News Disney updates its legendary Four Keys model to include a fifth key

[RETLAW]

I don't understand why this is needed other than playing into the current situation of our country. As a CM, we are trained that there are many sub sections to each key. Part of the Courtesy key is " Make every guest feel welcome", and " Treat each guest as an individual".
Why do we need this fifth key? Does someone in corporate not know the meaning behind each key?

Also, the 4 keys have not been part of Disney for 60+ years. Maybe 10 - 15 years. Before the 4 keys was the 7 service guidelines.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Walt died almost 60 years and was a fairly racist man. The new generation of cast members understand this and are dedicated to inclusion. Whether you like it or not.

No, Walt wasn't racist. His attitudes were fairly progressive for the time he lived in.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

Aww poor baby. Your precious Song Of The South based ride, racist depictions of native Americans, and white washed American "history" are being removed. How can you enjoy your vacation now?

I haven’t rode Splash in decades and don’t have any personal nostalgia for the ride, but it’s a favorite of many and hate to see it go away for that reason. It hasn’t affected my vacations in the slightest.

But, I think it’s wildly hypocritical of a company to do things like this, while turning a blind eye to atrocities happening right now with a government they are functionally business partners with.

 

[Joel]

Walt died almost 60 years and was a fairly racist man. The new generation of cast members understand this and are dedicated to inclusion. Whether you like it or not.

Can't wait for the petition to rename the company so it won't have to be associated with Walt's legacy of bigotry anymore.

The ride never ends, friends.

 

[Smooth]

So Courteous and Inclusive

 

[lazyboy97o]

Just because it hasn't been seen or noticed, doesn't equate to it never happening. You can be courteous and exclusionary at the same time. A white Cast Member can pick a white child for a special interaction with a character over a black child and fit the criteria of being courteous (to one race) and exclusionary to the other. I have heard of and have seen Cast Members afraid to approach guests of different skin types and cultural backgrounds because of a fear of cultural clashes and language barriers, that are often times unwarranted. I would never say that those CMs are doing so with any form of malice either, they just aren't equipped to handle these situations in an inclusive manner.

That is a good example and if it is a true issue and one Disney can address then it is something they should seek to change.

Part of the decision to include this in the four keys, was a desire to shake things up and show that inclusion is so vitally important to how Disney will be defined in the future, that they were willing to change something that hadn't been changed in 60 years and was considered untouchable.

Much like the four keys before, the new five keys will be built into the indoctrination of every Cast Member through Traditions. Traditions is something required for every Cast Member, from churro vendors, duty managers and even up to Imagineers and Vice Presidents. That's why it's off to classify this as solely pertaining to operations. In a perfect world of course, the churro vendors of today, will be the imagineers and vice presidents of tomorrow.

The Four Keys are about operations. That’s there origin and the context in which they have true meaning. That they have been trivialized into corporate buzzwords bandied about elsewhere is part of the problem. This doesn’t show importance but the opposite by placing it with the largely irrelevant buzzwords from the dumb parks.

Maybe it is a publicity thing but who cares? It doesn’t impact any of us negatively at all.

Why does it have to negatively impact us? It’s a cynical view, but there are plenty of examples of these showy efforts that ultimately serve as a mask that allows toxic behavior to continue. The entertainment business has been a huge example of this in pretty much every way over the last few decades.

 

[Rteetz]

Why does it have to negatively impact us? It’s a cynical view, but there are plenty of examples of these showy efforts that ultimately serve as a mask that allows toxic behavior to continue. The entertainment business has been a huge example of this in pretty much every way over the last few decades.

Maybe I don't like to be cynical about everything. I so agree with you it could be a mask. I hope it isn't. There are improvements that do need to be made. I just don't think we should or need to be upset about this.

 

[Darth Snips]

Just wanted to say I thought this was a pretty good thread about this announcement:


By the way, if y'all aren't familiar with Jenny Nicholson's stuff, you should check her out on Youtube. She's got some pretty great parks videos!

 

[larryz]

 

[lazyboy97o]

Just wanted to say I thought this was a pretty good thread about this announcement:


By the way, if y'all aren't familiar with Jenny Nicholson's stuff, you should check her out on Youtube. She's got some pretty great parks videos!

That’s a really good thread with very clearly stated thoughts. The last one is my big problem. This feels like Disney blaming it’s least empowered and most vulnerable employees.

 

[tirian]

I personally think it says a lot about this website. This thread has 5 pages with discussion on why this is a problematic change and how this shouldn’t be included. Other sites it is barely getting talked about and people aren’t batting an eye.

Maybe it is a publicity thing but who cares? It doesn’t impact any of us negatively at all. Getting worked up about this shows maybe you are part of the problem that something like this is trying to address.

In the past, these boards have had passionate discussions about pay rates and benefits for CMs. Although a few trolls pop up and say, “Then work somewhere else,” for the most part, the majority agree that Disney could and should treat its own CMs better, especially for the exorbitant prices Disney charges.

The fifth key annoys me for one simple reason, which isn’t political at all. It annoys me because the Disney Institute teaches other companies that it’s more important to make your employees feel like their opinions count, and everyone has a place at the table, than to give annual pay raises. The actual quote is something like, “You can’t improve morale with annual pay raises, because we’ve learned people will always want more money no matter how much you pay them. It’s more important to make them feel like they’re part of the team and have a place at the table.” It’s 80% true with a wild conclusion.

A pat on the back and a happy smile don’t pay the bills.

Inclusion is important and good when it’s authentic. If it’s a new corporate buzzword while Orlando CMs have to band together and create their own food bank, whereas execs have regained their bonuses, there’s a problem.

 

[britain]

Courtesy seems more customer / guest centric.
Inclusion seems more creator / content centric.

 

[Baloo62]

How can one simultaneously champion the oppressed and downtrodden while accepting employment from a corporate enterprise that charges privileged prices so exorbitant that none of them can afford to participate? Could it be that you privately prefer to not associate with the very people for whom you publicly claim to have such compassion? Interesting.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Walt died almost 60 years and was a fairly racist man. The new generation of cast members understand this and are dedicated to inclusion. Whether you like it or not.

Walt was not a "fairly racist man". African-American animator/Disney legend Floyd Norman, who worked with Walt on "Sleeping Beauty" and "The Jungle Book", has stated that Walt was not a racist. I'll take his word over yours, thank you. Whether you like it or not.

 

[britain]

The term ‘progressive’ already implies that today’s progressive is tomorrow’s moderate, and the next day’s conservative.

 

[Magenta Panther]

So how's this "inclusion" key supposed to work? How is a CM supposed to implement it when, say, loading park guests into a ride?

Maybe like this?

CM: "Please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times, and make sure a POC is included with your group. Thanks and have a wonderful Disney day!"

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Getting worked up about this shows maybe you are part of the problem that something like this is trying to address.

Some of us who support meaningful change are tired of corporate grandstanding without the substance to back it up.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yeah we should just pretend Walt was a perfect man and did no wrong instead of realizing he was very much flawed and try to right mistakes made in the past. (I.E. getting rid of a ride based off of the song of the south and removing racial depictions of natives)

There’s an enormous gulf between not perfect and racist.

 

[Rteetz]

Some of us who support meaningful change are tired of corporate grandstanding without the substance to back it up.

Thats fair. I do hope there is substance behind things like this.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Yeah we should just pretend Walt was a perfect man and did no wrong instead of realizing he was very much flawed and try to right mistakes made in the past. (I.E. getting rid of a ride based off of the song of the south and removing racial depictions of natives)

Splash Mountain contains zip racist depictions, and anyway, if some people find it offensive, they could, oh I don't know, JUST NOT RIDE IT, instead of trying to ruin other people's fun. Radical concept, I know...