VIP Tour: LGBTQ2 (or Friendly) Tour Guide?

[trompettecon]

Hello. Does anyone know if it's possible to request that our tour guide be LGBTQ2 or an ally? Ty.

 

[OKW Lover]

Can't help the specific question, but just wanted to say that pretty much any tour guide you get will either be LGBTQ2 or an ally. Disney CM's are an incredibly diverse group and corporate culture is inclusive for all.

 

[TwinsDadG]

Any luck here? Is this with the official WDW tour guides?

 

[GoingSince1990]

I suspect that Disney might find that request a bit offensive, as it implies that some of their tour guides might not be allies, just as requesting a non-racist guide would carry the implication that some of the guides are racists. I am certain that all of the Disney guides are free of any kind of bigotry.

 

[StageTek]

Yes, it's possible to request that your tour guide be LGBTQ2 or an ally.

All tour guides are inclusive and respectful to all their guests.

 

[Karin1984]

I suspect that Disney might find that request a bit offensive, as it implies that some of their tour guides might not be allies, just as requesting a non-racist guide would carry the implication that some of the guides are racists. I am certain that all of the Disney guides are free of any kind of bigotry.

Yes, it might be considered offensive, but Disney doesn't completely control or check their CMs behaviour. A gay colleague of mine had a less than pleasant experience with a resort CM which was related to him being gay. It happens.

I seem to remember a story of guests on a VIP tour who prefer a female tour guide because they had small children with them. While very likely male guides are just as good with kids / as safe to be around kids as the female guide.

A VIP tour is expensive and if you are more comfortable with a certain type of guide, I would put it in the request.
Disney might be offended, but that is their problem. Hopefully they will not mention this to the guest and just think 'how can we improve the world to make it that people do not feel the need anymore to make these requests?"

 

[Luxurious_Lumiere]

I concur with others above that it is absolutely acceptable to include a note requesting a guide who is LGBTQ or an ally.

I've had a CM working the front desk at Disney who got SO flustered when encountering my boyfriend and I, and I kept having to correct him when he continually referred to us as friends. Was this something that ruined our trip? Not at all (I got the feeling he was simply very green and had just come from a rural area where maybe he had never encountered out gay people, who knows). Is this a common experience at Disney? Not at all. It's extremely rare. But a guided tour is a very costly endeavor. It's something special to splurge on. And so I would absolutely not want to spend my day correcting things like that.

Disney is working in customer service. They get all kinds of requests. And I'm not sure they would find this offensive. To the contrary, it's likely that the person fielding the request will think, "oh I know EXACTLY who should give this tour!" I say, if you're spending top dollar, get the experience you want!

 

[Jonfw2]

I'm uncomfortable with the idea of requesting a tour guide who's...well, anything other than a tour guide. I'm not sure it's even legal for Disney to officially KNOW the sexual preference of their employees.

 

[LYSE]

You can ask whatever you want but I'm not sure that would help their pairing..since none of them should treat anyone any differently, maybe just explain your party mix and ask for their best judgment on a guide that "clicks" when speaking to our guide she mentioned that the people doing the pairings would often match guests up with guides that might have something in common If that thing is known.

 

[Jonfw2]

You can ask whatever you want but I'm not sure that would help their pairing..since none of them should treat anyone any differently, maybe just explain your party mix and ask for their best judgment on a guide that "clicks" when speaking to our guide she mentioned that the people doing the pairings would often match guests up with guides that might have something in common If that thing is known.

This sounds like a far better approach. Sincerely, I don't think it's legal to choose someone for a specific job assignment BECAUSE of their sexual preference. It's discriminatory.

 

[GoingSince1990]

I'm uncomfortable with the idea of requesting a tour guide who's...well, anything other than a tour guide. I'm not sure it's even legal for Disney to officially KNOW the sexual preference of their employees.

Yep. Disney would need to maintain a list of which of their tour guides are considered to be homophobic bigots, so they would know not to assign them in this situation. Which would certainly seem to open up a huge legal can of worms, to say the least.

 

[Karin1984]

Yep. Disney would need to maintain a list of which of their tour guides are considered to be homophobic bigots, so they would know not to assign them in this situation. Which would certainly seem to open up a huge legal can of worms, to say the least.

You can also turn that thought around. Instead of knowing (not a list) of who is a bigot, which is harder to figure out, know who is part of the community or an ally.

I wouldn't be surprised if Disney already does it. As in, when they know the tour group is or contains a lgbtq+ couple or group, if it comes up when making the reservation, to pair tourguides who are part of the community or an ally.

 

[LYSE]

You can also turn that thought around. Instead of knowing (not a list) of who is a bigot, which is harder to figure out, know who is part of the community or an ally.

I wouldn't be surprised if Disney already does it. As in, when they know the tour group is or contains a lgbtq+ couple or group, if it comes up when making the reservation, to pair tourguides who are part of the community or an ally.

Now and days everyone is a certified ally, the last company I worked for made everyone do a training that was about 4 hours log at the end you got a pat on the back with an imaginary ally sticker.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

As a gay person what an offensive request to make…

 

[trompettecon]

As a gay person what an offensive request to make…

Franchement.

 

[CaliAdventurer]

Ask for Patrick C. or Tommy K.

There’s plenty who are amazing and I always request LGBTQ+ friendly guides in different words such as, I say, I’m a west coast liberal who is open about my principles which include lgbtq equity issues and would like a guide who will comfortable with a politically vocal group. Et voilà!

 

[GoingSince1990]

Ask for Patrick C. or Tommy K.

There’s plenty who are amazing and I always request LGBTQ+ friendly guides in different words such as, I say, I’m a west coast liberal who is open about my principles which include lgbtq equity issues and would like a guide who will comfortable with a politically vocal group. Et voilà!

I suspect that Disney ignores your request and randomly assigns you a guide, all of whom have undoubtedly had the ability to be comfortable with guests of all shapes, sizes, races, religions, sexual orientations, political views, and from the west coast, east coast, or no coast, absolutely drummed into them from day 1 of their training.

 

[CaliAdventurer]

I suspect that Disney ignores your request and randomly assigns you a guide, all of whom have undoubtedly had the ability to be comfortable with guests of all shapes, sizes, races, religions, sexual orientations, political views, and from the west coast, east coast, or no coast, absolutely drummed into them from day 1 of their training.

I guarantee you they honor my requests. And now they only give me “my” guides. I don’t even have request anymore and always get the same guides. Have you used a guide? They literally ask you for information about your self and they 100% match guides.

 

[trompettecon]

I guarantee you they honor my requests. And now they only give me “my” guides. I don’t even have request anymore and always get the same guides. Have you used a guide? They literally ask you for information about your self and they 100% match guides.

Hi Cali, can you give me the names of your your guides? You can send privately if you did not want to publish here. TY!

 

[trompettecon]

I'm uncomfortable with the idea of requesting a tour guide who's...well, anything other than a tour guide. I'm not sure it's even legal for Disney to officially KNOW the sexual preference of their employees.

Word gets around. Nothing illegal about it. My request was honoured at Universal. I've had tour guides elsewhere that were obvious homophobes (like stating it) and I've had to cancel a tour on the spot. Nothing wrong to ask LGBTQ2 or friendly.