There is a real story underneath that claim.
But the evidence does not currently support the idea of a companywide order eliminating gender-neutral language.
What has actually happened is more limited — and, in some ways, more interesting.
In April 2026, videos circulated showing the phrase “Ladies and gentlemen” being used again on the Magic Kingdom Express Monorail at Walt Disney World.
The return of the phrase immediately attracted political attention because Disney had previously become known for replacing gendered greetings with more inclusive alternatives.
Conservative commentators celebrated the apparent change as evidence that Disney was moving away from its earlier approach.
Some social-media posts went much further, claiming that D’Amaro had personally ordered Disney to abandon gender-neutral language throughout its parks and restore traditional language as part of a cultural reset.
But an investigation by PolitiFact found that the situation was considerably more complicated.
The organization examined Disney monorail recordings and public footage dating back several years and found that the phrase “Ladies and gentlemen” had not disappeared from every monorail announcement in a consistent way.
There were examples of the phrase being used by monorail operators as early as 2022. Other recordings did not use it. In April 2024, a recording included the phrase, while another recording later that year did not. PolitiFact also found evidence of the phrase being used in a January 2026 recording — before D’Amaro became CEO.
That makes the viral narrative considerably less straightforward.
Yes, “Ladies and gentlemen” was heard again.
Yes, Disney previously moved away from gendered greetings.
But there is no verified evidence that D’Amaro personally ordered a companywide reversal.
Disney also did not publicly announce a policy declaring that gender-neutral language was being eliminated throughout the company. PolitiFact reported that Disney did not respond to its questions about the specific monorail announcements.
This distinction is important because Disney’s actual corporate statements under D’Amaro do not describe his agenda in those terms.
When D’Amaro became CEO, his public message focused primarily on creativity, innovation, storytelling, connection and the company’s ability to operate as “one Disney.” His official shareholder-meeting remarks did not announce a companywide rollback of diversity initiatives or a policy eliminating gender-neutral language.
That does not mean Disney cannot be changing its tone.
It means the evidence does not justify claiming that the company has officially abandoned inclusive language.
There is a meaningful difference between those two things.
A company can become less politically explicit without eliminating its existing inclusion policies.
A theme-park announcement can return to traditional wording without a companywide ideological reversal.
And a CEO can emphasize storytelling and family entertainment without declaring war on diversity.
This is particularly important because D’Amaro himself has a history that complicates the simplistic narrative.
In 2021, when he was chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, D’Amaro published a Disney Parks statement titled “A Place Where Everyone is Welcome.”
The statement explicitly discussed Disney’s desire to make guests feel represented and cast members feel a sense of belonging. It included changes to costumes, hairstyles and other aspects of the guest and employee experience.
In other words, the same executive now being portrayed online as the architect of a total rejection of inclusive language previously played a role in Disney’s efforts to make its parks more inclusive.
That history does not prove what D’Amaro will do as CEO.
But it does demonstrate why the viral version of the story is too simple.
The more credible interpretation is that Disney may be trying to find a different balance.
For several years, Disney became deeply involved in cultural debates that extended far beyond entertainment.
Questions about gender, sexuality, race, representation and corporate activism increasingly became part of the Disney brand itself.
That created both opportunities and risks.
Some customers welcomed Disney’s willingness to embrace inclusion.
Others felt that the company was becoming too politically involved and moving away from the nostalgic, broadly appealing identity associated with Walt Disney.
The problem for Disney is that both groups are part of its potential audience.
A company that sells family vacations, children's entertainment, movies, toys and theme-park experiences has an unusually broad customer base.
Its audience includes conservatives and liberals.
Parents and young adults.
Traditionalists and people who strongly support social change.
Disney cannot easily choose one group without risking another.