We live in an interesting time. It took me quite a few attempts at figuring out how to say what is clearly something worth being said in the title of this article, but saying it in a way that is “allowable” by today’s gatekeepers. Nevertheless, whether or not it is easy to articulate what is going on at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, we have to the tell the truth. The best way I know to do that is by showcasing someone who — again — looks like a male-presenting individual with a traditionally male name dressed in the way one might expect a female according to the standards of the past century… and they’re doing hair and makeup for little girls.
A Disneyland cast member does hair and makeup for a young female guest.
Whether or not that’s a story in your eyes is up to you. You may say “well that’s totally normal” or “why would anyone be upset by this?” Others might feel very differently. And that’s what seems to be happening as a guest of the Disney Parks recently reached out to us here at That Park Place and sent some photos along with their very unhappy reaction. According to the reader, whose young niece was given a makeover by a male-presenting cast member in a dress:
“I’m glad I was wandering the park with my son when this happened, but my niece did get her hair done by a man named Hector wearing a dress at the bibbidi bobbidi boutique (I have pictures to prove it). We also have another picture of a male cast member in an Alice in Wonderland costume.”
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Walt Disney World via Adventure Is Out There YouTube
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We followed up by asking whether or not we could share these images in an article, acknowledging that we would hide the face of the child for obvious reasons. Our reader replied:
Yes. You have my full permission. I’m pretty sick and tired to see what is happening to the parks and the people who work there. The first thing I should’ve heard from my niece should have been, “uncle <removed>, look at my hair and make-up” not “uncle <removed>, a guy in a dress did my hair and make-up”. But that’s exactly what happened. Pretty stupid thing to have burned into your memory.
A Disneyland cast member does makeup and hair for a young female guest.
This is not the first time that this sort of thing has made headlines. Disney has previously been criticized for this sort of hiring practice. And, we have to admit that a not insignificant number of families and belief systems are likely offended by biological men in dresses doing little girls’ hair and makeup.
That’s especially true when the cost is high, plus there seems to be no way to know if this will happen to any given family. One might easily imagine that some Christian families, some Muslim families, some Jewish families, and many families of conservative and/or mainstream world views would find this objectionable.
JUST IN: Disney places MAN IN DRESS to greet little girls who enter the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Magic Kingdom.. pic.twitter.com/PiniBeVVxZ
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) May 30, 2023
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It’s not on the grounds of immutable differences or denigrating any person that families might object, but rather about behaviors and patterns that some view as inappropriate around children. The rightness or wrongness of those thoughts is up to the reader to decide.
That said, the economic consequences of this are indisputable. Disney seems to be in a very serious downturn for park attendance and it is seen by some as the key problem for their stock suffering an approximate 60% decline in value over the last three years from its high.
Cultural differences are something to pay attention to when reporting on these sorts of stories. A man in a kilt likely wouldn’t cause a problem, but a man in a dress likely creates even more economic damage to Disneyland and Disney World.
Let us know in the comments below what your thoughts are and tell us if you find this offensive or a sign of progress. My position is to report the news and you decide how the facts land with you.
NEXT: An Unexpected Evil Queen: Disney World Appears To Allow Biological Men To Play Female Characters
