The 4 Keys to become 5

[Disney Bobby]

I understand your point of view now and again disagree with every bit of it.
Calling those aspects of anyone's life as superficial is over simplifying things.

Having been through the process of hiring people quite of few times and reading a tons of resumes and seeing the end results, I can promise you NONE of those things can really tell you whether or not someone is more or less qualified for a job than another.

Organic/honest change based on qualifications is the only way to really fix this, not dividing people up into basket like vegetables and counting them to be sure your salad looks the way you want it to look. May "feel" good, but no better than what got you there in the first place. Just different.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Having been through the process of hiring people quite of few times and reading a tons of resumes and seeing the end results, I can promise you NONE of those things can really tell you whether or not someone is more or less qualified for a job than another.

Organic/honest change based on qualifications is the only way to really fix this, not dividing people up into basket like vegetables and counting them to be sure your salad looks the way you want it to look. May "feel" good, but no better than what got you there in the first place. Just different.

you are right - it isn't about dividing people up into baskets like vegetables - it is like expanding the scope of the entire farmers market and understanding that the greater variety the more people are attracted and the more success you have

It isn't about determining if someone is qualified it is letting more peopel who are qualified and/or could add increased value to a company/team/situation have that opportunity that might not be presented to them - about making them even feel welcome to explore the opportunity. About trying to address unconscious biases that exist everywhere

 

[Douglas Dubh]

then I invite you to read some of the personal sotries shared in the D.O.C. thread on the DIS Unplugged forum with many people from minority groups who ahve had experiences being mistreated at Disney because of who they are - and just how that fear of that potnetially happening negatively impacts their trip and from a CM perspective, there was this pretty public story of racist treatment at the DCA Frozen Production: https://www.onstageblog.com/onstage...acist-treatment-backstage-at-disney-park-show

When do the examples of people being mistreated by Disney managers or CM’s start? I didn’t see any on the first two pages.

 

[Jennasis]

I wonder if this means we will see the abolishing of Disney's CM standard with regards to things like nail color, hair color, piercings and tattoos?

I'm all for inclusivity.

 

[YesterDark]

Also, the Courtesy "Key" generally refers to what you the CM *should* do, not what you *need* to do. It's about going out of your way and making the distinct proactive effort to make a Guest's day easier and more enjoyable. I would imagine the Inclusion "Key" will be more about what the Company expects that you need to do.

As an outsider looking in, without knowing much depth behind the training CMs get, the difference to me is that Courtesy is about being kind and respectful while Inclusion is about making someone feel welcome and that they belong.

Two completely different states of being.

 

[cranbiz]

I can't speak for the entire Walt Disney company but I can speak for my experiences at Walt Disney World.

My Traditions class (January 2006) included CM's of all backgrounds, colors, shapes, races, sex and even sexual orientation. The group was really equally represented in numbers.

As we went over the 4 keys, Courtesy included respect and understanding of all people, CM's and guests.

To me, WDW was one of the most diverse and inclusive employer I ever worked for, with my current employer a very close second. I think breaking out Inclusiveness into a key is a good move and it's not a knee jerk reaction of the company.

The stories of problems back stage, I'm sure happened but I'll bet there is another side of the story we are not hearing. I know bus drivers treated each other with respect and acceptance, we helped each other, no matter what. You are going to get differences between people no matter what. You will get people who hate no matter what. I feel this new key, broken out on it's own, is a great thing as it now puts a greater emphasis on we are all the same, no matter how you look, etc. instead of it being part of the greater Courtesy bucket.

Some people just need to move on and stop criticizing Disney in every post they publish. The company is not perfect but in my experiences as a CM for 5 years, they do try to do the right thing.

 

[YesterDark]

As an outsider looking in, without knowing much depth behind the training CMs get, the difference to me is that Courtesy is about being kind and respectful while Inclusion is about making someone feel welcome and that they belong.

Two completely different states of being.

And just to add, I'm a 30 something white guy with a wife and three young kids. You can see my family on an extremely large amount of Disney advertising so I always feel welcome and feel like I'm being included in every aspect of Disney. So I'll be the first person to say that I have a privilege and can't fully comprehend the struggle and the feeling of being "the other" when it comes to these types of things.

Training employees to emphasize inclusion to the myriad of other wonderful types of families, relationships or solo travelers is always a good thing to have in your front line employees. Good on Disney for doing it.

 

[Disney Bobby]

you are right - it isn't about dividing people up into baskets like vegetables - it is like expanding the scope of the entire farmers market and understanding that the greater variety the more people are attracted and the more success you have

There aren't expanding anything. They are just changing ratios. Disney already has plenty of the employees in all those groups, they just want it to look a certain way based off factors that previous weren't supposed to matter when hired and promoting. Can't have it both ways.

It isn't about determining if someone is qualified it is letting more peopel who are qualified and/or could add increased value to a company/team/situation have that opportunity that might not be presented to them - about making them even feel welcome to explore the opportunity. About trying to address unconscious biases that exist everywhere

I agree with that somewhat. The inclusion should always be at the opportunity level, and the cream always rises to the top. And there is plenty of cream in all the demographic groups listed previously. Though I don't see how anybody in those listed groups could feel disadvantaged at Disney. I'd think quite the opposite.

Unless it's for CEO.

 

[Disney Bobby]

And just to add, I'm a 30 something white guy with a wife and three young kids. You can see my family on an extremely large amount of Disney advertising so I always feel welcome and feel like I'm being included in every aspect of Disney. So I'll be the first person to say that I have a privilege and can't fully comprehend the struggle and the feeling of being "the other" when it comes to these types of things.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/
Tell me what you see. I see a white family, a black/Hispanic family, what seems to be an interracial couple, 2 Asian kids with disabilities, a black family, and a white kid. I'm not sure how anybody could feel there is any purposeful exclusions. Seems very inclusive.

Training employees to emphasize inclusion to the myriad of other wonderful types of families, relationships or solo travelers is always a good thing to have in your front line employees. Good on Disney for doing it.

I agree. Inclusion when it comes to opportunity is always a good thing. Always. Everyone deserves the opportunity. Nobody is owed the results.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I agree with that somewhat. The inclusion should always be at the opportunity level, and the cream always rises to the top. And there is plenty of cream in all the demographic groups listed previously. Though I don't see how anybody in those listed groups could feel disadvantaged at Disney. I'd think quite the opposite.

Unless it's for CEO.

I think it definitely is noted that nearly every senior exec role continues to go to a white male

I do think Disney is better than a lot of places - doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. Plus by putting it out there it stresses the importance of it and the type of culture they want to attract - which goes for the guests and guest experiences too. As i have seen mentioned elsewhere, hopefully this empowers CMs/ security not to put up with intollerance from guests either

 

[New Mouse]

If they really want to talk about inclusion, this should also come with a substantial price drop considering the biggest lack of inclusion they practice right now is based on a guests socioeconomic status.

 

[Alicefan]

of course you are entitled to your opinions, I can just say I don't agree with any of your statements, I see this key as nothing but positive for everybody.

That's a much better way of saying what you're saying. Everyone should be entitled to their opinions and be open to discuss them. Not cool to tell someone to "stop trying to spin things into something they're not" because in that person's mind, that's how it feels and anyone's difference of opinion isn't going to change that. Just because someone's feelings on a subject are different from the majority does not ever make them wrong. We're dealing with opinions and not facts here. This is becoming a huge problem in today's world. Everyone wants tolerance as long as you're in agreement on what they should tolerate. Civil conversation is how we learn and grow. Sorry but this is a big pet peeve of mine when someone tries to shut another thought process down because they don't like or agree with them.

 

[Alicefan]

I wonder if this means we will see the abolishing of Disney's CM standard with regards to things like nail color, hair color, piercings and tattoos?

I'm all for inclusivity.

This is interesting to me. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on Walt's idea to hire people and place them into the areas of the parks where their look fit in with the aesthetic? For example, people that worked on the monorail were the taller, blonde, Swiss or Scandinavian type, Tom Sawyer Island had freckle faced red heads etc. In Walt's day this was a show and CM's were basically cast in a role. I thought that was a cool idea when I read about it. I personally don't see anything wrong with casting of that nature. There was a reason Disney was worded with things like cast member, on stage etc. It's what separated Disney from the traditional theme park or carnival. The idea was to NOT have the typical carnie running the rides. For me, doing away with all of that would feel like a step backwards for the product rather than a step forward. It's somehow become wrong to have a certain look in mind to fit a character role these days for the sake of being PC.

 

[Alicefan]

If they really want to talk about inclusion, this should also come with a substantial price drop considering the biggest lack of inclusion they practice right now is based on a guests socioeconomic status.

Ding Ding Ding!!! You win the internet today my friend! I've been saying all along that Disney is becoming a playground for the rich and they make no bones about it. I mean WHO are these people that are affording $2,000 to $4,000 a night room rates? And Disney just keeps on building them. When was the last time a value resort was added? They've even gone so far as to start turning the "moderate" resorts into deluxe by adding the gondolas. We all knew that was going to happen as soon as the project was in the planning stages. It's no secret that the middle class and lower are being excluded from pretty much everything in the Disney future. I do alright myself, but if I want to go to Disney World, it's a weekend trip these days and a stay off property. They don't seem to want or need my money, yet I'm the type of person that made at least one or two pilgrimages a year to spend my cash there. I'm down to every few years now so there has to be someone out there dumb enough to take my spot I guess?

 

[AvidDisReader]

This is such a hot button topic. I work for a very large company that seemingly bends over backwards for diversity. We are constantly told that the company wants and strives for equal opportunity of all, forced to take multiple classes in diversity. Yet every single division president is white, no African Americans, no Asian, no Hispanic. So if you are a person like me, you ask yourself for all the self promoting of Diversity, is it just lip service???

 

[New Mouse]

This is such a hot button topic. I work for a very large company that seemingly bends over backwards for diversity. We are constantly told that the company wants and strives for equal opportunity of all, forced to take multiple classes in diversity. Yet every single division president is white, no African Americans, no Asian, no Hispanic. So if you are a person like me, you ask yourself for all the self promoting of Diversity, is it just lip service???

It is lip service in this case because its just selective and not all inclusive.

 

[rteetz]

It is lip service in this case because its just selective and not all inclusive.

I don’t think you can say that yet. We don’t know how this will be implemented at this time.

 

[New Mouse]

I don’t think you can say that yet. We don’t know how this will be implemented at this time.

Another bet id be happy to take you up on. They are not going to all of a sudden create affordable family packages. They only care about the inclusion that makes the news.

 

[rteetz]

Another bet id be happy to take you up on. They are not going to all of a sudden create affordable family packages. They only care about the inclusion that makes the news.

I think Disney would argue they do have affordable packages. Whether that is actually the case is another discussion. Like I said though the full details on implementation are not available yet.

 

[BioInfoLib]

Perhaps if upper management at Disney included more people with diverse life experiences “affordable family packages” might be more likely to be on the table.