Apparently the flags that fly at Disney World are not proper American flags in that they don’t have 50 stars. Therefore Disney doesn’t have to follow the Flag Code. My question is: why? I don’t care that they’re not real, but why not use 50-star flags? Is there some advantage?
From the photos, taking those down/putting them up daily would be very difficult to near impossible.
The article does note that the real flags at the entrances are lowered/raised properly.
While the Flag Code is enshrined in federal law, it’s not something that anyone has to follow - there’s no penalty for violating it and it was never intended to be enforceable, but is merely just a code of etiquette.
That being said, my first guess would be that fully observing the Flag Code for each and every flag-like decoration on Disney property (raising and lowering it at sunrise and sunset, taking it down in inclement weather, lighting it appropriately, reverential disposal and replacement, flying it half-staff when appropriate, never letting it touch the ground, etc.) would be extremely labor and time intensive, and using prop flags gives them the wiggle room to say they’re treating the handful of “real” flags in their parks with respect without going through all the effort for all of the rest of them.
Over/Under on how soon (assuming it hasn’t already) this gets into the QAnonsense swamp as further “evidence” of Disney’s pernicious socialist satanic libtard evil ways? (Bonus points if “gold fringe” gets into the narrative somehow.)
This was indirectly why I asked the question. A coworker of mine who’s quite conservative mentioned it in a way that implied there was something nefarious about the flags i.e. they never have to put them at half-mast! So I was curious about it. Most sites I can find at work just mention that the flags are inaccurate but not why that might be done. Haven’t found anyone Q-uestioning it but haven’t looked for it either.
If Disney wanted to be able to half-staff all their flags they would find a way.
Are you sure this is true? I’m skeptical since there isn’t even a picture of these supposedly fake flags of high enough resolution to tell. It sounds like an Urban Legend to me.
Maybe you should tell him they can’t put the flags at “half-mast” because they’re not on a ship. 
What about the Jungle Cruise, smarty?
Um… you put the answer in your OP.
If that’s not the answer, then I’m confused by what you’re asking.
Surely the answers that have been given so far explain why Disney doesn’t lower the flags at night and raise them again in the morning. But it doesn’t explain the use of non-50-star flags.
Sorry, I was curious if there was some benefit to them not following the Flag Code or just in not having standard flags, but it looks like in retrospect @Smapti gave a good, reasonable explanation.
Yeah, not following the Flag Code is the benefit.
Or is it? Dun dun duuun! (Yes, it is.)
I googled since this piqued my interest.
yes, many of those flags are on small poles on top of turrets and towers (i.e. along “Main Street”). It’s not like they have the flag raising and lowering ropes, nor are they easily accessible. (do they use a bucket lift after hours when they need to fix a flag?).
Because the use of not “real” flags gives them an answer to the people who are outraged that they are neither taken down nor properly illuminated at night , or not lowered when the President or governor orders it.
Example here of 45-star flag and detailed explanation. Basically not really so much flag code as evoking the 45-star era of the US.
Either that, or it’s meant to be reminiscent of the time when the US flag had 45 stars - which was 1896 to 1908, a time that would fit well with the overall “Main Street U.S.A.” theme (and with Walt Disney’s childhood, born 1901).
This was my thinking. Main Street is supposed to look like a set out of The Music Man. And Main Street is a set. The red white and blue banners are props; not flags.
When dealing with the UberPatriot brigade, it would seem to me that they’re in a lose-lose-lose-lose situation.
Use real flags, but don’t go through all the Flag Code rigamarole? DUUURR! TeH FlAg!!! Respeck!
Use Fake Flags, but UberPartiots don’t realize that? DUUURR! TeH FlAg!!! Respeck!
Use Fake Flags, which the UberPartiots realize? DUUURRR! Fake Flag=Fake 'Murrica!!! CommieNazi Libtards!
And then there’s the “Use no flag-like objects at all” option. DUUURRR! Disnee is renouncing its 'Murrican Citizenship!!! Might as well be EuroDisnee!!!
But Tomi Lahren can wear one as a costume, which is specifically against the flag code and conservatives (especially her) started doling out the ‘but that’s different’ reply almost before anyone even had a chance to call her out.