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CM impersonation?

copcarguyp71

copcarguyp71

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I was checking out some of the stuff on eBay on the clearinghouse listings from the companies that sell decommissioned stuff from the parks and it got me to thinking. I am surprised that Disney has let so much out there on the market in terms of uniforms. It just seems like you could buy these and then with enough forethought and knowledge (easily attainable on the interweb) gain entrance to the parks and to CM only areas very easily this way and it just surprised me that they do not clamp down more on the sale of these items.Of course someone could easily stitch up their own version to do the same thing but it seems to me that Disney is being a little lax in this regard.

or...maybe I just have a criminal mind:devilish:
 
horizons82

horizons82

Well-Known Member
I've heard different things about the CM's uniforms...do CMs get to take them home or not?

I was always under the impression that they are supposed to leave their uniforms at WDW and they get laundered and serviced and when they arrive at work they have to pick up their uniforms and then turn them back in at the end of the day.

Obviously this won't stop some things and/or uniforms from being taken home, but I'd like to know if this is how CMs handle their uniforms and that they (the uniforms) are not really supposed to leave the park.
 
Uncle Orville

Uncle Orville

Well-Known Member
I bought a toy story mania cm shirt from theme park connections, but I know better than to wear it to the park, especially trying to get backstage. I really don't want to get kicked out of the park.
 
copcarguyp71

copcarguyp71

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
horizons82 said:
I've heard different things about the CM's uniforms...do CMs get to take them home or not?

I was always under the impression that they are supposed to leave their uniforms at WDW and they get laundered and serviced and when they arrive at work they have to pick up their uniforms and then turn them back in at the end of the day.

Obviously this won't stop some things and/or uniforms from being taken home, but I'd like to know if this is how CMs handle their uniforms and that they (the uniforms) are not really supposed to leave the park.
Click to expand...

These ones I saw were actually sold by Disney as surplus I am supposing since the seller is a company that seems like they specifically deal in the retired disney-goods market that this is authorized sales. I understand that it will not get you into the parks but I was more concerned with where you could get within the parks. Maybe this is all too risque a discussion so mods may shut me down on this but it just brought to mind interesting security questions for folks who may have more nefarious intent.
 
horizons82

horizons82

Well-Known Member
I find this rather interesting topic and I'm sure it's certainly not the first time this has been discussed or thought about. I had wondered how tight of a reign WDW kept in terms of CM uniforms and making sure they are accounted for.
 
horizons82

horizons82

Well-Known Member
A barcode seems likely, but then that makes me wonder if a specific uniform is always attached to a specific CM or if a CM just goes to work, finds their size and whatever uniform they get is just taken from a pool of uniforms from that particular size.

Example...let's say I'm a CM who works the monorail and wears a monorail uniform. Do I get the exact same uniform every time I work, or do I get any monorail uniform as long as it's the size I need?
 
C

CaptainShortty

Well-Known Member
horizons82 said:
I've heard different things about the CM's uniforms...do CMs get to take them home or not?

I was always under the impression that they are supposed to leave their uniforms at WDW and they get laundered and serviced and when they arrive at work they have to pick up their uniforms and then turn them back in at the end of the day.

Obviously this won't stop some things and/or uniforms from being taken home, but I'd like to know if this is how CMs handle their uniforms and that they (the uniforms) are not really supposed to leave the park.
Click to expand...

CMs are more than welcome to take their costumes home and launder them themselves. We do have the option of giving them to costuming to launder for us but more take them home. CMs are allowed to take multiple of the same costume out at a time and often (from my experience) will take out a few, wear them over a few days, return the few dirty ones and take out a few more. Very few CMs take out a costume, wear it to work and then return it the same day.

And, as far as the costume, it isn't really what would get you backstage. You are required to have your CM ID on you whenever you are in a backstage area and there are multiple points where it needs to be scanned to gain entrance to different areas as well as codes, locks, etc on more secure areas. Additionally, CMs are only given access to those areas in which they need to given their job classification.
 
horizons82

horizons82

Well-Known Member
CaptainShortty said:
CMs are more than welcome to take their costumes home and launder them themselves. We do have the option of giving them to costuming to launder for us but more take them home. CMs are allowed to take multiple of the same costume out at a time and often (from my experience) will take out a few, wear them over a few days, return the few dirty ones and take out a few more. Very few CMs take out a costume, wear it to work and then return it the same day.

And, as far as the costume, it isn't really what would get you backstage. You are required to have your CM ID on you whenever you are in a backstage area and there are multiple points where it needs to be scanned to gain entrance to different areas as well as codes, locks, etc on more secure areas. Additionally, CMs are only given access to those areas in which they need to given their job classification.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for this informative infomation...really appreciate it as I was interested to see how CM uniforms worked. Thanks!
 
Tom

Tom

Beta Return
horizons82 said:
I find this rather interesting topic and I'm sure it's certainly not the first time this has been discussed or thought about. I had wondered how tight of a reign WDW kept in terms of CM uniforms and making sure they are accounted for.
Click to expand...

Very tight reign. Every piece of costuming has an RFID chip in it. When you check out your costume(s), you walk through a portal and it scans them all out to you. If all pieces don't come back, you're in trouble.
 
Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
It used to be that CM's weren't allowed to take their costumes home. They had to pick them up and change into them at work, and then return them when they left. The only CM's allowed to take their costumes home and launder them themselves were those with a medical dispensation where the detergents Disney used were an allergy issue.

At some point in the early 2000's they introduced "Cast Zooming" in Disneyland were they'd allow most CM's to take their costumes home with them. The practice then spread to WDW, and operates as CaptainShortty reported above. (This was also about the time that MK Costuming was moved from the Utilidors to up near the cast parking lot)

There's still restrictions for some CM's, though. Entertainment CM's aren't allowed to take their costumes home, for example.

-Rob
 
copcarguyp71

copcarguyp71

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Regardless of how they keep track of the uniforms while they are issued to CM's which honestly probably has more to do with $$$ and not letting CM's lose them and not be held accountable I am still kind of in shock that I could purchase a CM uniform for say The Polynesian and easily wander into a guest room while it is being cleaned for whatever dark reasons I may have and that it was all made possible because Disney sells off their uniforms instead of simply destroying them. I guess maybe I have a devious mind after working 20 years around law enforcement but it is a harsh reality that there are always bottom feeders looking for a meal.
 
J

Jakester

Well-Known Member
I personally don't think Disney themselfs sell the cast uniforms. I have seen them on EBay myself. I'm guessing they were basically looted from the company by unloyal CMs.
 
TubaGeek

TubaGeek

God bless the "Ignore" button.
Forget having a costume: if you just ACT like you belong backstage, you're very unlikely to even be questioned. Also, I know a great many FORMER CMs that have entire costumes stached away from their work areas, even some in Entertainment... If someone really wants to risk it, it wouldn't be that hard to do.

And regarding taking costumes home: I'm a fan of the fact that people can keep and launder their own costumes, HOWEVER, I feel that the act of simply wearing them in public should be a fireable offense. Nothing ruins the novelty of a Haunted Mansion costume as much as seeing a butler at the Publix deli counter...
 

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