Disney announced it will “bring a greater focus to inclusivity” among employees, allowing “personal expression” among cast members such as “gender-inclusive” hairstyles and tattoos.
The entertainment company has prided itself for more than 65 years on guest services encompassing “The Four Keys” — safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency. On Wednesday, Disney Parks Blog announced the fifth key, inclusivity, would be implemented across parks, including Disneyland and Disney World.
“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. And we want our cast members – and future cast members – to feel a sense of belonging at work,” wrote Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks Experiences and Products.
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The decision stems from a pitch to company cast members in 2019, asking how Disney could cultivate a culture of belonging, to which many suggested adding the fifth key of inclusivity.
“Our goal is also to have more representation and accountability across our organization, starting with my own leadership team and extending throughout our business worldwide, through tools and mentorship and learning programs that create awareness and foster leadership accountability,” D’Amaro wrote.
Disney plans to showcase inclusivity in park attractions such as Disneyland‘s Jungle Cruise, which will “reflect and value the diversity of the world.”
The company said it was also celebrating the “diverse and inspiring stories of our cast and fans” with the revised Disney World Splash Mountain ride, which is slated to be themed after the film Princess and the Frog after updates are completed. Disney said the decision to change the ride came from an approach of re-theming or occasionally “plussing” attractions, as Walt Disney described.
In June, Disney announced it would revise the Splash Mountain ride due to controversy surrounding the ride, which was themed after the film Song of the South.
Some critics of the ride have said there is an ambiguity surrounding its setting, which could appear to be set in the Civil War and features a character named Uncle Remus, who some perceive is a slave.
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A 2020 Change.org petition to re-theme the ride to center on Princess and the Frog received over 21,000 virtual signatures.
