What images come to mind when you reflect on your childhood? Playgrounds, chalkboards and soccer balls can be some of the fondest memories. Yet, for many, mermaids swim in their thoughts, princesses are swept away, and lions roar towards their royal place in the animal kingdom. Disney films have captivated American culture for years and have become a key part of popular culture as well as a form of education. However, these films have devoured America's youth and in the process; they have perpetuated an institutionally racist society based on harsh stereotypes. Minorities are often underrepresented, or even completely excluded, in many Disney films such as Dumbo (1941), The Lion King (1994), Aladdin (1992), and Pocahontas (1995). When students walk through the doors of schools, they bring with them the idea that white characters and people are superior to blacks or other minorities because that is how they are portrayed in Disney films. However, is the “Wizarding World of Disney” a true representation of the world? Or is it more of an extremely limited perception? In an era ravaged by war and depression, the great Walt Disney created a fairytale world where Americans could escape the daunting truth. What started as a mouse darting across the screen became a corporate giant that spread across America, consuming the imaginations and belief systems of children along the way. In the film Mickey Mouse Monopoly (2001), it is stated that Disney controls most of the American media, and because of this, the public suffers by being presented with an extremely limited view of the world. On the surface, Disney appears to be a wonderful, innocent form of entertainment, suitable for the whole family. The simple Disney...... middle of paper ......lt Disney Pictures.Pocahontas. Dir. Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg. 1995. Videotape. Walt Disney Pictures.Ringgold, Faith. The invisible princess. New York: Dragonfly Books, 1999.Schor, Juliet B. Born to Buy. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Strong, Pauline T. “Animated Indians: Critique and Contradiction in Commodified Children's Culture.” Cultural Anthropology 11.3 (1996): 405-424. JSTOR. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.11 November 2006 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0886-7356%28199608%2911%3C405%3AAICI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0.htmlSan Souci, Robert D Talking eggs. New York: Dial Books, 1989. Tarzan. Directors Chris Buck and Kevin Lima. 1999. Videotape. Walt Disney Pictures.The Jungle Book. Dir. Wolfgang Reithermann. 1967. Videotape. Walt Disney Pictures.The Lion King. Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. 1994. DVD. Walt Disney Images.