News New Changes Coming to the Disney Look 2021

[Mr. Sullivan]

Call me old-fashioned, but shouldn't good service be the priority?

I understand times have changed, I also get 'comfort and some level of self expression'. Besides, from what I've seen, it must be somewhat difficult to find employees with a 'clean-cut look' these days.

Ultimately it is.

But you're not going to get good service if the company enforces extreme limitations on how employees are allowed to look and express themselves. People who are free to be themselves are far more likely to give exemplary service than those who feel suffocated by outdated dress code rules. It's all tied in together.

The happier the employee is, the better the job they'll do. Disney is wise to recognize this. Now if only they could start playing in better faith with unions and pay people a respectable wage.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Everything children see and experience affects them in some way. Hurts is a different discussion.

On one extreme - you have a conservative family that doesn’t want children to see extreme looks (tattoos, hair, piercings, etc.) and on another extreme you have liberal families that want children to see that.

Ideally - a company like Disney balances in the middle - which is exactly what they are doing I think.

Or Disney could grow a spine and make the choice to not bow down to outdated points of view and actually keep up with the direction that most of their guests are moving in.

The line straddling is gonna kill them in the long run. They either get with the times, or they do not. And if they do not, then people are going to start recognizing them not as a fun place to go, but as an antiquated place full of stuck ups who're gonna tell talented, charming, motivated individuals that they can't be guest facing because some family with nothing better to do complained about their Little Suzie seeing a tattoo.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

People who are free to be themselves are far more likely to give exemplary service than those who feel suffocated by outdated dress code rules. It's all tied in together.

I don’t think I agree with this.

I’ve had fantastic service from companies that have very strict dress code rules. In-n-out being a prime example.

I’ve also had great service at establishments that didn’t have a strict dress code - my favorite local restaurant is in a very artsy area and there is no dress code or appearance standards - they are great too.

So I wouldn’t say they are linked.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Or Disney could grow a spine and make the choice to not bow down to outdated points of view and actually keep up with the direction that most of their guests are moving in.

The line straddling is gonna kill them in the long run. They either get with the times, or they do not. And if they do not, then people are going to start recognizing them not as a fun place to go, but as an antiquated place full of stuck ups who're gonna tell talented, charming, motivated individuals that they can't be guest facing because some family with nothing better to do complained about their Little Suzie seeing a tattoo.

They already have changed drastically. In 2011 a man couldn’t even have a beard. Now he can have tattoos, a man bun, make up, painted nails, shave half his head, and wear the female costume if he wants.

I don’t see the day that they allow unnatural hair colors or face tattoos, I think they’ve hit the wall, but who knows.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

but as an antiquated place full of stuck ups who're gonna tell talented, charming, motivated individuals that they can't be guest facing because some family with nothing better to do complained about their Little Suzie seeing a tattoo.

Why would they say that? They allow CM’s to have tattoos now.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

I don’t think I agree with this.

I’ve had fantastic service from companies that have very strict dress code rules. In-n-out being a prime example.

I’ve also had great service at establishments that didn’t have a strict dress code - my favorite local restaurant is in a very artsy area and there is no dress code or appearance standards - they are great too.

So I wouldn’t say they are linked.

But there is.

There have been multiple different looks into this by multiple different large companies and there is a visible link between the morale improvement that comes from less strict dress code and the quality of their work.

I also think it is very unwise to compare a company like Disney to a company like In-n-Out. While of course nobody wants to deal with an unhappy food service worker, I would also say that it's quite different experiencing one than it would be to experience an unhappy cast member. In-n-Out workers are not tasked with creating an experience, and their level of happiness and the morale of the staff does not really have much of an impact on what the guest walks away with short of it lessening the quality of their food.

Disney is in the business of entertainment. Entertainment is about feeling and experience.

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

I don't get it. You're being paid to represent the company, not yourself. Follow the rules or seek employment elsewhere.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

There have been multiple different looks into this by multiple different large companies and there is a visible link between the morale improvement that comes from less strict dress code and the quality of their work.

Can you recommend a good one to check out? I’d be interested to read it.

I haven’t personally noticed an improvement at Disney since disney look standards have been relaxed.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

In-n-Out workers are not tasked with creating an experience, and their level of happiness and the morale of the staff does not really have much of an impact on what the guest walks away with short of it lessening the quality of their food.

Definitely disagree with this - in-n-out IS the experience! Haha

 

[danlb_2000]

I don't get it. You're being paid to represent the company, not yourself. Follow the rules or seek employment elsewhere.

I assume these changes are happing so that employees don't go somewhere else.

 

[Gringrinngghost]

Do you know when this starts?

Since that effect has only been at Universal Orlando, it’s valid as of November 14th. There are TMs are already looking to get their hair dyed as they have the ability to self-express more now.

It’s only going to be a matter of time before Disney is going to do the same thing.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I don't get it. You're being paid to represent the company, not yourself. Follow the rules or seek employment elsewhere.

Bingo

 

[LittleBuford]

I don't get it. You're being paid to represent the company, not yourself. Follow the rules or seek employment elsewhere.

My impression of the company doesn’t clash with a more relaxed dress code, though. Your statement assumes that there is a single, objective understanding of what Disney represents, but there clearly isn’t.

 

[networkpro]

My impression of the company doesn’t clash with a more relaxed dress code, though. Your statement assumes that there is a single, objective understanding of what Disney represents, but there clearly isn’t.

Perhaps

 

[Angel Ariel]

I'm not sure liberal families WANT children to see that; I just think they don't care. Kids are going to see it in every day life anyways. I also don't think tattoos, piercings, or hair dye is an extreme look -- tattoos and piercings could be extreme depending on the volume, but someone having a single nose ring or one tattoo is something you'll probably see multiple times every day if you're just out and about in the world.

Also, there are plenty of conservatives with tattoos, and often a lot of them.

Regardless, I think Disney having some kind of standards makes sense, and certain positions should have stricter standards than others.

We were just there for a week and I honestly could not tell you what CMs looked like. I cared more about their service than what they looked like. clearly nothing detracted from the show. We didn't have any negative CM interactions all week, and had some excellent service. That's what the focus should be. Pink hair vs blonde doesn't change that.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

We were just there for a week and I honestly could not tell you what CMs looked like.

Really? You didn’t notice that the CM’s in the Japan Pavilion looked Japanese?

I hesitate to mention that some of the CM’s even looked like Mickey Mouse!!!!

 

[Angel Ariel]

Really? You didn’t notice that the CM’s in the Japan Pavilion looked Japanese?

I hesitate to mention that some of the CM’s even looked like Mickey Mouse!!!!

Yep, that's totally what I meant

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Yep, that's totally what I meant

I wasn’t trying to be overly snarky… we all have different types of memories too. I haven’t been in a couple months (sadly!) and I can still remember what several CM’s look like including hair style, if they wore glasses, etc.

 

[James Alucobond]

We were just there for a week and I honestly could not tell you what CMs looked like. I cared more about their service than what they looked like. clearly nothing detracted from the show. We didn't have any negative CM interactions all week, and had some excellent service. That's what the focus should be. Pink hair vs blonde doesn't change that.

The cast are meant to be part of the theming. If they're not, they may as well not wear land-specific costumes either. In my opinion, their personal appearance should match the costume they're wearing. Your statement of appearance not mattering as long as the service is good is equivalent to saying lapses in theming don't matter as long as the rides are fun, which is a valid position to hold but does not match the standard to which Disney traditionally held itself. As they abandon or relax that standard, people are naturally going to see it as an erosion of the experience. I know it would be a logistical nightmare, but I wish people who wanted to have a more "modern" look could be placed in roles in EPCOT, Tomorrowland, Animal Kingdom, etc.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

I'm rather curious if this change happened at WDW, too, but I noticed a week or so ago at DLR that all the Fairy Godmother's assistants - or whatever they are called at the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Bootique - were suddenly wearing pants instead of skirts.