Coco Tours Mexico
Growing up, my siblings and I endlessly watched the Spanish-language version of Los Tres Caballeros from a grainy VHS tape. It was one of the closest things we had to cartoons “for us” in the 90s. I loved watching the adventures of Mexican rooster, Panchito Pistoles, seen playing on a beach in Acapulco and dancing with jarochas from my homeland, Veracruz. Not-so-much a caballero, Donald Duck devoted himself to wildly chasing Latina love interests, including Carmen Miranda’s younger sister, Aurora.As I revisited several Disney films…comenzaron a perder su encanto. Disney’s 1995 Pocahontas is a dangerous re-writing of history. Meanwhile, Los Tres Caballeros portrays Mexico via vignettes of vacation culture. Hollywood films set in Latin America are too-often replete with storylines centering United States tourists exploring Mexico alongside an underdeveloped line of local characters, while the land is mostly utilized for an exotification, othering, or party-going factor.
Disney Pixar’s Coco resonates with me in recognition of the inaccuracies that film companies have made in portraying Mexico, Latinidad, and indigenous history. Coco is among recent films that inspire me to believe that the next generation of Latinx will have films that reflect us in every way possible, from the seeds of storylines to final production. Beyond laurels of representation, Coco is replete with artisan handicrafts and local expertise that hold implications for tourism and commercialization of products, a tangible economic impact on communities in Mexico. The film’s theme on Day of the Dead or DĂa de Muertos especially demands conscious understanding of the sacred tradition.
Forbes Contributor, Gretchen Kelly, has suggested the prospects of Coco’s success for tourism to Mexico. “When contacted, Adventures by Disney commented that no current plans for Coco Tours Mexico  trips were on their horizon” while Kelly assumes that if Coco’s popularity holds, “places connected with the film will soon be front and center on Disney’s travel itineraries”. Disney’s attempt to trademark Day of the Dead backfired, so the corporate giant has reason to be cautious and eschew a “Coco cruise.”
In Mexico City, where DĂa de Muertos celebrations have grown, ome Mexicans complained that their compatriots – especially those in the upper classes only embraced their traditions after Hollywood made it cool. This critique emphasizes the positionality of DĂa de Muertos as rooted in indigenous practice and the risk of cultural reductionism, which packages tradition as a consumerist trendy item while overriding discussions about anti-indigenous sentiment and systems of marginalization. Given media attention to DĂa de Muertos, entrepreneurs and businesses have sought ways to avoid cultural appropriation, referencing discussions on the intellectual property of indigenous communities.Mexico’s capital during DĂa de Muertos holds remembrances that are both solemn and festive. In Mexico City’s historic center, La Ofrenda Monumental, or the Great Altar, is set up annually.