Consider the fact that the World Showcase Cast Members loading you onto Maelstrom are actually from Norway and the idea of prohibiting purple nail polish doesn’t seem so elaborate of a concession. Walt abhorred even a stray piece of a trash on the sidewalk. He wanted nothing marring the idealistic setting of his parks and that part of Disney culture is something that endures even today.
Though tattoos and gauged piercings certainly don’t offend everyone, there’s no denying that these things do have the potential to offend SOMEONE. So in an effort to make Disney as sanitized as possible, every Cast Member is required to present a squeaky clean image that is as inoffensive as humanly possible. Every Cast Member is meant to be completely approachable with nothing about them that might make you, your toddler, or your grandmother stop and hesitate about asking for help.
Not all Cast Members are princesses. But they are ALL important.
If you’re offended by the idea of adhering to the Disney Look, then working for the company simply isn’t for you. Keeping shaggy hair from falling in your face isn’t nearly as annoying as wearing period appropriate clothing in Liberty Square, cleaning hotel rooms in a dress, or staggering through a guest relations tour in demure pumps. That’s just what we do. It’s all part of the magic. Cinderella and her friends aren’t the only Disney characters in the park. Every Cast Member puts on a costume and a certain demeanor to play a slightly different type of role for the day. We all have to sprinkle on a little pixie dust. It’s not just Tinkerbelle.
Is it annoying? Yeah, sometimes. But putting on a suit and tie wouldn’t be much better, and it certainly wouldn’t put you in a place to make a five-year-old’s eyes light up in wonder at the sight of the magical world that she’s just found. So, no, you can’t wear your nose ring. But if you do it right you can be part of something really special. You can make so many unforgettable memories in a day that you’ll lose track of them all – but rest assured that the guests won’t.
I suppose following the Disney Look isn’t for the faint of heart, but then not everyone can pull off striped knee high pirate socks either. If you can, then welcome to it. It’s a world like none other.
Comments
something Disney teaches here, is a thing called diversity life. We're all different outwardly we all come from different backgrounds and cultures,but inwardly we are all the sameand we can live on this planet together in peaceand when people come here and see the success of this business people would want to emulate it. We are by no means perfect we do our best to make the world a better place for the next generationI say God bless Disney and the collective effort to make it special.
I'm always curious of why people think they have to profane language just to be heard,I will be back creating the magic in September.
I worked for Disney World for five years. It was a great experience but I'm glad they relaxed a bit on look guidelines. I'm especially glad that men can have beards now. Many of my male friends who had to shave constantly had damaged and irritated skin. Also people like me can be born with natural high lights in their hair. Forcing someone to change natural things to fit a look is wrong. Tattoos and piercings aren't natural and can be offensive and distracting, I get that.
There is a solution if as a visitor you don't like what Disney does or doesn't do, DON'T GO.
If you don't like the work standards or the wages, DON'T WORK THERE.
To the looks part I agree with, to the wage part I Don't. I work for Disney, and because it is the biggest hospitality company in Florida, it has pull with other hospitality companies around the area. With that being said, working in the Florida sun, dealing with guests that somehow forget their manners, dealing with people that look down on you because you work at Disney, is part of the reason cast members want more pay. It has nothing to do with our jobs being hard, or even putting up with those rude and obnoxious guests. I know a lot of part time cast members that work 60 hours or more in the heat, doing things backstage you never even thought would be going on. And the same Goes for the full time cast members. The issue with the whole pay is that they can pay 70% of their cast members with the profit off of parking alone. Run the numbers which are readily Available to research. You say if you Don't like the wages Don't work there. What about the people that cant afford a car to get a a job further away that will pay more, the mom and dad that works long hours just to provide for their family, mind you some of the cast members have degrees in many different fields, and because Disney has opportunities in those fields, they do what they can to get their foot in the door. So sir as much as you might not like it, Disney runs Florida. The wages might suck, but to get your foot in the door of a company where a degree in electronics is as coveted as a degree in humanities. Its a great start, but a living wage for everyone would be even better. People claim they want equality for everyone but they complain when the people that work the hardest to make peoples dreams come true and make your vacations a vacation to remember. And That's in universal and disney. If we cast members and team members, did a crappy job, and didnt care about you, like some companies out there that dont care about their guests. Would you ever have that great memory of you or your child meeting a character they love?