Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I wonder what percentage of WDW guests are the white, all-American family of four? Do you think they represent a minority in terms of WDW attendance?>> I'd say on any given day between 60-80% are the above, again depending on time of year, day of week etc ... <<Sorry, but that is one of the things that amazes me when I visit WDW -- the lack of diversity in the guests. Particularly during the off-season, when working class America isn't on vacation, it can be downright challenging to find minority families in the MK.>> Sorry, oh Ruler of the Kingdom of Darkness and Doom (you don't mind the new good-natured nickname, do you?), but you need to visit WDW more often. While white Americans may be the No. 1 demo, you see all sorts of diversity any day of the week, any day of the year. <<Should WDW seek diversity in it's PR campaigns and actively search out the minority guests to deliver the dream giveaways to?>> Well, their marketing departments have (of late) gone out of their way to show faces of color in everything from ad campaigns to park map covers ... <<To be honest, I would be surprised if there wasn't a diversity goal that the PR team is trying to meet. But in the middle of January when your primary park goers are wealthy families who pull the kids out of school for a week in Orlando, or families tagging along while Mom or Dad attend a convention for work, I expect that 9 times out of 10 you are more than likely to pick the white family of 4 over any other demographic group. At least that's been my observations during off-season travel. The black man married to the Korean woman from South Central with six kids is probably not walking through the turnstyles this time of year.>> I don't totally disagree or agree with that. I guess what I'm saying is there is some merit. But ... answer honestly ... did you really expect the first family to be anything but an All-American midwestern, traditional family of four? Seriously, anyone?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I agree. It's very rare that you see a non-white family in WDW.>> Nikki, you know I adore you, but really ... have you had your eyes checked recently? Or were you being sarcastic and I just missed it?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >>You also knew it wasn't going to be a black man married to a Korean woman from South Central with six kids dressed in gangsta fashions.<< << Well that pretty much elinates a major chunk of DLR's customer demographic!>> That was good for a large chuckle. Thanks.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<So, pardon my naivete, but is the insinuation here that this was a purposely bigoted choice?>> The insinuation, which wasn't one but rather a statement, was that I was not in the least bit surprised by the 'selection.' Disney, as a company, can't be accused of bigotry here. Disney, as a company, can be accused of selecting winners that always seem to look, talk and act the same way. Read into that whatever you like!
Originally Posted By mrichmondj << Sorry, oh Ruler of the Kingdom of Darkness and Doom (you don't mind the new good-natured nickname, do you?), but you need to visit WDW more often. >> I think some folks need to visit less frequenty. I'm happy to go there once every couple of years. That works for me. This subject did come up during my last visit in May 2006. It was a little strange how few minority guests could be found anywhere on the property during that week.
Originally Posted By Rebekah SSwedGuy asked.... >>>How are the guests ushered upstairs? I know the elevator goes down to the utilidors. Is that where the guests start? Or do they try to keep them out of the utilidors? What I know... You enter the suite from the same corridor you enter Fantasyland. Its just one of the doors in that hall. Then you board an elevator and it takes you up to the suite. I suspect that this elevator is also utilized for some of the castle performers. Rebekah.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I think some folks need to visit less frequenty. I'm happy to go there once every couple of years. That works for me.>> Nah. That makes it seem like it's the guest's fault that Disney has lowered its quality. I love WDW, even now. I'm an APer that lives a few hours away by car and 20 minutes away by plane. I'm gonna continue to go visit. The familiarity breeds contempt argument is a bunch of hooey (first time I've ever said that). I went much more often when in college (late 80s/early 90s). I didn't notice many of the things I now notice for one very good reason: they didn't exist. <<This subject did come up during my last visit in May 2006. It was a little strange how few minority guests could be found anywhere on the property during that week.>> Maybe they knew you were there? ;-)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<What I know... You enter the suite from the same corridor you enter Fantasyland. Its just one of the doors in that hall. Then you board an elevator and it takes you up to the suite. I suspect that this elevator is also utilized for some of the castle performers.>> Rebekah, do you know if they installed a new elevator or just replaced the existing one? I was under the impression they were adding one just to reach the suite, but maybe that's not accurate.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey <<Nikki, you know I adore you, but really ... have you had your eyes checked recently? Or were you being sarcastic and I just missed it?>> No Spirit, I'm not being sarcastic. It's just in recent years that I've started to see black guests at WDW. I noticed on several trips that I didn't see any, or very very very few.
Originally Posted By PARADE OF DREAMS I really think that this is an interesting topic. I think that disney picked a family of four , a teenage boy with a young 12 or 11 year old siter and of course they had to be white( all american family) what I am saying is it looked better for disney and they big show that they had. Thinks about could you see a asian family of 6 doing that show. So that family was picked acoroding to race and number and that really shows how far disney has come
Originally Posted By kennect Spirit, I gotta ask you a question that you won't want to answer publicly....And now that I am typing this I know I am going way out on a limb here that I can't do...So let me say this...I would love to ask you a question that is private in nature, nothing alarming...If interested send me an email, it is listed on my profile here...Trust me, it is nothing mean...Actually it is something good...
Originally Posted By kennect What is so funny about the family they picked is the idea I think about how I would react if I were choosen for such...I would probably wet my pants and that wouldn't be a good thing....
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> do you know if they installed a new elevator or just replaced the existing one? << There's been a lot of construction work going on, but nothing as major as a new elevator. I'm betting it's the elevator that's always been there, perhaps refurbished. It also makes sense that the guest would have access only from the ground floor of the castle up to the apartment, and not down to the utilidors.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I suspsect it has always been there, remember that the room used to be used as an office. However, it may well go down to the utilidors too. Remember that these guests have a Royal Concierge, so they may control the elevator for guests. Either that, or they may be a security pass slot that controls which floors the users are able to access.
Originally Posted By Mr X >>>because according to contest rules, they'd have to abdicate the bedchambers for an American, Canadian or British citizen<<< This is a joke, right?
Originally Posted By leemac <<Rebekah, do you know if they installed a new elevator or just replaced the existing one? I was under the impression they were adding one just to reach the suite, but maybe that's not accurate.>> If I recall correctly it is an existing elevator. Beyond the internal walls that were added I believe the only major structural changes put in by WDI was a new window.
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn There are no whites, there are no blacks, there are no yellows, reds or oranges. There are no purples, blues or greens. There are only people.
Originally Posted By Labuda ^^^ Tell that to Disney. My next WDW trip with be with a VERY much slacker-looking friend. You can darn well bet your bootie we will NOT win a night in the castle.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: Well, speaking for my sisters and myself, we happen to visit Walt Disney World quite a bit and often see lots of different races at the parks each visit. So, don't believe that the parks guests are made up, mostly, of caucasions. As a matter of fact, it often seems to us that the caucasions are actually outnumbered by other races. ORGOCH: As fer who gits ta be first at spendin' the night inside Cindersmelly's dang castle, I think it would a been funny if'n they'd chose a Lesbian couple with a couple a adopted kids!! That'd give ol' Rush Lamebrain somethin' ta squawk 'bout on his good fer nothin' talk show from now ta etern'ty, dont'cha know???
