Disney Is Hit by Boycotts to the Left and Right . . .

The Southern Baptists and the Christian conservative American Family Assn. aren’t the only high-profile groups boycotting Walt Disney Co.

At the other end of the political spectrum, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has launched its own boycott to protest Wild Animal Kingdom, Disney’s live-animal theme park scheduled to open in Orlando, Fla., in 1998.

Ingrid Newkirk, president of the Norfolk, Va., animal rights group, concedes that Disney has done much to promote respect for animals with films such as “Bambi,” “The Lion King” and the anti-fur wraps classic “101 Dalmatians.” She just thinks Disney should stick to making wild creatures come alive through animation.

PETA opposes Disney’s new animal park on the grounds that there is nothing entertaining about taking live creatures from the wild and sticking them in cages for public display.

“Zoos don’t allow animals to roam or soar or choose their mates” as they do in Disney films, Newkirk said. “Disney should put that money into habitat protection instead of building a menagerie.”

Disney spokesman Bill Warren pointed out that most of the animals in the new Wild Animal Kingdom are coming from zoos and other collections. Any specimens taken from the wild will come from habitats that are endangered, he said.

What’s more, Warren said, Disney plans to use its storytelling ability to educate patrons about conservation and encourage them to link up with wildlife groups in their home towns.

. . . And Also in the Past and the Present

A number of groups that aren’t as well known as PETA and the religious conservatives have also taken stands against Disney, according to Zachary Lyons of Boycott Quarterly, a Seattle-based magazine that tracks consumer protests.

In 1994, historic preservation groups organized a boycott of the entertainment giant to register their opposition to Disney’s proposed American history theme park for rural Virginia--an idea the company eventually scrapped in the face of unrelenting criticism.

And members of Home Owners Maintaining Their Environment, that small but vocal Anaheim band of Mickey Mouse critics, have been shunning Disney products since 1994 to protest the company’s plans to build a companion theme park next to Disneyland.

Boycotts have been about as effective at slowing Disney’s revenue and profit as a bug hitting the windshield of a speeding bullet train. Many industry watchers say efforts by PETA and religious conservatives will be similarly squashed.

But Lyons says the boycotts are nevertheless symbolic of a shift in public perception of the company.

“Disney doesn’t have that Teflon image anymore,” he said. “Many people view them as just another powerful, arrogant corporation now, very different from the Disney they grew up with. The proliferation of boycotts reflects that.”

Media watchers counter that global giants like Disney are natural magnets for activists and gadflies who target them to generate headlines.

As for Disney, spokesman Warren says the company is still creating wholesome entertainment with the zeal of founder Walt Disney.

“Perceptions are based on knowledge,” he said. “A close look would show that Disney is far and away the No. 1 provider of family entertainment. We are proud of that record.”

Marriott Reaches Out, Touches Job Hunters

Marriott International Inc. is looking for a few good men--and women. About 50,000 a year to be exact.

The hospitality giant needs so many people to staff its far-flung hotel empire that it just rolled out a toll-free hotline job seekers may call to locate opportunities near them.

The Marriott Career Hotline is automated, so job seekers will find it somewhat impersonal, but the consolation is that it operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Information is available in both English and Spanish.

Using a touch-tone phone, callers are directed to job opportunities in 11 areas, including Los Angeles. Orange County will be added in the near future.

Just don’t expect to hear about your dream job in great detail. The canned voice on the other end of the phone offers basic information, such as what particular hotels in your area are hiring and for what general categories, such as housekeeping or management. No specifics on hours, pay or duties, however.

Marriott really wants to know more about you. Applicants are asked a series of questions about their experience, availability, criminal record, willingness to take a drug test and other fun facts. At the end you leave your name and number. Marriott will call with immediate openings if they like what they hear, or keep your name on file for future jobs.

To reach the hotline, call (888) 462-7746. The three-digit code to access job opportunities in Los Angeles is 567.

Marla Dickerson covers tourism for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5670 and at marla.dickerson@latimes.com.