10 Rules Disney Employees Follow To Keep The Magic Alive

Working at one of the Disney parks located around the world would be a total dream come true, right? Well... maybe. As much fun as it would be to be able to go behind the scenes and be a part of making the Disney magic come alive for visitors, it's definitely a tough job. Disney works hard to hire cast members that will definitely be able to keep the magic alive for visitors and can follow a set of strict rules.

There are some surprising rules that Disney visitors have to follow while at the parks but the rules that the cast members have to follow are even more extreme. To see 10 rules the Disney cast members have to follow in order to help keep the magic alive for guests, keep reading!

10 They're Not Called "Employees"

One important but surprising rule that the Disney employees have to follow is the fact that they can't actually call themselves "employees." Although they are technically Disney employees in that they work for the company, that's not the name that Disney wants them to use for themselves.

Instead, people that work for Disney in the parks are called cast members. Whether they're playing a princess, in a costume as one of Mickey's friends, or they're working behind the cash register in one of the many stores at the parks, they're still cast members and not employees.

9 Their Handwriting Has To Be Flawless

There are a lot of ways that visitors of the Disney parks can remember their trip. For the kids that visit, taking something home with them to remember the time that they met their favorite Disney character or Disney Princess can be a really special way. Many kids get something signed and take that autograph home to cherish.

One of the most important rules that Disney cast members have to follow is having their handwriting just right. They have to really practice their signature so that everyone playing that character's looks the exact same for every single guest that comes to meet them.

8 Their Look Has To Be Just Right

Disney takes a lot of pride in their cast members being super professional and putting their best face forward when it comes to meeting guests. And when we say "best face," we mean literally. There's something that Disney cast members are all familiar with called Disney Look.

Disney Look refers to the way that cast members, even those that aren't playing a character in the parks, have to look when they're "on stage" - the word that Disney uses for being anywhere in the parks that visitors see. Their hair has to be a natural color, they can't wear distracting makeup, and they can't have a hairstyle that covers their nametag.

7 They Can't Have Visible Tattoos

Part of fitting within the confines of Disney Look involves having tattoos. Although tattoos are allowed on Disney cast members, there are some rules about them. The main rule is that no Disney cast member can have a tattoo that is visible while they're wearing their costume or uniform.

So while Ariel might look totally awesome with an ocean-themed tattoo and it would be so cool to commemorate your time as a Disney cast member with a Dole Whip tattoo, unfortunately Disney doesn't allow their cast members to have visible tattoos of any kind.

6 They Can't Say "I Don't Know"

Considering the Disney parks are so large and have so many visitors, cast members are asked a lot of questions each day. They're asked where certain merchandise can be found, how long a line is going to be, where to buy a snack they saw on Instagram, and so many other questions. Unfortunately, no person is going to know the answer to everything.

But the Disney cast members aren't allowed to say that they don't know. Even if they have no idea what the answer to a question that a guest asked them is, they're not allowed to say so. Instead, they have to either direct the guest to someone who can answer or go find the answer for them.

5 They Can't Break Character

Meeting a favorite Disney character and getting to talk to them is definitely one of the best parts of going to the Disney parks for many visitors. It's so much fun to see our favorite characters from Disney movies and stories up close and personal and to be able to ask them questions!

But unfortunately, there are some things we just can't say to the Disney Princesses. Although we all agree that Snow White would totally have an Apple Watch and that Belle would love that book we read on the flight, the characters aren't allowed to acknowledge anything outside of the movie they appear in in order to avoid breaking character.

4 No Flashy Accessories

Disney sells a ton of really awesome merchandise at the parks like toys, jewelry, and clothing. Although Disney cast members do get access to exclusive merchandise and a discount at the parks, they can't load up on all the Disney jewelry before they start their shift.

As part of the Disney Look, Disney cast members have to make sure that their accessories aren't distracting. Disney doesn't want anyone to stand out too much or look different than the other employees. Because of that, there are strict rules on exactly what kind of jewerly they can wear. The main rule is that it has to be super simple.

3 No Special Treatment

The best part of being one of the Disney cast members and working at one of the Disney parks would be going to the parks on your day off, right? You'd be able to skip all the lines, get all the free snacks, and go backstage to see your best friends during their breaks! ...Not so fast.

Even though Disney cast members do get some perks like access to exclusive cast member merchandise and discounts, their perks don't include getting any kind of special treatment on their days off. So, no, they can't skip the lines, borrow costumes, or go behind the scenes to see their coworkers.

2 Everyone Is On A First Name Basis

When Walt Disney was planning the very first Disney park, he wanted to make sure that everyone felt at home there and that it was like a big family. A lot of the rules that the cast members follow as far as their behavior goes were put in place to make people from around the world feel comfortable, like being careful about how they point and picking up trash around the parks.

But the cast members also have a certain way that they have to interact with each other, too. They're not allowed to call each other "Mr." or "Mrs."-anything. Every one of the cast members is on a first name basis with one another. This was even true when Walt was there himself - he refused to let any cast members call him "Mr. Disney" when they spoke to him!

1 No Talking About Their Role

Being a Disney cast member would be so much fun. Even with all the rules, it would be hard not to snap a quick selfie in the bathroom when you're getting your costume on or to talk on social media about all the magical moments you had happen during your shift, right?

Not so fast. A huge part of keeping the magic alive at the Disney parks is not letting the cast members acknowledge the fact that they're playing a character. If you're one of the Disney Princesses or a character that wears a suit like Woody and Jessie or Mickey and Minnie, you can't talk about your role. You can talk about spending your day with that character, but you can't explicitly say that you were playing that character at work.

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