The 3 O’clock Parade
Cast members have laughed about the most common question they get asked at Walt Disney World. They often get asked “What time is the 3 o’clock parade?” It’s a hilarious mistake that a lot of people accidentally make. Cast members aren’t able to forget the time of the daily parade and its route, even after quitting.
Unfortunately, the daily parade can sometimes result in fatalities. In 2004, a cast member was killed by a float during an afternoon parade. This happened in Orlando’s Magic Kingdom park. The fatality was the result of a tragedy and not rules being broken. The Cast Member who had been killed in the incident had been an employee of Disney for eight years. Another accident in the parks ensured in 1999. An employee of Magic Kingdom Skyway fell to his death from the ride he was managing. The Skyway ride was permanently shut down later that year.
Worlds Must Never Crossover
Every time you visit a new part of the park, whether it’s a restaurant, shop, or ride, the cast members wear outfits that represent the theme of that specific spot. It’s a subtle and effective move that Disney does to create an authentic guest experience. So, if you're wondering what it would be like if Harry Potter and Peter Pan became friends, you can stop wondering because this wouldn't happen. Actually, when they are in character, Cast Members aren’t even allowed to talk or acknowledge the existence of other characters or brands outside of the world of Disney.
In specific situations, Disney employees have made exceptions for guests. Unfortunately, the guests aren’t as appreciative of the efforts, maybe because they aren’t aware of how much it requires to make the Disney experience possible. Someone shared a story online about their sister who was a Disney World Cast Member. They said that their sister was working in a gift store when a parent and her son with cancer asked to meet Darth Vader. The Disney worker told them that the story doesn’t carry Darth Vader costumes or Star Wars memorabilia. The child started to freak out and the parent demanded to speak to one of the managers. After an hour of them waiting, the Disney worker ended up putting on a Darth Vader costume and greeting the young boy. The sister shared that the boy’s response was ‘I knew we wouldn’t have to walk to the other side of the park! I love cancer.'
There are Strict Size Requirements
Although having to put on a costume every day can be frustrating, what is perhaps even more aggravating is the competition to get cast as a character. You might be able to do your best impression of Princess Jasmine, and yet, the casting director still won't see you as right for it. Disney has strict rules for who can play a Disney Princess. Their decision is first and foremost based on height and body shape. They are uncompromising when it comes to the height standards that a Princess must meet. Princesses must be between 5’4″ and 5″8″ tall. While that is a pretty standard height for adult women, it does mean that shorter women are automatically left out of the running and in the gutter.
But, there is a logical reason for these height requirements, and it’s not because Disney wants the princesses to be tall and leggy. The reason is to save the company from creating tons of new costumes to fit all different shapes and sizes. If all Disney Princesses are around the same size, this means they can share costumes. This is especially important considering that you can play Belle one day and Ariel the next. If you're a more petite woman hoping to get hired as a costumed character, you still have the chance to play Tinkerbell. And for taller guys, they can audition for Prince Charming or Gaston.
There are Some Perks
You can probably tell by now that being a cast member is hard work. Luckily, Disney rewards its employees with some pretty awesome perks. For starters, cast members get free admission on their day off. While that's a pretty cool perk, I can't imagine many cast members are running to their workplace on their day off.
Another cool part of being a cast member is that you get discounts on food, beverages, and merchandise, plus discount cards for your family and friends. This is all true if you follow this next secret rule of Walt Disney World. We are sorry if this next secret ruins some of the magic of Disney world for you.
The Cast Would Have to Share Underwear
Have you ever shared underwear with your colleagues? My guess would be no. Well, until 2001, Disney cast members were required to share underwear. The reason for this is that many of the costumes include special undergarments, like tights and bike shorts. According to some employees, the undergarments weren’t always clean when they received them. As a result, some cast members allegedly contracted lice or scabies. Disney kept quiet about the situation, but they did change the rules after being exposed. Cast members are now permitted to take their underwear home and wash it themselves.
Underwear isn’t the only part of the costume that’s regulated. There are even rules for Mickey and crew when it comes to crewnecks. Disney requires costumed cast members to wear a plain white crewneck or v-neck shirt under their costumes. The shirts must have a traditional neckline, which considering the fact that you can barely see them under the costumes is quite absurd. Similarly so, they have a rule for non-costumed cast members which holds that they can wear any solid color shirt that matches their outfit. Although several cast members reported to have contracted lice from the undergarments, there are actually strict cleaning policies when it comes to washing the costumes. Disney requires costumed characters to drop off their costumes for cleaning after every shift. Every day, cast members who wear costumes pick up their costumes from a building which houses 15,000 costumes and drop them off at the end of their shift. For this reason, even though many employees wear the same costume every day, they aren't necessarily in the same costume that they had on the day before.