D.O.C.'s = Dis'ers of Color (Disney Fans of Color)

Would you like a dedicated/featured Forum for D.O.C.'s Dis'ers Of Color & Allies


  • Total voters
    248

AKL Ranger

Mouseketeer
Joined
Dec 7, 2009
:wave: UPDATE: I created a new Poll at the top of this thread, please cast your vote on this updated poll, even if you voted in the previous poll.

Hi there Fellow Dis'ers.
I have experienced sincere warmth and welcomes from Pete, John and Kevin, Corey and @Ryno. When attending past events, I have to look around and ask "where are the Black & Brown, Disney fans of color?" I know you are out there because I am not the only Brown man who loves Disney.

The creation of "D.O.C.'s" Dis'ers Of Color is not meant to separate people, instead, let us create a forum topic for Dis'er Of Color and our allies. "Allies" are anyone and everyone who is willing to share and contribute positively while respecting the experiences/ views of people of color.
The intent is to explore topics that promote diversity and inclusion from the viewpoint of people of color. We can discuss a wide range of topics including; "Who else was glad to see the Dixie Landings Resort sign come down?" Has anyone see Pocahontas and Tianna lately?" What do you think of Disney's latest nod to cultural awareness, Disney's announcement of re-theming of "Splash Moutain redo as "Princess Tianna & Friends Bayou Splash?"
What do you all think of a "D.O.C.'s" forum/ Topic? "Doc" is one of my favorite dwarfs.

If you do not understand a reference or viewpoint, there is no shame asking questions, it is better to ask than make statements out of ignorance. I ask everyone to be respectful of each other. Negative, or hate speech will not be tolerated.

I have submitted a request for the creation of a dedicated Official Forum D.O.C.'s ( Dis'ers Of Color & Allies)
I created a Poll question there, hopefully, if we get enough votes, Dis Board Admins will approve our request, please be sure to visit and cast your vote.
Obviously every topic here on the Dis Boards is not going to be of interest to everyone.
For example, is a 68-year-old Male really contributing to a topic "Nursing Moms tips for Nursing Moms visiting Disney"? It is the nature of some humans to feel they must have an opinion on everything. Surely no compassionate Dis fan would deny nursing Moms the opportunity to share tips with other nursing Moms, without feeling the need to troll. D.O.C.'s are asking for the same empathic consideration.

We are in the process of petitioning the Dis Boards Admins to be granted full forum status. Once we are granted forum status, we will be moved into the appropriate section. Please be patient.

Wishing you all Peace and Love and the love of things Disney. :love:
Be well and stay safe. Wear a face mask if not for yourself, for the health of someone you care about.
 
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Have you ever felt or was made to feel uncomfortable at a Disney theme park or Universal Studios park? Whether it is passive-aggressive behavior or blatant bad behavior, your right to enjoy Disney should never be diminished by people who refuse to see and respect people of color. From rude or odd stares, because the sighting of Black & Brown people @ Disney is "uncommon" sighting. LOL People need to get out more. :wave:

I share a video link to video called "The Look" If you are a person of color, you may have experienced "The Look" and it feels more out of place than walking down Main Street USA.

Fellow Dis'ers, presenting "The Look"



Wishing you all Peace and Love and the love of things Disney, be well and stay safe. And wear your face mask if not for yourself, for the health of someone you care about.
 


Has anyone every overheard negative comment about Disney's Animal Kingdom Park that made you wonder if people were giving that park an unbias view?

Yes, fans of science understand Disney's Animal Kingdom Park can be very hot due to the foliage trapping the humidity. :teacher:
Beyond commenting about the heat and humidity, some people say "there is nothing to do" or "I could not find anything good to eat there" while visiting Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. Those comments are also used as excuses by some people who refuse to stay at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Is sometimes something else at play here? Systemic bias, notice I did not write racism. Many people do not have a reference point of familiarity or comfort to new cultures (people, food, art, etc) form a subconscious bias. And that is ok, it is not always racism per se. Everyone forms subconscious bias. These mindsets can be expressed in increasing negativity to flat out statements of racism. Growth and a desire to open hearts and minds, by opening up to new experiences are how we erase those subconscious bias.
To help people who have a fear of Disney's Animal Kingdom Park, I am putting together the start of a new series, "The Allie's guide: How to experience Disney's Animal Kingdom Park."
How to experience Disney's Animal Kingdom Park and Animal Kingdom Lodge as allies.
Keep in mind Florida is hot during the summer months. If you think visiting that park will feel like the old Norway Pavillion at Epcot Centre, then you need to adjust your mindset. Know before you go, Animal Kingdom Park celebrates the animal kingdoms of Africa and Asia, not Norway. Yes, it will be hot.
Brace yourself, Africa, and Asia is populated by people who have more melanin than people you would encounter in Germany or Denmark. Considering how friendly Disney Castmembers are, this could be an opportunity for you and your family to ask questions about life ( art, music, food) in those countries.

Did you know the Animal Kingdom Lodge- Jambo House, contains the second largest collection of African art outside of the Smithsonian Museum? Wat and Lillian Disney were avid collectors of African art.
The art collection is not limited to just the hotel lobby, you will art throughout the guest floors and even outside of the lobby bathrooms. Cast members at the Animal Kingdom Lodge conduct tours of the art and since the hotel is air-conditioned you will be comfortable.

Time to bust a myth starting with "All African food is fiery hot." False. Although if you were to visit different countries on the continent of Africa you might encounter an occasional spicy dish, at a Disney park in America the food is generally mid-west moderate when it comes to spices.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to see this bold & beautiful theme park and hotel in a new light.

Wishing you all Peace and Love and the love of things Disney, be well and stay safe. And wear your face mask if not for yourself, for the health of someone you care about.
 
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I love the idea - I just think this isn’t the place to do it. The Dis Unplugged forum is kinda small in relation to the rest of DISBoards. Maybe try expanding it to the “Theme Park Community” board or somewhere else where more eyes will see it. It would be awesome if this could become its own “section” of DISBoards like the “LGBTQ” section.
 
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I'm not a DISer of Color (unless rainbow is a color 🌈), but I'd like to follow along with the discussion anyway.
Everyone is welcome, hopefully, this Disney Lives/Black Lives Matter thread will open hearts and minds. I am and will always be grateful to @Pete and @John for creating this virtual home that welcomes LGBT 🌈 Dis'ers and Dis'ers of Color.
Let me very clear and upfront, this thread is NOT about creating segregation. I want everyone to feel Love, Hugs ( ok Social Distance Hugs) and to feel welcomed. :grouphug:
Look at what just happened, you made a new friend. 🤗 🏳️‍🌈
Use this thread to learn, share. We need more allies. 🤗

BlackLivesMatter Pride.jpg
 
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Has anyone every overheard negative comments about Disney's Animal Kingdom Park that made you wonder if people were giving that park an unbias view?

Yes, fans of science understand Disney's Animal Kingdom Park can be very hot due to the foliage trapping the humidity. :teacher:
Beyond the heat, when people say "there is nothing to do" or "I could not find anything good to eat there", these are the same comments as to why some people refuse to stay at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Is sometimes something else at play here? Systemic bias, notice I did not write racism, some people not having a reference point of familiarity or comfort to new cultures ( people, food, art, etc) form subconscious bias. These mindsets can be expressed in increasing negativity to flat out statements of racism.
How to experience Disney's Animal Kingdom Park and Animal Kingdom Lodge as allies.
Keep in mind Florida is hot during the summer months. If you think visiting that park will feel like the old Norway Pavillion at Epcot Centre, then you need to adjust your mindset. Know before you go, Animal Kingdom Park celebrates the animal kingdoms of Africa and Asia, not Norway. Yes, it will be hot.
Brace yourself, Africa, and Asia is populated by people who have more melanin than people you would encounter in Germany or Denmark. Considering how friendly Disney Castmembers are, this could be an opportunity for you and your family to ask questions about life ( art, music, food) in those countries.

Did you know the Animal Kingdom Lodge- Jambo House, contains the second largest collection of African art outside of the Smithsonian Museum? Wat and Lillian Disney were avid collectors of African art.
The art collection is not limited to just the hotel lobby, you will art throughout the guest floors and even outside of the lobby bathrooms. Cast members at the Animal Kingdom Lodge conduct tours of the art and since the hotel is air-conditioned you will be comfortable.

Time bust a myth starting with "All African food is fiery hot." False. Although if you were to visit different countries on the continent of Africa you might encounter an occasional spicy dish, at a Disney park in America the food is generally mid-west moderate when it comes to spices.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to see this bold & beautiful theme park and hotel in a new light.

Wishing you all Peace and Love and the love of things Disney, be well and stay safe. And wear your face mask if not for yourself, for the health of someone you care about.

Dude you are speaking my language with this Animal Kingdom love! I could go on for days about Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge. In fact, I have!

I wrote a book about Disney World, and I dedicated quite a bit of it to Animal Kingdom. The theming and backstory of Africa, Asia, and Pandora are second to none.

On the 20th anniversary of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Joe Rohde, lead Imagineer for the creation of park and all
of its expansions, took to Instagram to share some of his thoughts. In one post, he discussed how the Tree of Life—the
park’s icon—was like the world of nature: “The tree is filled with beauty and diversity, like nature. And like nature, the
tree rewards ever closer inspection, revealing more and more to those who take the time to observe.”

Those words ring true not only for the Tree of Life, but for Animal Kingdom as a whole. In my opinion, Animal
Kingdom is Walt Disney World’s masterpiece. It tells its story more fully and richly and uniquely than any other area on
property. And just like with the Tree of Life, the closer you look, the more details you will be rewarded with.

As for Animal Kingdom Lodge, again, the theming is unparalleled (as is the food - you will never find a better group of hotel food that the combination of Sanaa/Jiko/Boma/Mara). The best part of Animal Kingdom Lodge might be its
cast members. The resort’s cast members are some of the nicest and most knowledgeable that you will ever encounter
in Walt Disney World. Don’t hesitate to ask them about various aspects of the resort. I have had several enjoyable
encounters with cast members regaling me with their own stories about life in Africa.

I've shared my story about riding out Hurricane Irma in 2017 at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was an incredible experience and every single cast member was absolutely superlative during that time.

I could literally talk for hours about these topics... but I don't want to jam up what you're trying to do with this thread. I'll just end with the fact that I do think Animal Kingdom is finally getting its due and I hope more and more people continue to discover its wonders.
 
I love the idea - I just think this isn’t the place to do it. The Dis Unplugged forum is kinda small in relation to the rest of DISBoards. Maybe try expanding it to the “Theme Park Community” board or somewhere else where more eyes will see it. It would be awesome if this could become its own “section” of DISBoards like the “Gay and Lesbian” section.
Hi Tony, I think that is a Great Idea. I am not familiar with all of the thread areas here on DIS boards. if you can find/recommend the best board area Please post a reply here and Cc a message to me. Then we can ask the Board moderators if they can Move this to town section
 
I think the majority of CM's do a great job of informing guests about information, culture, history, and quirky Disney facts if time permits. There are some who are more passionate about their role and where it applies to them in regards to contributing to the guest experience, because I think they know that they have that unique opportunity and must use their position to reach as many people as they can.

That being said, I'd say it's the uneducated park-goers who really put a damper on my mood when I hear something off-color. It's usually en-passing, so I won't engage. Pete kind of discussed an adjacent topic on today's show regarding masks and Disney not wanting to engage because it could "hurt the guest experience". They've had a history of just not telling people what to do in general; but on the other hand, it is private property, so it's frustrating to witness, especially since racists know how to stay around the edges of hate speech without causing a fuss (i.e., I balled up my fist one time while overhearing an old man calling a CM, "boy"). It just sucks that in the grand scheme of things their money is just as good at Disney as it is anywhere else and that seems to dictate policy.
 
Does anyone feel any kind of way about the discussions surrounding the NBA deal at WDW?
I’m seeing what I’d call an inappropriate level of anger about it, but I feel out of place making any outright calls about why people are so exceedingly angry during this very weird and challenging time. I guess it’s mostly COVID-related stress disorder, but I’m worried that D.O.Cs will feel like it’s just another slight against a group based on race.
 
Does anyone feel any kind of way about the discussions surrounding the NBA deal at WDW?
I’m seeing what I’d call an inappropriate level of anger about it, but I feel out of place making any outright calls about why people are so exceedingly angry during this very weird and challenging time. I guess it’s mostly COVID-related stress disorder, but I’m worried that D.O.Cs will feel like it’s just another slight against a group based on race.

Oh, definitely and I’m glad you said it because I’ve been feeling a way about it for a while now. I’ve had to sit on my hands a lot in those threads. There is some ugly latent lizard brain stuff seeping into the discourse that I don’t even think they realize. No matter how many times people try to reason with folk and explain that none of those Deluxe resorts would have been open to regular guests anyway, there really is a nasty undercurrent of “how dare these uppity rich you know whats kick us out of where WE belong” driving at least some the vitriol. Is it everyone? Of course not. But it’s lurking under the surface. Not that I’m pulling anything near what an NBA player makes but I can recognize that mentality from a mile away because even as a regular non famous middle class black lady I’ve gotten it at Deluxe resorts. Never from CMs, but from other guests. Some people legitimately believe that black people can’t or shouldn’t have access to the same “exclusive” spaces. Like I said in the other thread when we walked into the ladies sitting room at the GF spa it was like a needle screeched on the record. And on a non Disney front, we took a big family cruise with Royal Caribbean a few years back, Eastern Med on Navigator or the Seas out of Civitavecchia, and my mom, aunt and I were in a junior suite so had priority boarding at the port and we got in the line. One of the ladies working there was horrendously nasty to us insisting we were in the wrong line even after I showed her our cruise documents. Another staff member came by and diffused the situation and apologized to us but like...that first woman absolutely did not believe a black family could afford a JS and thought we were scamming. (I wrote a polite but stern letter to Royal when we got home) That is the sad, unfortunate reality of traveling while black sometimes. I don’t let it stop me and I don’t let anyone make me feel like I’m inferior or an interloper. I work hard to have nice vacations. But this same mentality extends to black people of means and especially athletes, then you have a league that is predominantly black and deeply entwined with black American culture and the end result is some of the rhetoric you see in those threads.

So no, this would absolutely not be happening with the same degree of vitriol if the NBA players were being placed in say, All Star Sports, or if this were MLB resuming their season there. Like contrast the reaction of Swolphin guests who’ve been displaced by MLS. It’s nowhere the level of vitriol involved and I don’t think you can solely chalk that up to fútbol not being on American radar in the same way.

The thing is, I’ve been online for over half my life at time point, and I know how these discussions go, which is why I sit on my hands and just chime in to translate sportsball to the non fans. I’m too old to fight people online anymore.
 
Oh, definitely and I’m glad you said it because I’ve been feeling a way about it for a while now. I’ve had to sit on my hands a lot in those threads. There is some ugly latent lizard brain stuff seeping into the discourse that I don’t even think they realize. No matter how many times people try to reason with folk and explain that none of those Deluxe resorts would have been open to regular guests anyway, there really is a nasty undercurrent of “how dare these uppity rich you know whats kick us out of where WE belong” driving at least some the vitriol. Is it everyone? Of course not. But it’s lurking under the surface. Not that I’m pulling anything near what an NBA player makes but I can recognize that mentality from a mile away because even as a regular non famous middle class black lady I’ve gotten it at Deluxe resorts. Never from CMs, but from other guests. Some people legitimately believe that black people can’t or shouldn’t have access to the same “exclusive” spaces. Like I said in the other thread when we walked into the ladies sitting room at the GF spa it was like a needle screeched on the record. And on a non Disney front, we took a big family cruise with Royal Caribbean a few years back, Eastern Med on Navigator or the Seas out of Civitavecchia, and my mom, aunt and I were in a junior suite so had priority boarding at the port and we got in the line. One of the ladies working there was horrendously nasty to us insisting we were in the wrong line even after I showed her our cruise documents. Another staff member came by and diffused the situation and apologized to us but like...that first woman absolutely did not believe a black family could afford a JS and thought we were scamming. (I wrote a polite but stern letter to Royal when we got home) That is the sad, unfortunate reality of traveling while black sometimes. I don’t let it stop me and I don’t let anyone make me feel like I’m inferior or an interloper. I work hard to have nice vacations. But this same mentality extends to black people of means and especially athletes, then you have a league that is predominantly black and deeply entwined with black American culture and the end result is some of the rhetoric you see in those threads.

So no, this would absolutely not be happening with the same degree of vitriol if the NBA players were being placed in say, All Star Sports, or if this were MLB resuming their season there. Like contrast the reaction of Swolphin guests who’ve been displaced by MLS. It’s nowhere the level of vitriol involved and I don’t think you can solely chalk that up to fútbol not being on American radar in the same way.

The thing is, I’ve been online for over half my life at time point, and I know how these discussions go, which is why I sit on my hands and just chime in to translate sportsball to the non fans. I’m too old to fight people online anymore.
This makes me so sad. I’m so sorry that people do this. I won’t ever understand why people feel that way. Everyone deserves to enjoy what they have worked so hard for.
 
This makes me so sad. I’m so sorry that people do this. I won’t ever understand why people feel that way. Everyone deserves to enjoy what they have worked so hard for.

I'm sorry too...small minded people really miss out. I always try to point out that for every one of these experiences, I have 50 great ones. Although I'm introverted I'm pretty outgoing and one of the things I love about travel (Disney included!) is meeting new people. I'm the chatty Kathy in every queue! Last November I stayed at BC for the weekend and spent the better part of Sunday afternoon relaxing in the adults only hot tub with a few other guests and had a blast just geeking out about the parks, Star Wars, etc. It was as fun as any ride I went on that trip.

Then there was the retired couple who I met in the queue for the Chase M&G at Epcot who practically adopted me by the time we got to meet the characters and we ended up in each other's photos! I have so many stories like this and it's one of the reasons I love going to the parks so much. It's always the people I meet that make trips so magical, whether it's CMs or other guests. No matter where we come from or our background, we share a love of Disney and can relate that way. I honestly feel sorry for people who carry preconceived notions with them everywhere, because they don't get to have experiences like that.
 

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