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Credit: DisneyFor over a decade, The Walt Disney Company was widely perceived as the front line of the corporate “culture war.” From the infamous “not-at-all-secret gay agenda” leaked videos to high-profile legal battles with Florida leadership, the brand became synonymous with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. However, according to a veteran insider who recently left the company, the internal tide hasn’t just turned—it has undergone a massive “vibe shift” since the political landscape in Washington shifted in early 2025.
Josh Daws, a software engineer who spent 12.5 years at Disney, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to pull back the curtain on the company’s changing culture. Following his layoff in April 2026, Daws hosted a candid “Ask Me Anything” thread that has since gone viral, offering a rare glimpse into how conservative employees survive at Disney and why the company’s aggressive social engineering programs are being dismantled behind the scenes.
The “Vibe Shift”: From DEI Peak to Steady Decline
One of the most striking takeaways from Daws’ thread was his assessment of Disney’s DEI infrastructure. When asked by a user how deeply the “woke” ideology had permeated the company, Daws offered a surprising perspective: the peak is already behind us.
“Peaked in 2020 and has been in steady decline since then,” Daws posted. “It’s much better internally now. The vibe shift is real.”
According to Daws, while the public often sees Disney as a monolith of progressive activism, the reality on the ground has changed significantly since the 2024 election and the subsequent inauguration of President Trump in January 2025. He noted that the company has “toned it down a ton” over the last year, moving away from the overt social justice mandates that defined the early 2020s.
Conservatives at Disney: The Silent Majority?
For years, the narrative has been that Disney is an inhospitable environment for anyone with right-of-center views. Daws, who worked on high-profile projects ranging from Disney blogs and ShopDisney to ESPN Fantasy Sports, challenged this notion. He described a workplace where conservatives are not only present but are often the ones simply trying to focus on the work rather than the politics.
When asked how many Christians or conservatives work at Disney, Daws responded, “Not enough but more than you might think.” He pushed back on the idea that the entire company is ideologically possessed, instead placing the blame on a “very small and vocal minority” that drives the progressive agenda and handles external communications.
“Most folks just want to make cool stuff,” Daws explained. He described his conservative colleagues as “great people,” noting that some are even in high-level positions within divisions like Marvel and Lucasfilm. His testimony suggests that while the vocal minority captured the headlines, a silent majority of traditionalists and moderates remained, waiting for the corporate pendulum to swing back toward a business-first model.
The 2025 Turning Point: Policy Over Posturing
The “vibe shift” Daws describes wasn’t just about office morale; it was driven by significant policy changes that aligned with the new administration’s federal mandates. In February 2025, following a Trump Executive Order aimed at terminating DEI programs in the federal workforce and contracting, Disney underwent a massive internal restructuring.
The entertainment giant shuttered its controversial “Reimagine Tomorrow” program—a digital hub designed to “amplify underrepresented voices” that had become a lightning rod for conservative criticism. SEC filings from late 2025 showed that Disney had entirely scrubbed terms like “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion” from its annual business reports for the first time in half a decade.
Internally, the metrics for employee success also shifted. Chief Human Resources Officer Sonia Coleman announced in early 2025 that Disney would replace its “Diversity & Inclusion” evaluation metric with a “Talent Strategy” factor focused on driving business success and meritocracy. This shift directly mirrors Daws’ observation that the company is trying to “course-correct” by prioritizing “individual initiative and excellence” over identity-based goals.
Witnessing the “Not-At-All-Secret Gay Agenda”
Daws didn’t shy away from the company’s more controversial moments. When asked about the “most woke” thing he ever saw during his 12.5-year tenure, he pointed to the infamous “all-hands” meeting where an executive spoke about her “not-at-all-secret gay agenda.”
That meeting, which leaked in 2022, became a seminal moment in the Disney culture war, sparking a massive backlash from parents and a feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Daws’ presence at the meeting highlights the discomfort many veteran employees felt as they watched the company’s brand identity pivot from universal family entertainment to niche political activism.
However, Daws was quick to defend his former colleagues from the most extreme accusations. When asked if there was a conscious effort to “ruin” franchises like Star Wars, he dismissed the idea of intentional sabotage. “Nah. No one wants to make crap,” he replied, suggesting that the recent decline in quality was a byproduct of poor creative direction and ideological tunnel vision rather than a malicious conspiracy.
The Future of Disney: Merits over Mandates
As Disney navigates a fresh round of layoffs in 2026—which Daws attributes partly to his remote status and the industry-wide integration of AI—the company appears to be in the midst of a painful but necessary rebranding.
The layoff of veteran engineers like Daws marks the end of an era, but his optimistic outlook for the company’s future is notable. Despite being let go after over a decade of service, Daws expressed a desire for Disney to return to its roots as a healthy, apolitical force in American culture.
“I’m rooting for them,” Daws wrote. “America needs a healthy Disney.”
Key Takeaways from the Insider Perspective:
- DEI is Receding: Programs like “Reimagine Tomorrow” have been replaced by “Talent Strategy” metrics focused on business results.
- Political Shifts Matter: The 2025 administration change accelerated Disney’s move away from identity politics to comply with new federal standards.
- The Internal Culture is Improving: According to Daws, the “toxic” ideological atmosphere of 2020–2022 has dissipated, leaving a more professional environment.
- Conservatives are Present: A significant number of traditionalist employees remain at Disney, though they often stay in the background to avoid being labeled a “vocal minority.”
The story of Disney’s DEI pivot serves as a blueprint for other Fortune 500 companies currently re-evaluating their social goals in a post-2024 political landscape. As Daws puts it, the “vibe shift” is real, and the Mouse House may finally be getting back to the business of making magic for everyone—not just the most vocal activists in the room.