When you think of the “happiest place on earth,” The Disney Company hopes you think of its theme parks.
And since the vast majority of Americans have visited a Disney theme park at least once in their lives, there’s a good chance you actually do have happy memories of your own.
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Whether it’s screaming with joy — or is it terror? — on Space Mountain and Tron Lightcycle rollercoasters, watching a live show like Beauty and the Beast or viewing the nightly parade, Disney is synonymous with family fun.
Over the last 70 years (that’s when the first theme park opened in California), the company has managed to create immersive experiences that combine fun and escapism with a huge dose of magic. It’s safe to say no other company has managed to come even close in packaging nostalgia in quite the same way.
Mickey Mouse is one of the most beloved characters in the Disney family.
Image source: Getty Images
There are also few other companies that can make headlines in the same way. Most recently, Disney has been criticized for two things: raising prices on park tickets and food, and decisions regarding its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies both at a corporate level and in its entertainment. Basically, the company has been denounced for being “woke.”
What does it mean to be woke?
Believe it or not, the term “woke” has been around in America for almost 100 years. It was introduced by African Americans in the 1940s to “literally mean becoming woken up or sensitised to issues of justice,” linguist and lexicographer Tony Thorne told The Independent.
More recently, the term has been adopted by conservative politicians who use it as an umbrella term to criticize policies related to race, gender, and LGBTQ issues.
Disney is often mentioned as an example of a woke company but others include Starbucks, Target, Bank of America, Nike, Apple, and Netflix, although some of these have recently backed away from some of their stated DEI policies.
Related: Disney World makes families a generous offer
Last year, CEO Bob Iger defended Disney in a CNBC interview saying, “The Disney company can have a positive impact on the world whether it’s, you know, fostering acceptance and understanding of you know, people of all different types, great. But, generally speaking, we need to be entertainment, an entertainment-first company, and I’ve worked really hard to do that.”
What Disney fans say about the company’s woke and DEI policies
But since the reelection of President Trump, it appears as though Disney is walking back some of its policies around DEI.
At the beginning of this year, Disney Chief Human Resources Officer Sonia Coleman announced that the company would be cutting its “Diversity & Inclusion” performance factor as part of the evaluation used for executive compensation.
Related: Disneyland lowers some ticket prices (act fast)
Disney also found itself embroiled in a controversy last year when it denounced Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education Act,” or so-called “Don’t say gay” legislation. Governor Ron DeSantis and some Fox News hosts then mocked the company, referring to it as “Woke Disney.”
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The drama seems to have settled down, but now some of Disney’s most passionate fans recently made it clear they appreciate the company’s willingness to promote inclusion7o8p888.
When a dozen “Disney adults” were asked for their thoughts about Disney’s policies, many of them said they believed the company was potentially making a costly mistake by backing away from its commitments, according to a Business Insider report.
Several people interviewed noted that Target’s recent decisions to end some of its DEI policies, and the resulting consumer backlash, should be a cautionary tale for Disney.
“So what if Disney is woke,” said Disney influencer Francis Dominic.
“Politics takes the magic out of the Happiest Place on Earth,” Florida resident and Disney superfan Melania Murphy told Business Insider.
This group of Disney adults agreed that Disney has always been an escape from the real world and they hope it stays that way.
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