Disney Parks has recently made efforts to broaden its appeal to its diverse, global audience. It has removed cultural depictions considered offensive from attractions, uses more inclusive language when addressing guests and staff and is providing more latitude in how its employees can express themselves while on the job.
This spring a significant shake-up to the "Disney look" enabled cast members to have visible piercings and tattoos and to choose the guest-facing costume they wear (previously, costumes were assigned based on gender).
The Jungle Cruise attraction has undergone updates to eliminate racist imagery.
Splash Mountain, which is based on the movie "Song of the South," which has been criticized for racist and offensive stereotypes, is getting an entirely new overlay linked to the 2009 film "The Princess and the Frog."
Even fireworks announcements are being reworked, no longer welcoming "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," but instead addressing crowds as "dreamers of all ages."
It's all part of a greater effort, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman Josh D'Amaro wrote in a post on the Disney Parks Blog in April.
"We want our guests to see their own backgrounds and traditions reflected in the stories, experiences and products they encounter in their interactions with Disney," D'Amaro wrote. "And we want our cast members -- and future cast members -- to feel a sense of belonging at work."
The changes have been well-noticed -- and well-received.
Disney plans to retheme Splash Mountain, which is currently based on the film "Song of the South." Photo Credit: TW photo by Jamie Biesiada
While it's clear the parks strive to be welcoming to all, some visitors have been left uncomfortable in the past, said Elantrice Hughley, owner of fan site Diz Thru Brown Eyes. The onus of inclusion lies on Disney, she said, adding that "Disney has listened."
Elantrice Hughley
Allowing cast members to express who they are "makes for a better work environment," she said. "Disney Parks pride themselves on providing great customer service to all through experiences, attractions and interactions ... and I am pleased with attractions changing to be more inclusive and sensitive of how other cultures are being represented."
Hughley created Diz Thru Brown Eyes, first as a blog and now with a larger presence on Instagram, specifically to showcase her love of the Disney brand from her perspective as an African American.
Robert Niles
Cast member policy changes really began in 2012, when Disney first permitted employees to wear beards and goatees, recalled Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com. It was an update to the former Disney policy, which upheld "a white, suburban, Middle America type of ideal," he said. That previous policy also limited Disney in who it could hire, so the change had a positive business impact for recruiting, as well.
As for this spring's update, Niles said, "I go to the parks now, and cast members, frankly, I do think seem happier."
Len Testa
Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com and co-author of "The Unnofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" (and a companion edition for Disneyland) agreed that cast members seem happier overall.
"It's overdue," Testa said of the policy change.
"I think Disney has wisely realized, 'you know, we've got some stuff here that just isn't hitting right these days,'" Niles said. "You look at Jungle Cruise, you look at Peter Pan, you look at the history of the associations on Splash Mountain, and you know there are a lot of things that could be changed for the better. They're slowly beginning that process."
While no official announcements have been made about potential updates for Peter Pan's Flight, it has received criticism for offensive depictions of Indigenous people. Niles and Testa both suspect changes will be forthcoming.
Attraction updates seem to have had little impact on guest satisfaction, as measured by Testa, who tracks consumer response across a range of Disney features. Jungle Cruise, for instance, continues to rate roughly four out of five stars with every age group except seniors, who in the past three months have rated it slightly higher.
"I think the vast majority of this will be either completely unnoticed or welcomed by most theme park fans," he said.
Niles agreed that reactions to the changes are "overwhelmingly positive."
"Disney gets a lot of attention because of its place in our popular culture, but [the changes] provide us with an opportunity to talk about a lot of issues that are going on outside of Disney," he said. Disney, he believes, provides a widely-shared "common language" that has the potential to be a catalyst for broader conversations "about things like acceptance of people from different backgrounds than ourselves."