News New Changes Coming to the Disney Look 2021

[LittleBuford]

This was for Disneyland Paris, right?

I can just see the posts we'd get: "I saw an older male CM wearing tights, high heels, and a drag-queen wig! Woke is destroying Disney!!"

 

[ToTBellHop]

Just got back from a weekend trip to the parks—first time since the “Disney look” was updated. In all the trips I’ve taken over the years, I’ve never been so distracted by CM’s. It’s a shame.

Grooming was the big issue, especially where men with long hair were involved. I also saw multiple men wearing nail polish, a female CM with tattoos covering her legs, and another female CM at Haunted Mansion wearing the male costume. Call me whatever name you want, but it took away from my experience.

One of the reasons for the Disney look was so that CM’s “blended” into the entirety of the Disney experience and did not become front-and-center. The downgrades of the Disney look prove, in my opinion, that previous management were correct in keeping CM dress code standards high. I hope that someday, these decisions are reversed.

You should probably stop going.

Stop staring.

 

[CntrlFlPete]

I’d be interested to read a clear, articulate explanation of the negative reaction to changing Disney Look standards that isn’t based on prejudice. Can anyone provide that?

I feel a lot is due to prejudice (maybe fear of the new/unknown). Anyway, I also feel a lot steams from stories how Walt wanted his park to be different, to feel safe/clean for the folks of the time. Folks go to the parks for the 'Disney difference' still today.

The one idea I agree with when it comes to 'look' is that cast members are still on stage -- tattoos might make more sense around pirates while out of place around Hall of Presidents. To me, the expectation that a cast member's hair won't be of a color that was not invented yet in the time frame being presented on stage.

Personally, I like what I have seen when it comes to cast members having multiple choices in costumes. One night I saw about three 'male looking', probably CP folks wearing the skirt option (I think they were part of the crew that works parades/those carts that sell light up toys. The kids seemed to be having fun with it which is great. I enjoy seeing people having fun with their work. But the important think to me is that maybe these kids are making it more common so as to be 'jarring' to little Johnny. I am sure they help others feel comfortable about their choices.

The one thing that sort of hurts in all this (my views on humanity) is that I have known a 'born female' person in my lifetime who grew facial hair and they kept it/did not shave -- folks auto assume/make judgements based on a single glance.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

In so many ways....

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[castlecake2.0]

Disney is just one of several hospitality companies that have realized the legalities of trying to enforce different grooming guidelines based on gender. If they haven’t had made this change I’m sure it would be taken to court in no time. It’s just outdated.

 

[SaucyBoy]

For me, it was a bit like losing the Streets of America or the original Journey into Imagination

Because you saw a few tattoos and nail polish? I'm sorry it's very hard to take opposing opinions about the changes seriously when people throw out dramatic statements like this.

 

[SaucyBoy]

Is this just an aesthetic preference?

Yes. Sorry. I wasn't trying to be insensitive but I see how it comes across that way. I just enjoy a fully grown beard on a man; which just shows how tastes evolve and change as you get older because when I was in my 20s I felt the opposite. Lol!

 

[MisterPenguin]

CMs complying with Disney's "new look" are lightyears ahead of what the average guest looks like.

 

[drizgirl]

CMs complying with Disney's "new look" are lightyears ahead of what the average guest looks like.

Isn't that true most places?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Isn't that true most places?

Yes, but the point is that some have made the 'new look' into some sort of world of madness and chaos and grossness. When in fact, it's still a big step up from the norm.

 

[Vacationeer]

Certain Haunted Mansion CMs wearing the traditionally male costume could take away from a guest’s experience?

I’m having a hard time digesting that. Suits are worn by all sorts of people. Some people aren’t comfortable in dresses, but whatever the particular reasoning… big deal. Out of things that might be distracting this ranks toward the bottom million.

 

[Joel]

Was at the MVMCP tonight. One of the CMs doing parade duty was a large man with a definite well-trimmed who was in a full female costume with dress and apron.

I'm in the parks now. Guests with tattoo sleeves are common.

Gee, MisterPenguin, I always thought you were a pretty good fella, but I think I agree with these folks:

Wow. You are very observant.

You should probably stop going.

Stop staring.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Gee, MisterPenguin, I always thought you were a pretty good fella, but I think I agree with these folks:

You're using a post that tells someone who doesn't like the new look to stop staring and/or going to tell me, who is OK with the new look to stop staring and/or going?

 

[ToTBellHop]

I think they should hire more CMs with full sleeves. If you can sit through multiple 6-hour sittings with that level of pain, you are ready to deal with guests.

 

[UNCgolf]

The one idea I agree with when it comes to 'look' is that cast members are still on stage -- tattoos might make more sense around pirates while out of place around Hall of Presidents. To me, the expectation that a cast member's hair won't be of a color that was not invented yet in the time frame being presented on stage.

I've thought about this before, but I don't think it works in practice.

While people of the era likely wouldn't have had a sleeve tattoo if you were going for historical accuracy in Liberty Square, that would also mean you wouldn't want to have, e.g., Asian cast members working there. I don't think anyone (well, other than a tiny, crazy minority) would advocate for that.

If you can suspend your disbelief for that, I don't see why it can't extend to tattoos, piercings, etc.

 

[James Alucobond]

I've thought about this before, but I don't think it works in practice.

While people wouldn't likely wouldn't have had a sleeve tattoo if you were going for historical accuracy in Liberty Square, that would also mean you wouldn't want to have, e.g., Asian cast members working there. I don't think anyone (well, other than a tiny, crazy minority) would advocate for that.

I think tattoos are honestly the trickiest thing to tackle. I feel like they make suspension of disbelief pretty difficult in some situations simply because their actual content can be quite modern, making them feel uniquely anachronistic. Equating it to something like race doesn't quite work. I also think folks with tattoos are generally quite used to concealing them; many people I know cover or show them at work depending on what they'll be doing that day or who they'll be interacting with. Of course, I suppose you could argue that in and of itself is problematic, but I also dress differently depending on who I'll be working with on a given day even though I have no tattoos to cover.

Then again, I'm probably a bit more conservative in what I think the overall look should be. I have no problem with people wearing costumes or cosmetics of any gender, but I do think things like nail polish color and jewelry style should be more tightly policed based on the area in which the cast member is working. That said, it's actually the frumpy shoes many wear that bother me more than anything else about the current look even if I do understand the desire for comfort.

 

[UNCgolf]

I think tattoos are honestly the trickiest thing to tackle. I feel like they make suspension of disbelief pretty difficult in some situations simply because their actual content can be quite modern, making them feel uniquely anachronistic. Equating it to something like race doesn't quite work. I also think folks with tattoos are generally quite used to concealing them; many people I know cover or show them at work depending on what they'll be doing that day or who they'll be interacting with. Of course, I suppose you could argue that in and of itself is problematic, but I also dress differently depending on who I'll be working with on a given day even though I have no tattoos to cover.

Then again, I'm probably a bit more conservative in what I think the overall look should be. I have no problem with people wearing costumes or cosmetics of any gender, but I do think things like nail polish color and jewelry style should be more tightly policed based on the area in which the cast member is working. That said, it's actually the frumpy shoes many wear that bother me more than anything else about the current look even if I do understand the desire for comfort.

Jewelry seems like something that they should be able to restrict. Almost no one needs to wear a necklace, rings, specific earrings, etc. to work; I don't see any issue in having restrictions on that as part of costume control.

 

[LittleBuford]

I think tattoos are honestly the trickiest thing to tackle. I feel like they make suspension of disbelief pretty difficult in some situations simply because their actual content can be quite modern, making them feel uniquely anachronistic.

We need to overlook a lot anyway to suspend our disbelief: modern hairstyles, name tags, etc. That is, the guest needs to bring a certain willingness to the table to play along with the fiction.

 

[flynnibus]

If you can suspend your disbelief for that, I don't see why it can't extend to tattoos, piercings, etc.

Eventually they will just be 'workers' instead of 'cast' so everyone can ignore the show portion entirely. After all.. they can't fill the roles anyway..

 

[James Alucobond]

We need to overlook a lot anyway to suspend our disbelief: modern hairstyles, name tags, etc. That is, the guest needs to bring a certain willingness to the table to play along with the fiction.

Again, in general, people probably have a much hazier understanding of period-appropriate hairstyles. They might be anachronistic, but they're less likely to register as such unless the style is really severe. Things like fonts occupy a similar space, where the setting might technically be from a time before, say, Helvetica was created, but that won't register for most people. Modern tattoo artistry, on the other hand, is something that obviously never shows up in traditional western historic imagery and can include content that could be totally incongruous with the rest of the costume and environment.