Walt Disney World cast members abide by a strict set of rules. In fact, their very name signals a major rule: they’re “cast members,” not “employees,” one of the many terms in Disney’s company-wide lingo rooted in show business, regardless of whether the cast member’s role is in entertainment. See also how Disney transformed a closed restaurant into a cast member hospitality training center.
Disney theme park guests may not realize that cast members have to follow a few rules that might seem abnormal in other workplaces. In this story, we’re sharing 5 of these policies and the reasoning behind each of them. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including a Disney Gift Card discount and Disney World Christmas attractions that some guests don’t realize are included with regular park admission.
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Always Point With 2 Fingers
Guests visit Walt Disney World from truly all around the globe. Disney theme parks are gathering places of visitors from many different countries and cultures. As such, Disney is mindful of certain common American behaviors that unintentionally might get lost in translation.
One of the most frequent conversations any cast member has with guests is giving directions, whether to the closest restroom, a popular ride, or anything in between. Relaying directions often involves pointing. Americans generally point with 1 finger. In many cultures, however, pointing with 1 finger is considered rude and aggressive.
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To avoid any miscommunication, all Disney cast members are instructed to point with 2 fingers, or their full hand, whenever they’re on the job. You may not have observed this before, but once you notice it in the parks, you’ll never be able to unsee it.
I can tell you from experience that once a cast member gets into this habit, it might just stick with them for the rest of their life. I participated in the Disney College Program years ago, and I still point with 2 fingers to this day, simply out of habit.
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The Magic Can Be Shattered When Necessary
A big part of working for Disney is preserving the magic, maintaining the illusion that guests are in a place where fantasy is real. The characters are real. The stories on the rides are real. This is a place where the impossible exists.
This is a hard-and-fast rule, except when safety is threatened. Disney is very serious about safety, so much so that it is prioritized in Disney’s value system above what Disney calls “show,” or what many guests commonly refer to as Disney magic. This means that the magic can be compromised in situations that require a greater emphasis on safety.
An example of this that you may have experienced is when a ride breaks down. If Disney is unable to fix the attraction promptly, guests may be evacuated from the ride in a process carefully led by cast members. Normally, anything “offstage,” or behind the scenes, is strictly off-limits to guests. Almost all ride evacuations, though, involve guests navigating backstage pathways to exit the attraction. Again, all of this happens under the instruction and watch of cast members, so the guest is never on their own. All the same, a guest being backstage is usually a very serious offense, but in the name of safety, it becomes inconsequential.
Follow the Lingo
“Cast member speak” has already slipped out unavoidably in writing this story so far. Disney’s HR efforts involve a metaphor that approaches all of Disney’s job-related operations as show business, complete with a glossary of lingo that everyone working there is expected to follow.
Here are a few of the many terms in this code of sorts:
- Cast member = any working employee, regardless of their role
- Cast = the team of people who work together at any given location
- Onstage = any guest-facing area or park space, not a literal stage in most cases
- Backstage = any back-of-house area, which guests are not allowed to access
- Costume = uniform
You Can Walk Through the Parks in Your Costume
Each cast member has a costume assigned to them that matches the theme and colors of their work location. Some guests think cast members aren’t allowed to wear their costume anywhere outside of the specific spot where they work. That’s not true. To and from work, cast members can wear their costume, including through the parks.
Except for Magic Kingdom, Disney World theme parks do not have robust backstage pedestrian pathways specifically for cast members. This means that when a cast member arrives at work, to get from their car to their work station, they likely need to walk through at least some of the park, in front of guests.
This reality has caused dramatic conversations online over the years as various guests attempt to capture “gotcha” moments on video of cast members walking through a park wearing a costume that might not match the specific area they’re walking through, or perhaps wearing a backpack that’s not part of their official costume. These are cast members walking to or from a shift…at their job. They are allowed to do that!
There is one article of the cast member’s costume that must be removed when not actively working: their nametag.
Most Cast Members Purchase Their Own Shoes
Disney provides multiple sets of cast members’ assigned costumes to wear, and even provides laundry services if the cast member desires. This is true of every part of the costume except shoes.
Most cast members, excluding those working a specialized role, select and purchase their own shoes from regular shoe stores. Disney issues guidelines for the cast members’ footwear to adhere to the job requirements and the theme of the work location. Most of the time, this means a simple black shoe, but not always. For example, I worked at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, so I was required to purchase and wear hiking boots, which echoed the adventurous spirit of the park.
See more about Disney cast member costuming from our visit to Disney World’s wardrobe department.
Major Policy Changes for Tattoos and Piercings in Recent Years
Until several years ago, this list of cast member rules would have included many appearance-related policies. These rules had been held since the early days of Disneyland in the ’50s, so it was a big deal when Disney abridged them.
Tattoos of any size were strictly forbidden from being visible on cast members. People with tattoos could still work at Disney, but they had to cover any tattoos with clothing or makeup. Today, Disney’s tattoo policy is more lenient, and cast members don’t have to always conceal their ink.
Disney also previously held very strict sets of gender-imposed standards. For example, women could not have haircuts with part of their head shaved, and men could not wear earrings. The modified rules from 2021 permit both of these and several other inclusive adjustments.
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