Why is #BoycottDisney Trending?

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Unless you have been staying completely clear of news and social media for the past few weeks, then you know that The Walt Disney Company and the state of Florida have been in a heated battle. Florida recently passed the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and Disney has been outspoken in its opposition. Disney has even said that they will work with Florida politicians and lawyers to help ensure that the bill is repealed if and when it goes to the courts.

Disney’s objection to the bill has not sat well with those who believe Disney should stay out of politics. There are also those who believe that Disney is moving far away from the wholesome, family-friendly entertainment the company is known for. They are also upset with Disney executives claiming that their content in the coming years will feature a lot more characters who are minorities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Disney’s detractors have also accused Disney of being “woke” and believe it will be the downfall of the company — which led to the popular phrase “Go woke, go broke.”

All of that anger at Disney has led to the hashtag #BoycottDisney to trend on Twitter.

The Daily Wire media company founder Ben Shapiro believes that it is Disney’s job to protect children and by opposing the bill, they are not doing so. Shapiro tweeted:

Your goal as a company should be to preserve the innocence of children, not fight against it on behalf of a small, radical group of employees who need the validation of having their choices validated by kindergarteners

Disney’s stock has been seeing a downward trend recently — which has happened in the past before big rebounds. However, some think that Disney’s drop has to do with them losing a large number of conservative people who used to support them.

Twitter user @WonderWoman4USA tweeted that she believes certain things should not be taught to younger children, which is why she is boycotting.

In response to Disney’s stance on the Parental Rights in Education bill, Ben Shapiro has also announced that The Daily Wire will be spending more than $100 million in creating conservative children’s content for those who feel as if they do not want to support Disney. Disney, meanwhile, has remained committed to its LGBTQ+ Cast Members and continues to say that it will fight the bill for as long as possible. Disney has also said that it will form a task force to fight these types of bills from passing in other states as well.

Disney to Pause ALL Political Contributions In Florida

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

For weeks, the Walt Disney Company has been battling extreme discontent and anger within its ranks. Thousands of Cast Members felt like Disney did not have their backs when it remained silent on the passing of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill. The bill would prohibit educators from talking about things like gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms. Critics have dubbed the bill the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and worry that it would target the LGBTQ+ community.

After mounting pressure, Disney made a statement on the bill, but it didn’t hit the mark. Many felt that it didn’t say anything. After that, Disney CEO Bob Chapek sent an email to staff saying that he stood with LGBTQ+ Cast Members. However, he did not condemn the bill, and the email only further upset already let-down Cast Members. Then, Chapek made a firmer statement and denounced the bill at the Annual Shareholders Meeting. He also said that he would be meeting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis said that a meeting with Chapek had not been scheduled. A spokesperson for the Governor said that his position on the bill had not changed. DeSantis then accused Disney of being “woke” and called the company put for its business dealings with China.

It now seems like Bob Chapek has had enough of the Governor and the controversial bill. On March 11, Chapek announced that Disney would be pausing all political donations to Florida politicians.

And in a move rarely seen in corporate America, Chapek emailed all staff, apologizing for his prior actions. The email, which was shared with The Hollywood Reporter, said:

To my fellow colleagues, but especially our LGBTQ+ community,

Thank you to all who have reached out to me sharing your pain, frustration and sadness over the company’s response to the Florida “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was. It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights. You needed me to be a stronger ally in the fight for equal rights and I let you down. I am sorry.

Our employees see the power of this great company as an opportunity to do good. I agree. Yes, we need to use our influence to promote that good by telling inclusive stories, but also by standing up for the rights of all.

Starting immediately, we are increasing our support for advocacy groups to combat similar legislation in other states. We are hard at work creating a new framework for our political giving that will ensure our advocacy better reflects our values. And today, we are pausing all political donations in the state of Florida pending this review. But, I know there is so much more work to be done. I am committed to this work and to you all, and will continue to engage with the LGBTQ+ community so that I can become a better ally. You will hear more about our progress in the coming weeks.

I truly believe we are an infinitely better and stronger company because of our LGBTQ+ community. I missed the mark in this case but am an ally you can count on—and I will be an outspoken champion for the protections, visibility, and opportunity you deserve.

Bob

Prior to this memo, the Disney CEO had repeatedly said that the best thing Disney could do was continue to create inclusive content. However, now the company will be taking a more active role in protecting the rights of its Cast Members. Chapek admitted that he “missed the mark” but wants his staff to know that he is an ally to them and will be working hard to prove that.

Bob Chapek

During the Shareholders Meeting, Chapek said that the company would be donating $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign. The HRC rejected that offer and said that Disney needed to do more to fight for some of its most vulnerable Cast Members. It looks like Chapek took that message to heart and is now making a more concerted effort to fight for those who make Disney the admired company that it is.

Former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis To Speak at Event at Disney’s Yacht Club This Weekend

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Resorts

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, located near the Boardwalk, brings back the luxury and elegance of an older, New England-style yacht club, complete with nautical details around every corner and even a lighthouse. Disney’s Yacht Club is not only an incredibly popular hotel choice for Guests visiting Walt Disney World, but it is also popular amongst large groups looking for a great location to host their conventions.

Disney's Yacht Club

Disney’s Yacht Club features nearly 100,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 36,000 square foot Grand Harbor Ballroom, 16,000 square foot Newport Balloon, 8,200 square foot Asbury Hall, and 2,500 square foot Cape Cod Hall. The charm and grandeur of the hotel, paired with the massive spaces for meetings, make it a perfect spot for large conventions all year round.

This year, The Federalist Society will be hosting its Eighth Annual Florida Chapters Conference this year and there will be a number of notable speakers, including former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and current Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. The event is scheduled to take place on both February 4 and February 5, but, according to the schedule, Pence, DeSantis, and Gorsuch will all be speaking on February 4.

Disney’s Yacht Club website has not indicated that this conference, or the impending traffic, will have any effect on Guests staying at either the Yacht Club or the Beach Club, which are located next to each other.

Yacht Club Resort

Here is more information on the Federalist Society:

ounded in 1982, the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservatives and libertarians dedicated to reforming the current legal order. We are committed to the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. The Society seeks to promote awareness of these principles and to further their application through its activities.

Yacht and Beach Club Pool

Please note that, while Disney’s Yacht Club may not have anything posted on its website, the Chapters Conference will be bringing more Guests to the Boardwalk area, on both the 4th and the 5th. If you have reservations at one of the many delicious restaurants or plan on visiting the area, you may want to give yourself a little more time to get there and find parking.

Florida sets yet another record for COVID-19 cases on Christmas Day

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

For the second day in a row, Florida has set a record for daily number of new COVID cases.

Yesterday the Sunshine State reported 31,758 new COVID-19 cases, a number that surpassed Florida’s previous all-time high number of cases in one day that was set in August during the height of the wave of infections from the Delta variant of the coronavirus. That record was 27,802 new coronavirus cases in one day.

Today, however, Florida has reported 32,850 new cases, making today its worst day for numbers of new COVID cases since the beginning of the global pandemic that has cost nearly 800,000 American lives so far.

The positive news is that not a single death from coronavirus was reported for today.

In addition to having a new one-day record for new coronavirus cases, a majority of counties within the Sunshine State are now considered “high” risk counties for community spread as positivity rates in COVID testing have skyrocketed over the last week. As of today, 41 of the 67 counties in Florida have this recognition from the United States Centers for Disease Control.

ron desantis

Private businesses are not completely exempt either, as the new law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis requires even those employers to include exemption status for employees who refuse the vaccine because of religious or medical reasons. Also, under the new law, employees in Florida who have already had COVID-19 are exempt from vaccine mandates, as are those employees who agree to, and comply with, routine testing for the virus and commit to wearing personal protective equipment like masks, etc.

The signing of the new law prompted Disney to halt its vaccine mandate at the time for Cast Members at the Walt Disney World Resort.

cinderella castle partners statue

The Sunshine State’s new record means that since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,897,138 Florida residents have been infected by COVID-19, and 62,264 Florida residents have lost their lives to coronavirus infections and complications.

Disney puts the breaks on vaccine mandates after Gov. DeSantis signs new anti-mandate bills into law

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Disney just announced it will pause its vaccine mandate for employees in the Sunshine State. This comes just two days after Governor Ron DeSantis signed a quartet of bills related to the COVID-19 vaccine and subsequent mandates into law on Thursday.

Per The Orlando Sentinel, the decision by the House of Mouse comes in response to the latest restrictions that were passed by the Florida legislature this week, which put limitations on the power of Florida employers when it comes to requiring employees to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.

On Friday, The Walt Disney Company sent a memo to Cast Members, informing them that Disney was taking this action immediately because of the new law. The memo also said that an appeal court’s temporary delay of certain federal guidelines related to COVID vaccinations from OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, had also prompted the company’s immediate actions to pause its vaccine mandates.

Part of the memo reads: “We remain confident in the approach we have taken with our mandatory vaccine policy for Florida-based Cast Members and employees, with more than 90% of our active Florida-based Cast members and employees having verified that they are fully vaccinated, and we consider this to be very successful.”

The memo, which was sent to Florida employees of Disney, the largest private employer in the state, further explained that Disney would require every employee to wear face coverings, practice social distancing and take other measures in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 if they had not yet verified that they are vaccinated.

In addition to putting the breaks on its company vaccine mandate, Disney is also taking a break on the consideration of requests from employees for exemption from taking the vaccine. During the pause related to new legislation, Disney says it will also deem employees “unvaccinated,” if they had not yet completed the vaccination verification process.