Disney World Removes “Indians” Display Four Years After Authorities Demanded the Change

Jess ColopySeptember 30, 2025

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Walt Disney World Resort has finally removed an outdated “Cleveland Indians” display at its All-Star Sports Resort, four years after the Major League Baseball team changed its name. The decision marks another important step in Disney’s ongoing efforts to address outdated and insensitive depictions throughout its parks and resorts.

A road leads under a large archway reading "Walt Disney World" in playful blue letters with the tagline "The Most Magical Place On Earth" beneath. Palm trees line the archway, and a large figure of Mickey Mouse stands to the left. Cars are driving beneath the iconic entryway to Disney World Florida, where Disney World news lives. — Credit: Inside the Magic

This change comes amid a broader movement by The Walt Disney Company to eliminate offensive portrayals of Native Americans in its theme parks. In 2024, for example, Disney updated the Never Land Tribe scene in Peter Pan’s Flight at both Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park, replacing problematic animatronics with more respectful representations of Tiger Lily and other characters from Peter Pan (1953).

In another move towards cultural sensitivity, Disney also banned a high school drill team called the “Indianettes” from wearing Native American-inspired headgear during their performance at Magic Kingdom in 2022. However, that same group later sparked outrage when they performed a “Scalp Em!” chant at the park.

In 2021, the American League Central baseball team from Cleveland, citing concerns about cultural sensitivity, officially changed its name to the Cleveland Guardians and updated its logo. As of 2025, Walt Disney World Resort remained one of the last places to display the original “Cleveland Indians” name, with a pennant still hanging in the Homerun Hotel section of Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort.

The sun shines behind the stands at Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Guardians — Credit: Erik Drost, Flickr

As reported by WDWNT, the “Cleveland Indians” banner has now been replaced with a “Cleveland Guardians” pennant, aligning with the updated name of the MLB team. Other buildings at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort still feature outdated team logos, such as a Houston Astros pennant with its logo from 1994, the year the resort opened.