Commonly Used Disney Acronyms & Abbreviations

Whether you’re planning a trip or at the park, chances are you’ve already seen or heard Disney acronyms and had no idea what they were!

I had no idea that working at Disney would also include having to know literally hundreds of Disney acronyms. It’s like a whole different secret language that cast members use, but so do many guests. In fact, I already knew many of them from browsing my favorite online Disney sites and forums.

Literally, everything I was taught throughout my training and work experience was shortened into some sort of abbreviation. Magic Kingdom is often referred to simply as “MK.” A GAC (pronounced gah-ch) is a guest assistance card. At my job, WLE and RPW were used to signify which station you were working at.

My favorite acronym was the one for Animal Kingdom. Anyone that has worked for the Walt Disney Company hardly ever calls Animal Kingdom by its name. Instead, everyone says “DAK” (dah-kuh). I still call Animal Kingdom DAK, which is funny when I am talking to non-Disney employees and I realize they have no idea what I am talking about.

Here are the most commonly used Disney acronyms:

ADR – Advance Dining Reservation
AK – Disney’s Animal Kingdom (or DAK)
AP – Annual Pass
BOG – Be Our Guest Restaurant (Magic Kingdom)
CB – Character Breakfast
CM – Disney Cast Member
CP – Candlelight Processional
DCL – Disney Cruise Line
DD – Downtown Disney
DDP – Disney Dining Plan
DME – Disney Magical Express
DRC – Disney Reservations Center
DVC – Disney Vacation Club
EMH – Extra Magic Hours
EEMH – Extra Extra Magic Hour
FP – Fast Pass
FP+ – Fast Pass PlusGS – Guest Services
HM – Hidden Mickey
HS – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
MDE – My Disney Experience
MK – Magic Kingdom
MM – Memory Maker
MNSSHP – Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
MVMCP – Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
QS – Quick Service (Disney Dining Plan)
TDS – The Disney Store
TS – Table Service (Disney Dining Plan)
WDTC – Walt Disney Travel Company
WDW – Walt Disney World Resort

There’s a LOT more than this, but these are the ones you’ll likely see and hear the most, especially online.

Disney is also a big fan of codes; codes that only their employees would know. The reason behind this is really quite genius. Cast members employ talking in code so that they can discuss things that are not quite appropriate for guests to hear. For instance, there was an issue with a ride that required it to stop momentarily. Instead of saying this verbatim, the cast members would use the code that represented the issue. At my work location, when the train had to close, we said it was “101.” When it was back up and running, the train was then “102.” These are common codes used throughout the Walt Disney World attractions. Another common code is a “103”, which is a bathroom break.

So next time you are vacationing at WDW, listen out for those codes and abbreviations! Maybe you can even impress a cast member by asking if the ride is “101”…or freak him/her out by giving them a wink and declaring them a “105”, ahahaha! =P

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Written by my daughter, Brittany. She completed several Disney internships and eventually accepted a full-time position on the conservation team at Animal Kingdom. Read all about her time there over at her blog Britty Loves Disney.