Disney replaces 'fairy godmothers' title at parks with gender-neutral 'apprentices'

Disney has replaced the title of “fairy godmothers” for gender-neutral “apprentices” at dress-up boutiques at its U.S. theme parks in an effort to be inclusive, according to the parks' websites. 

Cast members at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disney parks, who help children transform into their favorite Disney characters with make-up and costumes, were previously called “Fairy Godmothers in Training.” Now they are called “Fairy Godmother’s Apprentices."

“This way cast members that might not identify as female can still be part of the process to dress up & style the children without having to refer to themselves as a female Disney character,” third-party Disney blog Streaming The Magic said.

The boutiques give makeovers to children, ages 3 to 12, to transform them into princesses or knights. The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Magic Kingdom at both parks will reopen Aug. 25 following pandemic closures, according to their websites.

NBC News has reached out to Disney for comment. 

Disney has made several efforts in recent years to make its parks more inclusive. 

Last summer, Disney omitted the use of “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” from parks, WDW News Today reported. The park also revamped its rides Splash Mountain and Jungle Cruise after harsh criticism that they depicted racial and cultural stereotypes.