Have you ever wondered how other countries see the U.S.? One woman recently got a glimpse at Disneyland Paris, of all places.
Myriam Estrella (@myriamestrella8) is currently documenting her trip to France on TikTok, where a video about Disneyland’s portrayal of the U.S. has racked up more than 6.3 million views as of Friday.
So, how does Disneyland Paris depict America?
In the viral video, Estrella said she was riding Disneyland’s “It’s A Small World” attraction. The ride is a musical boat that offers a whimsical tour through stylized scenes from around the globe.
Riders float along a gentle waterway, passing through brightly colored, animatronic displays meant to represent the cultures and landmarks of different continents.
Estrella captured her reaction during the U.S. portion of the ride, looking visibly stunned—but not in a bad way.
“POV: when you go to Disneyland Paris and go on it’s a small world and get to see how the USA is depicted,” she wrote, jaw dropped in amazement.
As the boat floated past, the ride’s depiction of the U.S. came into view: hardworking farmers, a classic Hollywood sign, the Statue of Liberty, and two animatronic athletes—one casually holding an ice cream cone.
In other words, there was no apparent mocking—just familiar symbols of American culture and influence.
Other countries got similarly charming treatments. In Canada’s section, for example, riders were shown a moose and some bundled-up figures in snowy mountains.
Rather than satire, it seems Disneyland Paris opted for a warm, somewhat idealized portrayal of what defines each nation—America included.
“My mind is blown!!!” Estrella wrote in the caption of her clip.
Disney depictions throughout time
Disney often depicts different countries through its parks, rides, and even films. In the Beauty and the Beast franchise, for example, the Beast’s castle is reportedly inspired by France’s Château de Chambord. Pandora, the fictional world from Avatar, draws visual inspiration from China’s Zhangjiajie National Park.
At Walt Disney World, EPCOT’s World Showcase features pavilions dedicated to eleven countries, each designed to reflect its culture, architecture, and cuisine. Disney even staffs them with cultural representatives from those nations.
“It’s a Small World,” as Estrella showed in her video, offers another global tour. The iconic ride takes visitors past animatronic children and cultural landmarks from around the world, all singing in different languages—Disney’s stylized version of global harmony.
Other countries are just as gracious
Fellow Disneygoers who watched Estrella’s video chimed in with how America is portrayed at other Disney parks around the world.
“We went to Disney Sea in Tokyo and they portrayed America with dancing hamburgers and French fries,” one TikToker shared.
“Ok, why is the French version SO much less creepy than the one we have!?! It’s almost cute!” another added.
@myriamestrella8 My mind is blown!!! 😩😩
♬ original sound – myriam gets healthy 😁
Others joked that Disneyland Paris might’ve been a little too generous in its depiction of the U.S.
“The Native American representation in Paris is better than in the U.S.,” one commenter quipped.
“They were WAY TOO nice,” another said.
“This is far better than we deserve,” a third viewer added.
“That’s probably how other countries feel when they see theirs,” a fourth TikToker wrote. “A very generalized stereotyped overview.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Estrella via TikTok comment and to The Walt Disney Company through email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
