It was close to 40 years ago, and I was applying for a professional level management position at WDW. Somehow, I later learned that I was directed to the wrong path. I went through a “process” where I was moved from a waiting area, to an area where snacks we provided, then was finally lead to a theater where I required to watch a introductory video created for prospective cast members. It was explained to me that all employees were known as cast members. The movie was kinda Stepford. I remember that the split screen shown a person who had the acceptable Disney look, and the same person without the acceptable look. Some of the unacceptable looks included: for men, facial hair, hair below your neck, colored hair, jewelry, tattoos, piercings, braids, Afros, and no hats or headgear of any kind. For women: no colored hair,, only simple stud earrings, no makeup. All had to be height and weight appropriate. When I came out of the room and went on to the next step, that’s when I learned I was in the wrong area,a nd I should have been directed to another area, one for management candidates. The whole thing was so surreal.
I went through that at Dsineryland in 1977. Now for me and my opinion, the “Disney Look” standard is what sets Disnay apart from so many other theme parks (such as Six Flags) and I am hoping this doesn’t go too far.
That being said…..
40 years ago tatoos and piercings and even colored hair was almost non-existant so that is strange that was put in there (especially for men).
I do recall women could not have “sun bleached or streaked hair” unless it was natural. One girl I worked with had streaked hair but it was natural, however she was asked about it by managment who didn’t know here all the time.
So if I’m a male cast member who identifies as a woman, can I use the woman’s locker room to change? And why isn’t “equity” mentioned if you want to be really PC?
I get it. A family member ex cast member had tat sleeves and could never wear short sleeve shirts. As long as the princess still have to coverup tattoos. I think we will be alright.
Walt Disney’s idea was to offer a family park that stood out; that set the standard for everyone else. Because of a few people Disney had lowered the “bar”. How sad. You are told up front – no facial hair, only studded earrings no bigger than a penny for woman only, you can only wear a watch and your wedding ring, no tattoos. What is wrong with that? Nothing absolutely nothing!
Disney continues go fall further down the rabbit hole.
Sue I so agree with you. If these cast members look too far out there, some guests may be uncomfortable or intimate approach them for assistance. It’s called looking professional.
Guests coming from a very conservative part of the world or America may be very uncomfortable and it could be off-putting to some.
I don’t see a guest from a conservative part of the country feeling comfortable approaching a cast member with a weird type of earring or tattoo all over their arms.
Walt Disney built a berm around Disneyland so that while you were in the Park, you weren’t distracted by the outside world. Unfortunately, cell phones ruined that special feature. When you are hired at Disneyland, you are a cast member putting on a show. Walt designed it that way intentionally. There is nothing wrong with keeping to the Disney look. If you auditioned for a Broadway show – let’s say “Cats” – and you decided you wanted to dress like a dog instead because you were allergic to cats, you wouldn’t go very far. Let’s play the part Walt himself set up – clean cut, not offensive to anyone. I don’t think Disneyland has had any trouble hiring people over the past 66 years who were quite willing to play their part to keep the Magic alive. Let’s keep politics out of Disney!
Disney supports the hateful, bigoted, and racist group BLM in their new ad? Equality for all of course. But BLM the Political Group co-founded by self-described Marxist? See ya Disney…
Wow, y’all are uptight. Would you like it if your job told you you couldn’t wear your wedding ring because it was too big? Or that the shade of “natural” pink nail polish you picked was wrong and you had to go home to take it off?
I was a trainer and I HATED having to be nit-picky over the smallest things. The people I dealt with were cooks! Who gives a fig what the person cooking their food looks like. Do you demand to see the tattoos or earrings on the cook at every restaurant you eat at?
Allowing cast members the right to go to work and wear normal things, that other jobs have openly embraced for years, isn’t lowering the bar or giving into politics or anything else. It’s about a company realizing they are forcing their employees to live up to a standard that has changed many years prior. All they are doing is playing catch-up. Y’all think the cast members are all just wholesome people? Disney is one of the most screwed up places to work for. I’ve never seen so much back-stabbing, egotistical people in my life. And, no, I’m not saying they are all like that, but a good number are.
If someone wearing longer hair or nail polish is going to stop you from coming to Visit, that’s ok; there are plenty of others that will now come instead.
For those of you so upset, thinking Disney has lowered the bar. Well, I think you need to find you a time machine to take you back to the 1950’s and years prior to find where lily white prevailed to find your type of people you’re obviously longing for. Times change, things change, you need to realize the year is 2021. Proud to say I’m in my 50’s and love seeing how the youth of today are still pushing for equality at all levels instead of shoving the old timers beliefs down everyone’s throats.
Yes, let’s have some BLM riots at Disney like they do in Portland, Seattle, NY and Philly to dissuade the “lily whites” from expecting they’re paying to enjoy the dream that Walt (not Al Sharpton) envisioned when he started the whole thing.
Comments for What Changes to the “Disney Look” Mean For Cast Members
Ty
It was close to 40 years ago, and I was applying for a professional level management position at WDW. Somehow, I later learned that I was directed to the wrong path. I went through a “process” where I was moved from a waiting area, to an area where snacks we provided, then was finally lead to a theater where I required to watch a introductory video created for prospective cast members. It was explained to me that all employees were known as cast members. The movie was kinda Stepford. I remember that the split screen shown a person who had the acceptable Disney look, and the same person without the acceptable look. Some of the unacceptable looks included: for men, facial hair, hair below your neck, colored hair, jewelry, tattoos, piercings, braids, Afros, and no hats or headgear of any kind. For women: no colored hair,, only simple stud earrings, no makeup. All had to be height and weight appropriate. When I came out of the room and went on to the next step, that’s when I learned I was in the wrong area,a nd I should have been directed to another area, one for management candidates. The whole thing was so surreal.
KenG
I went through that at Dsineryland in 1977. Now for me and my opinion, the “Disney Look” standard is what sets Disnay apart from so many other theme parks (such as Six Flags) and I am hoping this doesn’t go too far.
That being said…..
40 years ago tatoos and piercings and even colored hair was almost non-existant so that is strange that was put in there (especially for men).
I do recall women could not have “sun bleached or streaked hair” unless it was natural. One girl I worked with had streaked hair but it was natural, however she was asked about it by managment who didn’t know here all the time.
Rich
So if I’m a male cast member who identifies as a woman, can I use the woman’s locker room to change? And why isn’t “equity” mentioned if you want to be really PC?
Mike
I get it. A family member ex cast member had tat sleeves and could never wear short sleeve shirts. As long as the princess still have to coverup tattoos. I think we will be alright.
Sue
Walt Disney’s idea was to offer a family park that stood out; that set the standard for everyone else. Because of a few people Disney had lowered the “bar”. How sad. You are told up front – no facial hair, only studded earrings no bigger than a penny for woman only, you can only wear a watch and your wedding ring, no tattoos. What is wrong with that? Nothing absolutely nothing!
Disney continues go fall further down the rabbit hole.
Connie
Sue I so agree with you. If these cast members look too far out there, some guests may be uncomfortable or intimate approach them for assistance. It’s called looking professional.
Guests coming from a very conservative part of the world or America may be very uncomfortable and it could be off-putting to some.
I don’t see a guest from a conservative part of the country feeling comfortable approaching a cast member with a weird type of earring or tattoo all over their arms.
Georgia
Walt Disney built a berm around Disneyland so that while you were in the Park, you weren’t distracted by the outside world. Unfortunately, cell phones ruined that special feature. When you are hired at Disneyland, you are a cast member putting on a show. Walt designed it that way intentionally. There is nothing wrong with keeping to the Disney look. If you auditioned for a Broadway show – let’s say “Cats” – and you decided you wanted to dress like a dog instead because you were allergic to cats, you wouldn’t go very far. Let’s play the part Walt himself set up – clean cut, not offensive to anyone. I don’t think Disneyland has had any trouble hiring people over the past 66 years who were quite willing to play their part to keep the Magic alive. Let’s keep politics out of Disney!
Rick
Disney supports the hateful, bigoted, and racist group BLM in their new ad? Equality for all of course. But BLM the Political Group co-founded by self-described Marxist? See ya Disney…
Melissa
Wow, y’all are uptight. Would you like it if your job told you you couldn’t wear your wedding ring because it was too big? Or that the shade of “natural” pink nail polish you picked was wrong and you had to go home to take it off?
I was a trainer and I HATED having to be nit-picky over the smallest things. The people I dealt with were cooks! Who gives a fig what the person cooking their food looks like. Do you demand to see the tattoos or earrings on the cook at every restaurant you eat at?
Allowing cast members the right to go to work and wear normal things, that other jobs have openly embraced for years, isn’t lowering the bar or giving into politics or anything else. It’s about a company realizing they are forcing their employees to live up to a standard that has changed many years prior. All they are doing is playing catch-up. Y’all think the cast members are all just wholesome people? Disney is one of the most screwed up places to work for. I’ve never seen so much back-stabbing, egotistical people in my life. And, no, I’m not saying they are all like that, but a good number are.
If someone wearing longer hair or nail polish is going to stop you from coming to Visit, that’s ok; there are plenty of others that will now come instead.
Bren
For those of you so upset, thinking Disney has lowered the bar. Well, I think you need to find you a time machine to take you back to the 1950’s and years prior to find where lily white prevailed to find your type of people you’re obviously longing for. Times change, things change, you need to realize the year is 2021. Proud to say I’m in my 50’s and love seeing how the youth of today are still pushing for equality at all levels instead of shoving the old timers beliefs down everyone’s throats.
Rich
Yes, let’s have some BLM riots at Disney like they do in Portland, Seattle, NY and Philly to dissuade the “lily whites” from expecting they’re paying to enjoy the dream that Walt (not Al Sharpton) envisioned when he started the whole thing.
Comments are closed.