Conservative Disney employees are finally fighting back against their super-woke employer| Christian Toto

Working at Disney was once a dream come true for many animators. Now, some say it’s akin to a nightmare.

The Mouse House ruled animation for decades, built on beloved characters, classic fairy tales and stunning visuals. A Disney animator had to be the best of the best, and other studios scrambled to match that Disney aesthetic.

You didn’t need an art degree to spot it.

Now, the company is known more for its political battles and woke manifestos than cutting-edge cartoons. Recent Disney animated features like "Wish," "Lightyear" and "Strange World" have either dramatically under-performed or flopped in the marketplace.

Disney insiders suggest why the studio can’t replicate that old Walt magic. The powers that be care more about DEI initiatives than artistic excellence, and it shows in the finished product.

They can’t say so publicly. Doing so risks losing their jobs and branding them as being unwoke in an industry known for its cultural groupthink.

They’re doing the next best thing.

Insiders are leaking details of Disney dysfunction to rebellious outlets like Film Threat and, more recently, The Daily Wire.

The former’s "D-Files" investigative series lets Disney animators share what’s happening behind the scenes. One example? The 2021 film "Raya and the Last Dragon" became the company’s "first DEI test case."

The film follows a courageous young woman (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran) fighting an ancient evil with the help of a legendary dragon (voiced by Awkwafina).

The project, according to Film Threat, bridged the gap between the old Disney methods and the new diversity mandates.

UKRAINE - 2022/01/22: In this photo illustration, the Walt Disney Animation Studios logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen with a Disney logo in the background. (Photo Illustration by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Step one was to load the entire project with female South Asian animators and talent from within the company, then female Asian animators, then female POC animators, and the rest. But that wasn’t enough. Rather than pull in other artists from within, a major recruitment push was made to hire more women from outside the company to reach a 50/50 male/female balance for equity’s sake.

Anyone who questions the DEI initiatives, according to several sources in the Film Threat series, faced industry blacklisting. That includes women and people of color who, in theory, would be embraced in the DEI landscape.

The line must be toed, or else.

This may not be shocking given Disney’s public posturing on all things woke. Not only has the studio’s content embraced LGBTQ+ messaging, but leaked footage from employees showed workers bragging about their "not so secret gay agenda."

Disney-owned properties like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have integrated diversity measures into its product. Think aggressive race and gender-swapping existing characters to check more identity boxes.

The focus on Critical Race Theory and its woke tendrils expands to its theme parks, according to The Daily Wire. The site ran a story earlier this week about a "privilege wheel" posted "in the production kitchen on Main Street USA in Disneyland in Anaheim, California." The insider sharing the photograph similarly asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.

The wheel instructed employees that straight white males who speak English have "unearned" privilege over "marginalized" colleagues.

"Being dark-skinned, transgender, homeless, and not speaking English are considered marginalized. In between the inner and outer circle – which would be considered not completely marginalized but not totally privileged either – are "cisgender women," gay men, people with a high school education, and who learned English."

When contacted about the wheel, Disney shared an updated photograph where the "wheel" in question had been removed from the display case.

Late last year, Disney admitted its woke makeover has had a negative impact on its bottom line. Disney CEO Bob Iger also promised to "quiet the noise" on the company’s culture war battles.

For now, there’s no sign that Disney’s woke workplace is changing anytime soon.

The more insiders share stories of the behind-the-scenes turmoil, though, the likelier change could happen in 2024.