The Disney Look – All the Way to Your Fingertips

The “show” at Walt Disney Word is taken very seriously, and every detail throughout Disney property is there to help convey the story.

When you’re at Disney, you’re part of the “show”. It’s the iconic atmosphere that the theme park is known for and cast members are actors in the show. It’s the Disney look, and the rules are clear from the moment you start training!

There are lots of do’s and don’t’s when it comes to looking the Disney cast member part. I was aware of a lot of these rules: no “unnatural” hair color (A girl during my program had to re-dye her hair because it was “too blonde”); no visible tattoos; only ears are to be pierced (While I was there, a guy was sent back home because he gauged his ear lobes too large; I heard another story about a girl who had reconstructive surgery to fix her gauged ears to meet the “Disney Look.”); etc, etc.

Fun fact: there are no bathrooms in Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square because they didn’t exist during colonial times!

One rule that took me by surprise was regarding nail polish. We were forbidden to wear bright colors, patterns, or glitter, and I quickly learned how serious Disney was about this. Just a few weeks into training, one of my roommates was written up for wearing GREY nail polish! So alas, I decided that basic nails were a pretty fair trade to be able to live, work, and learn at Disney.

Becoming a cast member is no easy task. We go through intense training called Traditions. This is where we learn everything from the Disney “point”, to a special vocabulary just for Disney employees. Its also where you learn about “the show”, which is all part of making every guest’s experience magical.

Cast members learn the four keys: safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency.

After Traditions, we attend a second class at Disney University. This is where we learn every detail about the park we’ll be working at. Disney’s Imagineers spend countless hours on theming, and it’s essential that cast members know as much as they can so they can play their part in the show.

We’re also taught and encouraged to give magical moments, which are Disney’s equivalent to random acts of kindness. Walt Disney’s dream was for each and every guest to feel special, and it’s our job to do just that!

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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.