolute Universe” line. His independent work includes “Assorted Crisis Events” and “20th Century Men,” <a href="https://geeksandgamers.com/deniz-camp-trump/">per</a> Geeks and Gamers.
Meanwhile, actor and Trump critic Ben Stiller faced similar backlash for a social post that got misinterpreted and does seem to be a mistake, according to Community Notes.
Prominent figures including Congresswoman Nancy Mace and Richard Grenell came after Stiller when he <a href="https://x.com/BenStiller/status/2048203719846633967">posted</a> “Got it done” about 20 minutes after the would-be assassin breached security at the Washington Hilton. But his post also coincided with the end of the Knicks game.
“Ben Stiller’s post refers to the New York Knicks’ 114-98 playoff win over the Atlanta Hawks, as shown by his preceding Knicks post and the game recap,” the note clarified.

Deniz Camp

Marvel Comics Writer’s Two-Word Tweet Ignites Firestorm After Assassination Attempt

assassination attempt

Comics

Donald Trump

General

Marvel

U.S.

Disney World just took a giant step away from wokeness with a small change in its parks that has the normies cheering.
According to park visitors, the automated announcements are once again using the phrase “Ladies and Gentlemen.” This is a change from the parks originally pivoting to use more “inclusive” language on their properties.
The revelation about Disney’s foray into progressivism came in 2022 when journalist Chris Rufo <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-at-all-secret-gay-agenda-disney-employees-break-down-adding-queerness-to-shows-and-degenderizing-theme-parks">released video recordings</a> from employee all-hands meetings at the company. One of the clips showed Vivian Ware, who was at the time serving as Disney’s diversity and inclusion manager, explaining how Disney altered gendered greetings and language in its theme parks for live spiels and other aspects of the park in 2021.
“We trained, we provided training for all of our cast members in relationship to that. So now they know it’s ‘Hello, everyone,’ or ‘Hello, friends,&#8217;” Ware explained.
“We don’t want to just assume because someone might be, in our interpretation, may be presenting as female, that they may not want to be called ‘princess,’” she went on. “So let’s think differently about how do we really engage with our guests in a meaningful and inclusive way that makes it magical and memorable for everyone.” 
The company released a <a href="https://disneyparksblog.com/disney-experiences/a-place-where-everyone-is-welcome/">statement</a> that same year, confirming that its aim is for “guests to see their own backgrounds and traditions reflected in the stories, experiences and products they encounter in their interactions with Disney.”
“That means cultivating an environment where all people feel welcomed and appreciated for their unique life experiences, perspectives and culture,” it said. “Where we celebrate allyship and support for each other. And where diverse views and ideas are sought after as critical contributions towards our collective success.”
Now Disney World visitors are overjoyed to hear their favorite theme park is ditching the virtue signaling.
“It was very nice to hear that ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ has returned to the Magic Kingdom Express Monorail recently!” one X user<a href="https://x.com/GreenCheetah99/status/2041370321744167371"> shared</a> earlier this month alongside a video clip of the greeting being used. “For context, it was removed around 2021 when Disney tried to make the parks more ‘inclusive,’” a follow-up post added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It was very nice to hear that “Ladies and Gentlemen” has returned to the Magic Kingdom Express Monorail recently! <a href="https://t.co/PqtBI6u2qx">pic.twitter.com/PqtBI6u2qx</a>
— Theme Park Cheetah (@GreenCheetah99) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreenCheetah99/status/2041370321744167371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“We’re so f***ing back,” a reply to that post <a href="https://x.com/chazzimusslots/status/2041521972920680835?s=46&amp;t=vdDC8_Kq-sBDxiYlIfWGVw">said</a>.
“Thank goodness!” Elon Musk agreed, prompting another person to <a href="https://x.com/RitaChizoba2/status/2044671923003502608">reply</a>, “Finally, sanity returns to the Magic Kingdom. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls;  the spell is broken. The woke experiment failed, and reality just won the day. Disney heard the parents. The kids deserve magic, not lectures. Thank goodness indeed.”
&#8220;The world is healing,&#8221; Libs of TikTok <a href="https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2044562287176868033">added</a>.

Disney Quietly Reverses Woke Move And It’s The First Thing You Hear Walking In

Florida

Wokeness

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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In the golden age of early 2000s sitcoms, &#8220;Malcolm in the Middle&#8221; stood out like a middle finger in polite society. It was because of its messy, working-class, irreverent humor that it did so well with audiences.
Hal and Lois, the show’s chaotic married couple, were not enlightened parents dispensing wisdom to their well-behaved children. They were exhausted, flawed people barely clinging on in a house of four feral boys: Malcolm, Reese, Dewey, and Francis.
The show didn’t take itself too seriously. It mocked political correctness, it questioned both politeness and authority. It showed that actions do, in fact, have consequences. And, importantly, it bucked the idea that anyone — child, adult, or otherwise — deserved kid-glove treatment.
Everyone and everything was fair game. In &#8220;Malcolm in the Middle,&#8221; there were no sacred cows.
And yet, watching Hulu’s 2026 &#8220;Malcolm in the Middle&#8221; reboot, you’d <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/malcolm-in-the-middle-reboot-hit-with-backlash-over-woke-changes">never know</a> this was once the case. Unfortunately, like other failed Disney shows that have come before, the new &#8220;Malcolm in the Middle&#8221; is a Trojan horse for contemporary progressive ideology.
In the first episode of the four-episode revival, it managed to shoehorn in both gay and transgender characters. The most notable being Malcolm’s youngest sister, Kelly, a sullen teenager who happens to be “non-binary” and uses “they/them” pronouns.
Kelly’s inclusion was inspired by the show’s creator and his wife’s own family, where they proudly claim to have “three queer kids,” believing this is a feature of a normal American family. They couldn’t be more wrong, of course.
But, the tragedy of this development is twofold. First, Kelly is not a character. She is evidently a vehicle used by the writers to virtue signal and lecture audiences. But, more importantly, in the original series, Lois continually fantasized about having a daughter after having (eventually) five sons.
Turning the long-awaited daughter into a pronoun lesson truly flattens her existence into propaganda. And there is something truly grotesque about taking a main character’s greatest wish and turning it into a malformed 2026 talking point.
One whole episode in the OG show is dedicated to Lois imagining her life with girls instead of her unruly boys. In the end, she realizes she loves her sons, and girls would just be a different flavor of chaos. But, her desire persists. 
And it is this dynamic that makes Lois’s final pregnancy in the 2006 finale of the show so exciting. It is her last chance to have a girl. And as viewers, we are left to ponder how this pregnancy turned out — if Lois was gifted yet another little boy or if she was finally given her dream of a little girl.
Well, we get that answer in the reboot. And it comes in the form of teenage Kelly, who inevitably delivers a sombre speech during the reboot’s final episode, where she describes feeling “wrong” since she was a child. In a bizarre turn of events, the response from her family is more or less one of acceptance. This simply isn’t &#8220;Malcolm in the Middle.&#8221;
The non-binary sibling isn&#8217;t comic relief or a catalyst for family dysfunction like it would have been in the original show. This character is simply a vehicle for representation, complete with Hal awkwardly practicing pronouns and the family acknowledging the revelation with solemn nods.
Lois, the same woman who once quite literally wrestled her sons into submission, apparently accepts &#8220;they/them&#8221; pronouns, rather than dragging her child back to reality? Where&#8217;s the screaming? The grounding? The classic Lois line that cuts through the bull?
The original &#8220;Malcolm in the Middle&#8221; thrived on mockery. It took shots at everything: the education system, corporate drones, life in middle America, even its own characters&#8217; flaws. People retroactively view the show as progressive because it wasn’t &#8220;homophobic,&#8221; but it never treated sexuality or identity as sacred ground either.
It constantly poked fun at both ends of the spectrum, mocking pretension wherever it appeared, like Malcolm’s intellectual superiority and posturing, while simultaneously poking fun at dysfunction, such as Hal’s midlife crises or Lois’s ego.
It would have absolutely taken great delight in poking fun at an absurd social contagion such as “non-binary” identity.
&#8220;Malcolm in the Middle&#8221; wasn’t really a show for learning a tidy lesson because real life in that household was too chaotic and messy for after-school preaching.
And all of this is one of the biggest reasons why Disney’s reboot factory leaves so much to be desired. Frankensteining a franchise is a tenet of modern media. But in reanimating the corpses of beloved 2000s intellectual property always results in the same disappointing, lifeless snoozefest, complete with 2026 moralizing.
These corpses could never compete with the originals because they fundamentally lack the ability to laugh at themselves that marked so much of early 2000s entertainment. Today, instead of telling realistic stories, shows must tick boxes when it comes to diversity, sexuality, and representation.
***
Sydney Watson (<a href="https://x.com/SydneyLWatson">@SydneyLWatson</a>) is a YouTuber and political commentator.

malcolm-in-the-middle-revival copy

Disney Turns Beloved Sitcom Into A Lecture Nobody Asked For

“Malcolm in the Middle” fans are trashing the series reboot, saying it went totally woke to the point of including a “non-binary” child, among other crimes against the original.
The shoehorning of modern leftist elements into a beloved series should come as no surprise, especially since it’s coming from a company like Disney, which now owns the show through its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the studio behind the original.
“Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” debuted four back-to-back episodes on Friday, and due to the busy schedules of the cast, there won’t be any more. The latest episodes follow the titular star (played by Frankie Muniz) after he’s all grown up and has grown apart from his family. 
The original series, which ran from 2000 to 2006, focused on Malcolm, an exceptionally intelligent child who made his way through life with a dysfunctional family. The sitcom was a massive hit, winning seven Emmy Awards and attracting a cult following.
It ended with family matriarch Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) finding out she’s pregnant. “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston played the dad, and reprises his role in “Life’s Still Unfair,” too. Their surprise child, Kelly, is a teenager in the new version and uses they/them pronouns. The actor playing the part, Vaughan Murrae, identifies as &#8220;non-binary&#8221; in real life, too. Stevie Kenarban, who was Malcolm&#8217;s best friend in the original series, is depicted as gay in the reboot.
Many fans are not happy about the changes. 
“So. Disney brings Back [‘Malcolm in the Middle’], which ended decades ago with a proper send off. They made Stevie gay, despite him crushing on Malcolm’s babysitter, pretending to be in critical condition to get another girl to like him, there’s stacking amounts of evidence proving he likes girls,” one popular reaction on X <a href="https://x.com/anime_esh202/status/2043078136976273667?s=43">says</a>. 
“And the child Hal and Lois had at the very end is, wait for it……..non binary. If you had even a shred of hope that you were going to ‘relive the glory days’ you were kidding yourself… Don’t waste your time, it’s modern Disney being modern Disney again, and again, and again!”
“What a disgusting, soul-crushing disappointment,” another viral reaction <a href="https://x.com/FloppingAces/status/2042954425137009066">said</a>. “It&#8217;s absolute trash. No laughs. No chaos. No nostalgia. Just four episodes of pointless, preachy slop that feels like it was written by a committee of blue-haired Disney interns who hate straight families and actual comedy.”
“Woke isn&#8217;t gone. It&#8217;s just suppressed for the moment,” another person <a href="https://x.com/IamSvented/status/2043008792191816182">agreed</a>. “They will be back the moment they get the political support they need, and they will be angry, and they will be in full-on retribution mode.”
Show creator Linwood Boomer and his wife, executive producer Tracy Katsky, said they drew inspiration from their personal lives. 
“I gotta tell you, it’s a really important thing to us,” Katsky <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/04/malcolm-in-the-middle-creator-ep-wife-lgbtq-kids-1236786214/">told</a> Deadline during a recent interview just ahead of the reboot’s premiere. 
“Three out of four of our kids are queer, and without making it a thing and without making an issue, I think it’s really nice to have a character that, that’s just a facet of their personality as opposed to the entire story.”

Life’s Still Unfair

‘Malcolm In The Middle’ Reboot Hit With Backlash Over ‘Woke’ Changes

Bryan Cranston

Celebrities

Non-binary

Television

Disney is reportedly planning to lay off up to 1,000 employees as the company undergoes restructuring following a leadership transition. 
The cuts are expected to be concentrated in Disney&#8217;s corporate and entertainment divisions and not affect its theme parks, where the majority of its roughly 230,000 employees work. 
The layoffs were already underway before Josh D&#8217;Amaro assumed the CEO role and are part of a broader effort to streamline operations. The restructuring follows the appointment of Asad Ayaz as chief marketing and brand officer, according to an insider who spoke to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/disney-planning-layoffs-under-new-ceo-damaro-f1fe10a3">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
The House of Mouse has reduced its workforce significantly in recent years, cutting more than 8,000 jobs since 2022 as part of a cost-saving initiative aimed at reducing expenses by $7.5 billion.
The latest round of layoffs is reportedly part of an internal effort dubbed Project Imagine, which seeks to reduce costs and combine multiple departments, including employees from Disney+ and Hulu streaming services, into one team. 
The changes come as Disney faces increased competition in the streaming and entertainment space from companies like Netflix and Amazon.
Separately, OpenAI recently announced it will shut down its Sora video app, a move that also disrupted a major $1 billion partnership with Disney tied to the technology.
The WSJ noted that Disney&#8217;s stock price is way down, currently trading at around the same level as a decade ago, and this move is likely an effort to shake things up and reduce overall costs. 
Layoffs have become increasingly common across the entertainment industry, with companies including Bad Robot, Sony Pictures, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery all announcing cuts in recent months. Additional changes could follow if Warner Bros. Discovery moves forward with a potential sale. 
Disney did not respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.

Josh D’Amaro

Sweeping Layoffs Loom As The Magic Kingdom Crowns A New Boss

Business

layoffs

OpenAI announced on Tuesday that it plans to shut down the video creation platform Sora, which launched in 2024. The company did not give a reason for their decision.
“We’re saying goodbye to Sora. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you. What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing,” OpenAI’s Sora team said in a <a href="https://x.com/soraofficialapp/status/2036532795984715896">statement</a> shared on social media.
&#8220;We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on preserving your work.”
This news comes on the heels of Disney announcing a major $1 billion partnership agreement with the tech company, which would have allowed OpenAI to use characters from Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel franchises in its Sora video generator.
Much ado was made about users having the opportunity to create “fan-inspired” videos with Disney’s licensed characters, like Mickey Mouse, with Disney+ adding some of those Sora-generated videos as part of the exclusive deal.
But that’s all reportedly off the table now as Disney ends its partnership with OpenAI.
“As the nascent AI field advances rapidly, we respect OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere,” Disney <a href="https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/openai-shutting-down-sora-video-disney-1236698277/">said</a> in a statement, per Variety. “We appreciate the constructive collaboration between our teams and what we learned from it, and we will continue to engage with AI platforms to find new ways to meet fans where they are while responsibly embracing new technologies that respect IP and the rights of creators.”
Hollywood was up in arms over the newest release of the second-generation Sora model in September, with many critics saying the realistic videos posed a threat to human talent and opened the floodgates for massive copyright infringement and deepfakes.
Now social media users are weighing in on the abrupt closure, speculating that Sora could be facing a massive lawsuit. That rumor has not been confirmed by the company. 
OpenAI, led by CEO Sam Altman, will not give up AI video generation completely. They are just abandoning the standalone Sora app for reasons that are yet to be revealed.

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