Confessions of a Former Cast Member

As an employee for Disney--a cast member​--there is a certain standard to which one must adhere. (By the way, I prefer the nonsensical word adhese. You use adhesive, not adherive. But I digress...) After just three years of working for the Mouse, this code is so ingrained in my very being, I carry it with me nearly twenty years later. Of course, some of these may have changed over the years, but such was the case when I was a cast member.

A few examples...

When a guest asks directions, the cast member is allowed to point, but must use two or more fingers. Last week, someone stopped me in the parking lot of my place of employment to ask for directions. And sure enough, I gave them the two-fingered point.

Nail polish must be a neutral color. Boy, did I get reamed on this one more than once! Could I help it if blue nail polish was all the rage at the time? Today...I don't wear any. Nails au naturale for me.

Hair must remain a natural color. Never had trouble with this one, really. But when I was younger, we didn't have all the crazy colors we have today. The craziest I had was dark red. Still that color today.

Disney is a great company to work for. Their standard is what makes the difference and gives guests positive experiences. I enjoyed my time there, and now that I'm on the other side of the berm so to speak (look that one up if you don't get it), I cherish the clean-cut look and polite manners of the cast members I encounter.

And I secretly smile, knowing I still carry a bit of the Disney magic.

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