IASW Introducing Dolls in Wheelchairs

[Touchdown]

It doesn’t make sense to me that so many here are pleased with this change (which I think is great), but unhappy with other changes designed to improve representation and inclusion. What’s the difference?

-It doesn’t alter the attraction
-It’s in the spirt of the attraction
-It doesn’t take away or remove the essence of the attraction
-It doesn’t draw attention to itself making it look out of place

Should I continue?

 

[The Colonel]

I like the changes at Pirates; The Redhead was a victim, but now she is a gun-totting, hard drinking, thief and kidnapper. Cleary a more positive role model for the precious little ones. Girl Power!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

-It’s in the spirt of the attraction
-It doesn’t take away or remove the essence of the attraction

I actually sort of disagree (and I recognize that I'm the only one).

I've always viewed "it's a small world" as paradisaical. A utopian vision of a world with no strife, conflict, hunger, or pain. It's essentially heaven. The wheelchair feels out of place, like if they depicted a beggar or a chemo patient.

I still don't have a problem with it, I just don't think it quite fits in the story.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I actually sort of disagree (and I recognize that I'm the only one).

I've always viewed "it's a small world" as paradisaical. A utopian vision of a world with no strife, conflict, hunger, or pain. It's essentially heaven. The wheelchair feels out of place, like if they depicted a beggar or a chemo patient.

I still don't have a problem with it, I just don't think it quite fits in the story.

A world where even the disabled could function and enjoy life like any other human?

 

[Incomudro]

I actually sort of disagree (and I recognize that I'm the only one).

I've always viewed "it's a small world" as paradisaical. A utopian vision of a world with no strife, conflict, hunger, or pain. It's essentially heaven. The wheelchair feels out of place, like if they depicted a beggar or a chemo patient.

I still don't have a problem with it, I just don't think it quite fits in the story.

Exactly.
Should the dolls have other disabilities?
Why not amputees, cleft palates, kids on chemo?
Why only feature this one disability?

 

[Californian Elitist]

I’ve got a friend currently going through chemo, and she looks nothing like those dolls. Additionally, I’ve never seen beggars singing carols in nice clothes. That’s just me, though.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

A world where even the disabled could function and enjoy life like any other human?

I'm looking at it more metaphysically... a world in which there are no disabled children (or sick children or lonely children or abused children or...)

 

[Californian Elitist]

Also, nothing about small world indicates the message is about a utopia. It’s about being the “same,” despite our cultural differences, and togetherness.

 

[doctornick]

Are there dolls with glasses? I’m actually not sure so I’m wondering, but wheelchairs seems kind of in line with that.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Are there dolls with glasses? I’m actually not sure so I’m wondering, but wheelchairs seems kind of in line with that.

I don’t think so…interesting

 

[The Colonel]

No dolls with service animals. They dropped the ball there.

 

[The Colonel]

You put one doll with Tourette Syndrome that randomly blurts out an obscenity, and this becomes an upper echelon Genie Plus ride. You may need a virtual queue.

 

[mkt]

This thread was going so well... and then this page happened.

 

[Joel]

No dolls with service animals. They dropped the ball there.

Just buy a "totally legit service animal, no seriously" vest off Amazon and throw it on one of the hyenas.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Glad I’m not seeing the kinds of posts here that I’m seeing on FB.

Amen. Some of the Facebook comments are seriously disturbing.

Spoke too soon.

 

[ToTBellHop]

This thread had a good run until the cynics arrived.

 

[Angel Ariel]

This thread was going so well... and then this page happened.

Yep. We’ve now gone down the hole that the FB comments went down.

So what if Disney did choose to include other disabilities at some point? The WHO estimates about 1 billion people in the world have some kind of disability. “It’s a small world” isn’t about some paradise fantastical world where there’s no pain. Listen to the lyrics!

“It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all”

The attraction explicitly acknowledges years, fears, and more - it’s not about this utopian world where none of that exists. It’s about acknowledging that we ALL share those things, and recognizing how much we are alike along with what makes us unique. Including disability representation in that is absolutely in line with the spirit of the attraction.

 

[JoeCamel]

Yep. We’ve now gone down the hole that the FB comments went down.

So what if Disney did choose to include other disabilities at some point? The WHO estimates about 1 billion people in the world have some kind of disability. “It’s a small world” isn’t about some paradise fantastical world where there’s no pain. Listen to the lyrics!

“It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all”

The attraction explicitly acknowledges years, fears, and more - it’s not about this utopian world where none of that exists. It’s about acknowledging that we ALL share those things, and recognizing how much we are alike along with what makes us unique. Including disability representation in that is absolutely in line with the spirit of the attraction.

Disney could make a ride with all the disabilities of the world? Probably enough material to fill it.

eta: but it should be in Epcot

 

[Californian Elitist]

Yep. We’ve now gone down the hole that the FB comments went down.

So what if Disney did choose to include other disabilities at some point? The WHO estimates about 1 billion people in the world have some kind of disability. “It’s a small world” isn’t about some paradise fantastical world where there’s no pain. Listen to the lyrics!

“It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all”

The attraction explicitly acknowledges years, fears, and more - it’s not about this utopian world where none of that exists. It’s about acknowledging that we ALL share those things, and recognizing how much we are alike along with what makes us unique. Including disability representation in that is absolutely in line with the spirit of the attraction.

I was going to post the lyrics and dissect them, but I didn’t. Thank you. Literally no part of the song relates to perfection. “A world of tears…a world of fears…”

 

[Angel Ariel]

Disney could make a ride with all the disabilities of the world? Probably enough material to fill it.

eta: but it should be in Epcot

or, rather than doing something separate, proportionate representation in an existing ride, where it fully fits the topics, would make sense