The Happiest Place on Earth can’t be that happy without a few rules. The Disney brand is no stranger to this world and is probably recognized more than most brands or products that have ever been introduced throughout history. Disney has been a part of our lives since 1923 when the company was founded. Since then Disney has exploded across the globe creating one of the most recognizable brands ever. The only way to create such an important and beloved brand is through an absolutely perfectly detailed business model. Well in order to keep a successful business and to stay above the competition, some of those ideas and ways of that perfect business model must be kept a secret. People around the globe strive to be a part of the Disney team and will do whatever it takes to add value to such an iconic tradition. Well we found out some of these secrets and they are awesome. It’s easy to see why people from around the world want to be a part of this tremendous company. They all have to adhere to a strict set of Disney specific rules. We were lucky enough to find out a few of these Disney secrets and thought we’d share them with you.
1. When you work for Disney, you are not an employee. From the day you start until your last day, you are known as and referred to as a cast member. It doesn’t matter if you are a janitor or a ride attendant, serving beverages or making apparel for the fans.
2. A cast member has to know everything! No matter who you ask or what you ask at a Disney location, the cast member is not allowed to say, “I don’t know” ever! If a guest ever asks a question the cast member doesn’t know, they have to pick up their phone and get a hold of a Disney operator who will be able to direct them to the answer.
3. Facial hair is a big deal for cast members at Disney. All facial hair must be fully grown in, fully trimmed, or fully shaven. Cast members are not allowed to shape their beards. If you decide to keep a mustache, it may not cover your lip and it may not extend past the edges of your mouth.
4. Cast members are not allowed to shave their eyebrows. Men’s hair cannot extend over their ears or the collars of their shirts. Women’s hair must be neatly brushed at all times. Braids are allowed but beads are not.
5. A cast member playing a specific character must learn the autograph perfectly. This is to ensure that no matter what day you meet a Disney character, the autograph will always be the same. It doesn’t matter who’s in the suit, they all practice the exact same autograph so the experience will be the same.
6. There is a height requirement to be one of the Disney princesses. If you want to be a Disney princess, you must be between 5’4″ and 5’8″.
7. Women cast members fingernails cannot exceed 1/4″ past the tip of their fingers and are not allowed to have any nail polish. Men cannot let their nails grow past their fingertips at all.
8. No visible tattoos are allowed to be a Disney cast member. This also includes tongue piercings and ear gauging. Basically any body modifications other than standard pierced ears for women.
9. Even the smallest details like wearing prescription glasses are regulated. If you do wear glasses, they may not display a brand or logo on the frame. Also the frames must be conventional.
10. There is a reason that the Disney resorts are so clean all the time. Every employee is told to pick up trash as soon as they see it.
11. Even the way they pick up the trash has a Disney specific guideline. If a cast member sees trash on the ground, they are not allowed to bend over to pick it up. The cast member must use the “scooping method” to pick up the trash.
12. Pointing is not allowed by any cast members. If you ask for directions from a cast member, they will typically use a gesture like using their whole hand to guide you or a few fingers together. Pointing with one finger is considered offensive in some cultures making it not allowed at Disney.
13. If you do work at Disney, you cannot talk about anything that you do on ANY social media platform. Good thing we don’t work for Disney or we would not be cast members for very long.
14. Walt Disney liked to be referred to by his first name, “Walt”. This is why you only see first names on cast member’s name tags. Also if two cast members who play the same Disney character have the same name, one of them gets to pick a new name to go by in order to avoid confusion.
15. Cast members at all Disney parks use code words to keep things more comfortable for their guests. For example, if someone throws up cast members will use the phrase “Code V” to explain the situation. Cast members used to say ‘There’s been a protein spill”, but that has since been changed to Code V.
16. Cast members who play a role stay in character no matter what. When outside the park, they simply don’t exist. When inside the park, they only know about their own role and nothing more. In other words, don’t ask Ariel what she thinks of Princess Jasmine. She has no idea who you are talking about.
Disney is one magical place where imagination guides you and dreams do come true. It seems to be a huge part of people’s lives no matter what age. People always have a story about Disneyland or Disney World. These parks hold a special place in many of our hearts because of the wonderful memories we have visiting these places growing up or bringing our own children to the park. The Disney cast members play a vital role in fulfilling our dreams and making memories that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. They all have a strict set of rules that they must follow in order to ensure that we have the best possible experience. These secrets keep the brand and its reputation second to none.