News Disney plans to include a black Santa Claus at Walt Disney World this year as the company continues its diversity and inclusion program

[Dear Prudence]

So you're saying I can finally meet her? *swoon*

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I would stand in line for literal hours for this.

 

[sullyinMT]

Can we sub Will Ferrel for one of Angelina Jolie's characters?

Maleficent?

 

[durangojim]

Maybe they’ll wind up having multiple Santas of different races.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I think the best way to do this sort of thing is what they did with Captain America. Everyone (except for legit racists) is fine with a Black Captain America because it's Sam Wilson. That's different than a Black Steve Rodgers, which would have upset many more people.

They did similar with Noelle on Disney+, they made Santa a girl but they did it through story, she’s the new Santa, she’s not supposed to be the same person as the previous Santa. It works and it ended up being a really cute movie.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Because when a child sees 2 different people that are both supposed to be the real Santa and they look wildly different, how is that possibly a sufficient response?

He’s supposed to be a freaking magical being. If he can deliver presents to every child on Earth in one night, I’m pretty sure that him transforming into different looks wouldn’t be a problem.

 

[castlecake2.0]

If I may...

Many people have experience with already seeing Black Santas and would tend to view this as "not a big deal" or "Disney is behind the curve".

Other perhaps have not had that experience and are used to seeing only White Santas so encountering this in a theme park could be jarring and an adjustment.

My biggest question is how Disney will handle the inevitable complaints at the parks from the later group that will happen. Or perhaps how they will present this in general - do they try to provide some "warning" so that people who will care/complain can avoid or do they just roll him out and let the chips fall where they may? I'm not saying there's a "right" way to do it but I could see pros and cons for each option.

Eventually this will be something that will just be accepted by everyone and the "shock" for seeing something different won't be around anymore.

The position of “the Company” is that inclusion should be the norm and they will not apologize for it (like they used to). It is their firm belief they are doing the right thing and if a guest doesn’t agree then maybe then maybe the company doesn’t want them as a guest anymore.

 

[Gringrinngghost]

My biggest question is how Disney will handle the inevitable complaints at the parks from the later group that will happen.

This is going to be one where management honestly won’t care. Unless there is something egregious done by the person who plays Santa, these complaints won’t go anywhere.

 

[Tom P.]

I wouldn't say I "hate" it. It's fine. But I don't think the argument that Santa Claus is fictional is a very good one. Lando Calrissian is fictional too, but it would be inappropriate for Disney to recast Lando Calrissian with Angelina Jolie.

Please don't give them any ideas.

 

[HauntedPirate]

You already know Disney does not do this with their in park face characters. So it’s moot point.

Disney will do it for Broadway or various other places/theatre.

Santa is a completely different thing for Disney, and easily able to rotate with various races.

So Disney can have an in-park black Santa, who is a fictional character, because that’s being “inclusive”, but they can’t do it with their own in-park fictional characters because… why?

For the record, I’m long past caring who is under the suit as long as they play the character well. I just don’t care for the selective “diversity & inclusion”.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I'm not making any argument. I'm truly looking forward to them going all in on this strategy.

There would be nothing strange about meeting a black Cinderella in Princess Fairytale Hall, right?

Correct. There would be nothing strange about that unless someone is a racist.

 

[Brian]

So Disney can have an in-park black Santa, who is a fictional character, because that’s being “inclusive”, but they can’t do it with their own in-park fictional characters because… why?

That's my point. It's all or nothing, in my opinion.

Otherwise it's just virtue signaling.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

This is going to be one where management honestly won’t care. Unless there is something egregious done by the person who plays Santa, these complaints won’t go anywhere.

I don’t think Disney will see many complaints, they’ll come here to the forum to do that.

 

[Joel]

"You see, little Timmy, the fictional character that we know today as Santa Claus is actually an amalgamation of figures from various European cultures who in the previous century was transformed by Madison Avenue marketing execs into a soulless corporate shill, a role for which all races are equally suited."

 

[HauntedPirate]

That's my point. It's all or nothing, in my opinion.

Otherwise it's just virtue signaling.

And Disney has a lot of virtue to signal.

 

[castlecake2.0]

So Disney can have an in-park black Santa, who is a fictional character, because that’s being “inclusive”, but they can’t do it with their own in-park fictional characters because… why?

If a character is THE character from the movie, then character integrity states they have to look like that character.

Santa in the parks is just “Santa”, and not from a specific film, so he doesn’t have to fit a specific look.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Children dont know he is fictional...they think there is one real Santa

Children know what you tell them. See the multiple post before yours of different ways people have explain mall santas too their children.

 

[HauntedPirate]

If a character is THE character from the movie, then character integrity states they have to look like that character.

Santa in the parks is just “Santa”, and not from a specific film, so he doesn’t have to fit a specific look.

They are already changing the main characters in adaptations of several movies. There’s been a black Cinderella. Ariel is going to be black. So Disney has already shot down your argument of “character integrity”.

This thread has gone exactly where I thought it would go. So now…

 

[castlecake2.0]

They are already changing the main characters in adaptations of several movies. There’s been a black Cinderella. Ariel is going to be black. So Disney has already shot down your argument of “character integrity”.

Those are different movies, and maybe we will see those characters some day too. But when you’re meeting a certain character from the animated film that’s who you’re meeting. If you asked Cinderella about something that happened in the live action version she wouldn’t know because it’s a different movie. I have nothing else to say in regard to this.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Why not? And in your view, should they?

I mean, I wouldn't care one bit. I am just sharing what Disney currently does.

Disney treats their face characters as representative of their animated counterpart, and that is why they do not do blind casting for those roles. Where as for stage shows they see them as performers playing the character, not the actual character, and will go blind for casting.

If they wanted to go blind for those roles, have at it.

This is also why when they remake the films, they can and will cast blindly, as for many of their movies the race of the character does not matter. But if they remade Princess and the Frog, Tiana would still be black.

Which is my entire point.

If race is important to the character, to the plot, then the race is not adjusted. If the race has no merit on the story or the character, Disney will and can adjust and play with that in remakes, stage shows, heck in the parks if they so feel it.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

If I may...

Many people have experience with already seeing Black Santas and would tend to view this as "not a big deal" or "Disney is behind the curve".

Other perhaps have not had that experience and are used to seeing only White Santas so encountering this in a theme park could be jarring and an adjustment.

My biggest question is how Disney will handle the inevitable complaints at the parks from the later group that will happen. Or perhaps how they will present this in general - do they try to provide some "warning" so that people who will care/complain can avoid or do they just roll him out and let the chips fall where they may? I'm not saying there's a "right" way to do it but I could see pros and cons for each option.

Eventually this will be something that will just be accepted by everyone and the "shock" for seeing something different won't be around anymore.

This reminds me of stories friends of Tiana told me. Over hearing guest say "oh no, I don't want to see the black one"

If you are so bothered by someone's skin color to go to guest relations and complain... that says so much about you.