Walt Disney once said, “Progress is impossible without change,” and as the mastermind behind perhaps one of the most successful corporations in the world, The Walt Disney Co., Walt was onto something.
Relevance and value are almost always based in the relatability people have to the work and productivity of an entity. And if an entity is not changing with the times, it becomes a barrier to progress and change.
In a recent op-ed to the Orlando Sentinel (“I love Disney World, but wokeness is ruining the experience,” online April 23), Jonathan VanBoskerck, a self-proclaimed Disney World enthusiast and Christian conservative, asserted that recent changes in Disney policies ruined his experience.
VanBoskerck’s describes changes to employee dress code and certain rides throughout the theme park as wokeness that spoil the immersive and magical Disney experience and drifting from the original values of Walt Disney. I beg to differ.
Walt’s vision was a theme park where parents and children could go and enjoy the stories being told and the experiences being crafted. While Walt held conservative views and ideas that were reflected in much of his early work, the values of the company have never shifted.
Disney wins my support every time because, over the last few decades, the company has charted the course for what changing the future looks like for corporations that have historically gotten some elements and pieces wrong.
Rethinking the representations found in Splash Mountain and developing more inclusive and relatable dress code policies for cast members are small steps of progress and advancement. Walt Disney built the parks and his animation studio around the standards and guidelines for society acceptable for his time.
However, we live in a new age. An age where people bear tattoos without judgment, wear their hair in whatever style they desire, and are very aware (internally and externally) of the need to craft entertainment for correct purposes and not to offend a certain group to amuse another.
While VerBoskerck did get right the ways in which Walt used the company to push specific initiatives and values, he gets one thing wrong: the company departing from the values.
Disney will not lose loyal fans because these decisions are about equality and expanding the company’s reach and impact by being culturally and socially responsible. Walt’s ideas of social responsibility were expressed through use of the animation studio to push World War II causes. And today’s Disney leadership has a social responsibility to the time in which they lead.
As a Christian Democrat, with more centrist views, understanding no one individual lies strictly on one side of the political spectrum, Disney leadership’s recent decisions make it possible for people like me to dream of working in Disney without a fear of not being authentic to who I am.
I love trips to Disney World, Disney cruises and Disney films. My home has two Disney themed rooms and a Disney library. The work Disney has done and is doing is not just about certain values, but also the values of authenticity and being comfortable being yourself.
As a passionate lover for all things Disney, imagine if I couldn’t show my “Keep Moving Forward” tattoo in Disney font? Or my cross expressing my Christianity and love for Jesus? Are these not values and ideas expressed by Walt Disney himself? Or how about my curly afro? Could I not rock it, if I were a cast member simply because you believe my self-expression through natural hair ruins your experiences?
Cast members are still held to the highest standards of excellence in ensuring from the moment you pull into the parking lot to the moment you exit, the story is being crafted for you.
Walt said several things I believe we can all use to view changes at Disney as positive, including this one: “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”
Disney cannot just survive on conservative Republicans afraid of what self-expression looks like for fear they’ll lose their immersive experience. Disney requires people from all walks of life, all experiences and all backgrounds to make this beautiful place continue to survive and work.
Walt also said, “Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.” Disney is focused on the future, and those who align with this focus, and who desire the beauty in the changes ahead, will remain loyal supporters, unbothered by things that do not align with their personal beliefs because they are not interested in infringing on the freedoms and beliefs of others.
And finally, my favorite, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things because we are curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
Walt was never resting on the laurels of the past. Walt was always moving forward, testing and trying new things.
Yes, he was conservative and Christian, but the guiding principle in our faith is love. And love for people, love for the art, and love for the immersive experience and magical moments Disney creates is why Disney World still reflects the values Walt Disney established, and will continue to win my support in every way I can provide it.
David Collier-King lives in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.
