This week is going to be a “lite” version of Against the Grain, as I’m not here to argue a particular point as much as I wanted to simply take a moment to give proper credit where credit is due. It’s a story that actually hit the wire services last weekend, however unfortunately I wasn’t able to fit it into the column last weekend because I’d already dedicated myself to covering Orlando’s crazy rules for handling their weak and needy, but regardless I suppose at least we can take comfort in this week’s story in knowing that not all of the Orlando area is bound to such backwards thinking…
You see, it was on Friday, April 6th that the Walt Disney Company announced that it will be adjusting its Fairy Tale Weddings program to accommodate same-sex couples as well as straight couples. For those who aren’t as hardcore Disney fans as myself, Fairy Tale Weddings is an extraordinarily lavish, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to actually celebrate your wedding on Disney property – namely either at Walt Disney World here in Florida, Disneyland in California, or on one of their cruise ships. The prices, of course, range from ridiculous to absolutely insane (packages start at around $8000 for a very small wedding party and can easily top $50,000 when you start adding the bells and whistles, but then again, consider the fact that in this case, the bells and whistles include everything from arriving in Cinderella’s Royal Carriage to saying your vows with Cinderella Castle on the horizon to even having Mickey and Minnie Mouse make a very special guest appearance! Everything has its price, but seriously – how cool would that be, to have Mickey Mouse doing the funky chicken at your wedding reception?!
Well, up until now the program has been limited to coupled who actually had valid marriage licenses, and sadly we all know where our society still lies on that issue, but in a true happily ever after sense, Disney was finally prompted to update their policies to incorporate same-sex couples as well, not after being threatened or exposed for being anti-gay, but simply in response to an inquiry about the program that the company had received from a gay couple interested in participating themselves. It was yet another example of the company’s everlasting dedication to guest satisfaction, regardless of any stigmas that societal differences have manifested over the years. Honestly, though, it was exactly what I would expect from Disney and one of the strong reasons why I’m such a fan of their company, their products and services, and just how they choose to do business in a world that would certainly warrant being much more cutthroat and cold-hearted in the name of the almighty dollar…
I wanted to take just a moment this week to offer Disney the kudos that it rightfully deserves for this decision because even though it’s most definitely the right thing to do, they’ll most certainly get some flack for it just because they always seem to be an easy target for the religious groups when they’re caught doing anything that doesn’t directly align with their own particular agendas, even as twisted as they might be. And really, it’s exactly because of such allegations (like Disney being accused of being anti-catholic and therefore anti-families and so on and so forth) that it’s important for companies like Disney to stick to their morals and follow their hearts because ultimately in this economically-driven world, corporations have more and more power because like it or not, with great bankrolls come great influence and the more money you’ve got in the bank, the less you have to allow yourself to be pushed around by groups of any kind looking to advance their own stature by forcing their beliefs upon others. Disney has been great about this over the years because just as it allows religious festivals to be hosted at its parks, it also has no problem with renting areas out for the Gay Days celebrations each year in turn.
At the end of the day, they’re definitely a company that’s on the right track simply because while they’ve got very well-defined morals that they strive to follow every day, those same morals don’t serve to degrade or demoralize others in the process. We could always use a few more companies to lead the way like the Walt Disney Company consistently has ever since the early days when lead by Walt himself, but in the meantime – thanks, Mickey & Co. Thanks for doing your part to make sure that dreams can come true for everyone, regardless of petty differences…
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