Heading Home wish ignorance would die. UPDATED TO THANK YOU ALL!!

[baby1disney]

I personally have never experienced what you have while at Disney. I'm African-American as well as my DS. But, DH is Caucasian. His family took us in right from the get go as their own!!

If we get stares, it's probably because of my beauty and huge chest that I have!!! LOL!!!!

But, seriously..how can you be a fan of Disney or be a DISer(there are some out there)and be a racist/non-lover of other cultures?!?!?

I just don't see how that's possible!!

 

[TagsMissy]

I am very glad you had a wonderful time despite the ignorance you encountered!! Unfortunately people like that still exist in the world.

 

[srwarden1928]

One of the PP comments made me think of a situation we encounter near home. I am white. DW is half white and half Japanese. When we lived in the city, we discovered a restaurant in a predominantly black area owned by black folks. The food is excellent, and the prices are very reasonable. We used to eat there about once a week until we moved to the country. We still eat there once a month. We have recommended it to family and friends as well.

We have been stared at on numerous occasions by other customers, as we were the only non-black people in the place. However, we have always been treated with the ultimate of kindness and courtesy by the staff, which includes the owner and his family. Since we enjoy the food and the service, we continue to patronize the restaurant. They cannot control their customers. But the racist looks can come from both sides.

 

[donnier]

I'm glad that your family was able to have a good trip in spite of other people's ignorance. We are from NY (long island just outside NYC) and when we go to wdw we are shocked at the segregation that we see. Living in a diverse community it is easy for us to forget that it is not how much of the rest of the country lives. Hold your head high & be proud of who you are. I know that my daughter always likes to have "rainbow sprinkles" on her ice cream, just one color sprinkles are "boring"! ;-)

are you saying that you see no segregation in NY?

 

[WDSearcher]

But, seriously..how can you be a fan of Disney or be a DISer (there are some out there) and be a racist/non-lover of other cultures?!?!?

I just don't see how that's possible!!

I've read things on the DISboards where people disparage the entire Brazilian population because of one group of tourists. (I get that the specific group of tourists is rude, evil and bad, but the entire Brazilian population?) I've seen people define guests they met as "white trash" and that they should "go back to Hicksville and learn some manners...." (Guests from the big city can be just as rude.) People have made fun of Asian tourists and their plethoras of cameras, and complained about guests who were speaking Spanish and holding up the line by trying to communicate with a cashier or character, or about Epcot CMs with strong accents who could not be understood.

It happens.

 

[luvsJack]

It is the South!

Say all you want about, it is 2009, Black President, blah, blah, blah.

It is still very racist down here.

I've got so many stories...

Ignorance is not a regional problem; it is all over the country.

 

[txdisneyfam]

Wow, I can't believe that adults acted that way...and to be teaching their children to act the same, what decade are we living in?

I'm so gald you guys were able to look past it all and have a great time...we too will be there in Nov!

 

[rie'smom]

You know what is making me laugh? This happened in Florida, so everyone is assuming that the people being racist were from the South. They could have been from anywhere. Did they say, "Hi, we're from a southern state and you don't belong at WDW." They could have been from Podunk, Northern state or Big City, Northern state.
Assuming this makes those who assume prejudiced against people in the south. See, discrimination is everywhere.
I've seen examples of racism/discrimination all over the country-heck all over the world.

 

[DMRick]

Heck, as I said, I was there last week, and OP could have assumed I moved away from her for several reasons. Talking about this with my husband and he mentioned that we walked away from a couple of families. However, the reason I moved away from a lady (I can't remember what color she was) was because I was about to watch the Muppets, and someone sat next to me loaded with perfume. Perfume gives me a headache so I moved out of the row I was in and picked another row. When we were going into American Idol..I had barely sat down, when a family with young noisy children came in. It is Disney after all, so I didn't feel right asking them to put a plug in their load kids mouths..so we moved. Again, no biggy, but I do see how both of these family's, if they were of color, (any color) and had expeerienced racism, might have thought that was why I moved. I've also moved in the past, if someone takes up some of my space..I don't like to be crowded. I've also sat down next to a couple people to eat, and when the rest of the family came back from the line, waiting for their food, they were loud (which I expect with several kids), I've then moved, since we just wanted to read our books while relaxing with our meal (yep, we carry books into the parks when we are there for a long time, for 'down time'. Maybe one of these reasons is why the OP thought someone moved because of her race.
As for why anyone would equate the op's color with Make a Wish..I can't even imagine. What would being Black have to do with MAW? And even if someone thought that, why would that be said out loud? I see obvious people from MAW (they often wear buttons) and even knowing that is where they are from, I wouln't comment on it. This completed our 39th trip and it's just not anything I've seen in Disney..in fact especially with Disney, where so many of the CM's and tourists are from other country's, including many African American's..direct from Africa. And yet, the OP can't even count how many times this happened to her. It sounds more to me, like there was someone a bit over sensative, and assumed whenever someone moved, it was because of her skin color. Where would these peoples bags and purses be to be 'grabbed away?

I can not tell you how many times people moved away from us or grabbed their children, bags,purses when we got close.Then there were the stares pointing and whispering. One woman had the nerve to tell her child we probably won our trip through make a wish or some other charitable organization.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

It just amazes me the way people act sometimes! It just sickens me to hear stories like this!

During my first trip to WDW in Jan 2007, I experienced something that really shocked me. The hotel alarm clock went off in the morning, and it was set to the radio for the alarm. I have no idea what station it was on... but there was the usual morning stuff going on, more talking than music.

Apparently some guy had called in and told the radio station DJ (is that what they're called?) about his down-on-his-luck story a couple times and this particular morning, the DJ had him on the phone, live on the air, and was trying to get employers to call in and offer him a job on the spot. He spent some time describing the type of work he does (handyman/carpentry type of jobs), and that he's a family man, etc.

Then I heard this DJ say something that I never thought I'd hear on the air in my life. He said something along these lines, I'll try my best to quote it word for word, "and he's white, so you know he's good people. It's okay to hire him, he's white."

I was horrified! How is it okay to say that, especially on the radio? I recall a few years back a radio personality lost his job because of something he said about a group of female basketball players. I can't understand how this would be any different? I fully expected to hear about a backlash, at least on the local news, on the radio station... SOMETHING. but there was NOTHING.

So I'll ask those that actually live there - is this common and acceptable in Florida/Orlando?

 

[seadd67]

I am so sorry,that Is so sad that there Is still so much Ignorance out there.People will forever be blind to other people and will only belive what they were raised on and what they see In the media(and I do Balme the Media Big time!!). My only hope and prayers Is that you can look over and beyond them,because there Is people of all races out there that look upon all of us as equale,I hope you still got the joy out of WDW through the eyes of your children.

 

[mom2nji]

NO that is not the norm in Orlando not even a little bit, I have to go get kids from school now, but I will be back to elaborate later.

 

[pudge the fish]

I am sorry that OP had such things happen-

I would like to say that MOST of the people at WDW are NOT from Orlando. MOST people visiting WDW do not live in Orlando or surrounding areas.
MOST of the people in Florida are not even FROM Florida. You may live here now but MOST of the people here are "transplants" from other states.

Racism is everywhere and it is a sad thing. You get people who are terrible no matter where you are.

I have been to WDW lots.. I have been with many different friends & family members of many different ethnic backgrounds. I have never noticed a difference in the way we are treated. I am sure bad things happen everywhere, just please don't assume it was all Floridians and that we are all a bunch of racist.

 

[inkkognito]

As a northern transplant, I have seen a definite difference in attitude here in the south...not right in Orlando, but in the surrounding, more rural areas. I've seen things that would cause a huge uproar in Chicago but they go by without so much as a blink here. At WDW, I know that it's a huge mix of people so that's not what I'm referring to. I'm talking about the locals way out in the surrounding "sticks" where there aren't as many transplants. It saddens me because I never lived anywhere with people like that before. I don't mean to imply that everyone in those areas is like that, just that it's more dominant/open here than where I grew up in the Chicago 'burbs.

 

[JasonDVC]

That is outrageous! I can't believe that people that stupid are still in the world.

Really?? you can't???

There are over 300 million people in this country alone. While I believe their numbers are dwindling, there will always be some people who are just that stupid. If you understand that then you are better prepared to handle it.

To OP, sounds you like you handled great and with class. Looks like you just had bad luck and ran into some bad apples. I'm glad you had a great trip othrewise!

 

[Don Disney]

I'm glad to hear that you did'nt let some in-bred,ignorant low character,idiotic,know nothing,racist scumbellies,etc... ruin your trip-I think Walt would have been very upset to know,that people are still too STUPID to live and let live!!!! I agree with the OP;One flavor of anything is all so boring and mundane! Viva Le Difference!

 

[pluto's fan]

I just read your post (didn't read through everyone else's yet), and I'm sorry you had to experience something like that. I've been going to Disney since 1979 (when there were even less of us going) and luckily, I've never experienced any type of ignorance because I am black. (or I may just be totally oblivious to idiots). Actually, I've experienced the total opposite, people have always been kind and I always have at least one family strike up a conversation with me. Just ignore the fools and don't let them keep you from returning.

 

[zuly]

"chocolate sprinkles"

I'm latina and with very pale skin and I LOVE chocolate sprinkles

Some people are just plain ignorant if theyre tall they hate shorty ,f theyre pale they hate dark,if theyre straight they hate gay...ect thayre just plain ignorants but you know what?...we die the same if we are shot,we die the same if we got cancer,we die the same when we are old...
And you Know what??...Some people Love no matter what thank God we are on that side...

 

[nerdybird]

I am horrified!

Please do not tell me that this is happening in 2009! Now I am sick! I'm a UK mixed race girl with 2 black daughters aged 7 and 13. Pleeeaase don't tell me that they will experience racism IN DISNEY!!! OMG!!! - Is this America? - the land of the free? - Obama? - JayZ ? - jokes aside, Gosh I thought the UK was racist! This is unreal!. We went to Universal, Seaworld, Busch Gdns and Clearwater in 2005- 5 of us beautiful black people all from England - WE NEVER experienced anything but respect and politeness - We Loved Floridians! Is this the norm? - My girls have often wondered why there is no black Disney Princess (surely a good disney film there! - and solidify the merchandise market!)- hmmmm

 

[lisalonglash]

IMO, what the OP described and what a few other posters have posted, does NOT equal ignorance, it equals racism, pure and simple. Let's not sugarcoat it by calling it ignorant - racists know exactly what they're doing/saying kwim? In a perfect world, racism/bigotry would have no place. It certainly doesn't have a place in our home. This whole thread just makes me sad and angry

OP:
I'm very glad you were able to rise above that garbage and enjoy yourselves! Just think how sad and empty the lives of those racists must be - if one's heart is filled with hatred, there's just not much room left for positive emotions/character traits IMO

I hope your next vacation is moron-free!