There’s no denying that Disney (as well as PIXAR) has defined our childhoods in many respects. And now, with the rise of the Disney+ streaming platform, we get to relive it all over again and watch our children discover the magic all for themselves. But Disney has had no shortage of controversies, many fueled by church culture. In this resource, we have a collection of articles and media that celebrate Disney, inspire discussion, discuss controversy, and recommend shows and movies. (Note: This list doesn’t include stand-alone Star Wars or Marvel content, though they may be mentioned.)
Articles | Why Watch Disney, When You Can Read About It?
- The Miracle is You: Worth and Blessing in Disney’s Encanto by Colby Whittaker | Remembering the concept of Imago Dei when we question our worthiness.
- Luca and the Wisdom of Children by Andrew Crawford | Rediscovering the wisdom in childlike innocence and wonder.
- Challenging and Changing Cringe Culture by Joey Thurmond | Help younger nerds escape a mindset of second-hand embarrassment and judgment.
- A Nerd’s Guide to Streaming Services (2021) by Chris Fogle | Finding the best Streaming service for you and your family.
- Black Creators You Should Know by Ryan Eighmey, Madeline Turnipseed, Jake Corn, Brittany Lofland, Matt Williams, and Alicia Bagley | Spotlights on several black creators, many of which are connected to Disney projects.
- 12 Family-Friendly Films to Broaden Your Horizons by Chris Fogle | Several movie recommendations, including some from Disney+.
- Why Does Cosplay Matter? by Cameron Franklin | An in-depth look at the world of cosplay, including Disney cosplay.
- Seeking the Kingdom from Everyone in Kingdom Hearts by Tieranie Albright | Why Christians should care about this series of games.
- Kingdom Hearts 3: So Worth It by Tieranie Albright | A review of Kingdom Hearts 3, from Disney & Square Enix.
- The Kid Who Would Be King: Making Heroes from the Marginalized by Jon Campoverde | A look at the retelling on the legend of the sword in the stone and the importance of owning who you are.
- You Can Enjoy Soul; It Is Not Heresy by Drew Dixon | Calm down. It’s all good. Breathe.
- Bluey and the Importance of Rejection-Free Playtime by Ryan Guerra | Not shutting the door on our children’s desires and creativity.
- The Nuance of Trust in Raya and the Last Dragon by Joey Thurmond | How does one balance the earthly practicality of self-preservation with the Divine ideal of self-sacrifice?
Podcasts | Audio for Your Mickey Ears
- Back Row Morning Show 509 – 512: Streaming’s Safety Sitcoms | Radio Matt & Mo take a look at the fan favorite classic sitcoms that 4 of the biggest streaming services use as a backbone to keep superfan subscribers in their pocket, including Disney+. (4 episodes combined into one podcast.)
- Back Row Morning Show 457 – 460: Turning Red & the Christian Ban-Wagon | Turning Red | Turning Red’s Controversial Bits | The Christian Ban-Wagon | Our Red Pandas | Radio Matt & Mo discuss Disney/PIXAR’s “Turning Red,” the controversies it has raised, and why Christians tend to jump on the bandwagon of banning without doing their own research.
- Church Nerds 65: Wanna Talk about Bruno? | Bubba & Anna take a deep dive into the movie “Encanto”, taking a look at spiritual comparisons and connections that they see in “a movie about a candle.”
- Back Row Morning Show 440 – 443: Encanto & The Cracks in the Family Madrigal | Back Row Buds Reviews | Isabella & Luisa | Julietta, Pepa & Bruno | Abuela & Maribel | Radio Matt & Mo examine each main character from Encanto and examine the breakdown and building back up of kids, parents, and grandparents.
- Free Play 137: Disney+ Day 2021 | Bubba blind reacts to Disney+ Day announcements, with Matt & Kate.
- Back Row Morning Show 419: Turkey Dinner | Radio Matt & Mo have a huge episode celebrating Thanksgiving with games, a gross taste test, and going through all the Disney+ Day 2021 announcements.
- Humans of Gaming 189: Ryan Bowdre of treu[X] on Earning the Right to Speak | Chris & Drew follow Ryan’s journey from Disney Interactive to Blizzard to treu[X].
- Back Row Morning Show 379 – 381: Pixar’s Luca & How Disney Duos Transform Our Relationships | PIXAR’s Luca & its Strange Controversies | The Best Disney Duos | Are Disney Duos Setting Our Relationships Up for Failure? | Radio Matt & Mo end their look at the buddy flick “Luca” and how Disney duos (family, friends, and romantic relationships) might be setting us up for failure.
- Humans of Gaming 182: Kate Kadowaki on “TV Eye”, KSM, and Being Another Human | Drew & Chris interview fellow LTN Founder, Kate Kadowaki, on her path to LTN, including as a member of Disney Pop/Rock group “KSM.”
- Free Play 115: Nerdom on the Small Screen | Bubba, Matt & Kate give nerdy recommendations for the small screen, including content from Disney+.
- Back Row Morning Show 327: PIXAR’s “Soul” and the Anti-Christian Myths You’ve Heard | Radio Matt & Mo review “Soul” and dive deep into it’s spiritual content, sharing some of the worrisome bits, but also the overwhelmingly positive messages this movie brings – including one big one you probably didn’t think about!
- Back Row Morning Show 307: Disney Does Fan Service Right | Radio Matt & Mo pour through the massive amount of announcements from Disney+ in 2020.
- Back Row Morning Show 298: The Failed Disney Boycott | Radio Matt & Mo examine the 8-year Disney Boycott that Baptists (& other Christians) participated in beginning in the late 90s to see it it accomplished anything.
- Free Play 73: Too Many Streaming Services? | Bubba, Matt & Kate discuss streaming service overload, sparked by the launch of Disney+.
- The Pull List Podcast 12: Shazam!, Idris Elba, and the Disney/Fox Merger | Chris & Hector discuss a lot of nerdy news, including the merger of Disney and Fox.
Videos | Eat Your Heart Out, Disney+
- Back Row Morning Show: Streaming’s Safety Sitcoms (& How They Changed TV) | Radio Matt & Mo share about the 4 fan-favorite shows that the big 4 streaming services use to keep loyal fanbases subscribed, including Disney+ and their acquisition of The Simpsons.
- Back Row Morning Show: Turning Red & the Christian Ban-Wagon | Radio Matt & Mo discuss Disney/PIXAR’s “Turning Red,” the controversies it has raised, and why Christians tend to jump on the bandwagon of banning without doing their own research.
- Back Row Morning Show: How Much Do You Talk About Bruno? | Radio Matt & Mo invite Discord friends in to discuss Encanto.
- Back Row Morning Show: Encanto & the Cracks of the Family Madrigal | Radio Matt & Mo examine each main character from Encanto and examine the breakdown and building back up of kids, parents, and grandparents.
Shorts | Mouse-sized Podcasts
- Back Row Binge-Watch: Prep & Landing 1 | Devotional from Radio Matt.
- Back Row Binge-Watch: Prep & Landing 2 | Devotional from Radio Matt.
- Reviews of the Nerds: Raya and the Last Dragon | Review from Brittany Lofland.
- Reviews of the Nerds: Encanto | Review from Radio Matt.
- Faith & Fandom 180: Disney Can Wait | Devotional from Hector Miray.
- Faith & Fandom 180: Beautiful Commitment | Devotional from Hector Miray.
- Faith & Fandom 180: Wise Time | Devotional from Hector Miray.
- Nerd History: That’s a Surprise Tool to Help Us Later | History lesson from Radio Matt.
This resource was compiled by Rachel Knight and Radio Matt. Last Updated March 8, 2023.
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