News Disney World Cast Member unions to begin week of negotiations for wage increases, healthcare costs and more

[Alanzo]

Why would we not?

The military enforces a clean cut hairstyle as part of their grooming standards to maintain a uniform and professional appearance. The strict adherence to a particular hairstyle is seen as necessary for discipline, unity, and safety. It can also help to identify individuals as members of the military and promote a sense of pride and camaraderie among service members.

However, for customer-facing Walt Disney World cast members, a clean-cut hairstyle might not be appropriate because it may not align with the theme or image of the company. Disney strives to create a magical and welcoming environment for their guests, and a strict hairstyle policy may detract from that image. Disney's dress code is designed to allow cast members to express their individuality while still maintaining a professional appearance that is consistent with the company's image and values.

In short, while a strict hairstyle policy may be appropriate for the military, it may not align with the values and image of customer-facing roles in other industries, such as the hospitality industry, where individuality and self-expression are often encouraged.

 

[LittleBuford]

Why would we not?

Because a theme park is supposed to be about lighthearted enjoyment, conviviality, and (in the case of Disney) "magic". Those aren't qualities I associate with the military.

 

[mkt]

Walt Disney modeled the Disney look after military uniform standards.

The military still has those standards by the way.

Times change.

 

[Chi84]

Walt Disney modeled the Disney look after military uniform standards.

The military still has those standards by the way.

Army announces new grooming, appearance standards

New changes to grooming and appearance standards are slated to take effect next month.

www.army.mil

Even the military is changing to adopt more modern looks.

 

[Grimley1968]

While I'd want a real life version of Gunny Highway protecting my country, I'm not sure that'd be my preferred look or personality of a front facing CM.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Army announces new grooming, appearance standards

New changes to grooming and appearance standards are slated to take effect next month.

www.army.mil

Even the military is changing to adopt more modern looks.

That’s not a public link apparently…. I’m interested what the changes include though.

 

[MadderAdder]

That’s not a public link apparently…. I’m interested what the changes include though.

I can read it?

 

[Chi84]

That’s not a public link apparently…. I’m interested what the changes include though.

Hair & Appearance Guidelines

Army service requires a well-groomed and professional appearance. Regulations are considerate of religious beliefs and cultural expression.

www.goarmy.com

 

[mkt]

That’s not a public link apparently…. I’m interested what the changes include though.

I can read it, but just in case, here's a mirrored version

Army announces new grooming, appearance standards | Article | The Uni…

archived 22 Feb 2023 21:10:55 UTC

archive.is

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

In short, while a strict hairstyle policy may be appropriate for the military, it may not align with the values and image of customer-facing roles in other industries, such as the hospitality industry, where individuality and self-expression are often encouraged.

For the worlds leading tourist attraction, professional and uniform appearance was and still should be a priority.

The 60’s were all about “self-expression” and yet Walt and other Disney executives believed in a professional and uniform appearance for cast members.

“Self expression” isn’t new.

Because a theme park is supposed to be about lighthearted enjoyment, conviviality, and (in the case of Disney) "magic". Those aren't qualities I associate with the military.

In general, military appearance doesn’t contradict any of that. For some people, “military men” are the very definition of enjoyment and magic

 

[ToTBellHop]

While the look may have started with the military, I think it was maintained into the 1990s and 2000s at WDW as they sought to maintain a myth that CMs are not real people (which required no tattoos, nail polish/jewelry limits, etc.) but are instead “actors” cast in a role. It is not unreasonable for a role to limit such things.

But, they aren’t actors and there aren’t enough people in Central Florida who will work for Disney wages with those old rules.

I don’t really believe it was about inclusivity so much as it was about having an adequate workforce. Not many will wear a long-sleeve shirt as a Jungle Cruise skipper at those wages to cover a tattoo. Changing the rules was easier than raising starting pay to $20.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I'd definitely call the patience to deal with thousands of entitled tourists a skill.

Patience is a trait, not a skill, you either have it or you don’t, it’s not something that can generally be trained.

I think people mistakenly equate unskilled with easy, which couldn’t be further from the truth, most unskilled jobs are difficult, they just don’t require a ton of training.

I’ve worked many unskilled jobs I wouldn’t wish on anyone, I put tires on treadmills, 8 hours a day of grabbing a wheel, a bolt, and a nut, and then using an air wrench to apply it while the line never stopped, repeat thousands of times a day, it was tedious and my hands ached constantly.

I also cut Swiss cheese at a cheese plant, 8 hours a day of moving a huge block of cheese 4 inches and using a wire to cut it into smaller pieces for the next person to cut into even smaller pieces. No matter how much I washed I smelled like cheese and my arms never stopped aching.

Fortunately I escaped that life in my 20s when I got into call centers, and later bartending, unskilled jobs that pay much better, because I don’t think I’d have survived doing line work.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

Patience is a trait, not a skill, you either have it or you don’t, it’s not something that can generally be trained.

I think people mistakenly equate unskilled with easy, which couldn’t be further from the truth, most unskilled jobs are difficult, they just don’t require a ton of training.

I’ve worked many unskilled jobs I wouldn’t wish on anyone, I put tires on treadmills, 8 hours a day of grabbing a wheel, a bolt, and a nut, and then using an air wrench to apply it while the line never stopped, repeat thousands of times a day, it was tedious and my hands ached constantly.

I also cut Swiss cheese at a cheese plant, 8 hours a day of moving a huge block of cheese 4 inches and using a wire to cut it into smaller pieces for the next person to cut into even smaller pieces. No matter how much I washed I smelled like cheese and my arms never stopped aching.

Fortunately I escaped that life in my 20s when I got into call centers, and later bartending, unskilled jobs that pay much better, because I don’t think I’d have survived doing line work.

What kind of BS is this? Of course patience is a skill. You learn to develop it, to increase your attention span as you grow. Kids aren't born with patience that stays with them through their lives. Young kids generally start with the attention span and patience of a gnat...or a small child. But as they grow and mature, and learn they develop patience. Some people just actually work harder at it than others.

 

[LittleBuford]

In general, military appearance doesn’t contradict any of that. For some people, “military men” are the very definition of enjoyment and magic

That's a weird place to take the conversation. I think you understood what I meant. I'm puzzled that you would disagree with the view that a military vibe doesn't exactly scream Disney.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

What kind of BS is this? Of course patience is a skill. You learn to develop it, to increase your attention span as you grow. Kids aren't born with patience that stays with them through their lives. Young kids generally start with the attention span and patience of a gnat...or a small child. But as they grow and mature, and learn they develop patience. Some people just actually work harder at it than others.

Patience develops as we mature, it’s not something taught in a classroom.

There are tips and tricks that can be learned but ultimately you have it or you don’t.

 

[Drdcm]

In all honesty, with no judgement implied at all. This thread is super fascinating as to what can happen on forums when one thought leads into another. I never would have imagined a thread about the Disney CM Union negations would move in a direction towards discussing recent modernization of military hair styles.

 

[Alanzo]

For the worlds leading tourist attraction, professional and uniform appearance was and still should be a priority.

The 60’s were all about “self-expression” and yet Walt and other Disney executives believed in a professional and uniform appearance for cast members.

“Self expression” isn’t new.

In general, military appearance doesn’t contradict any of that. For some people, “military men” are the very definition of enjoyment and magic

Your reply contains several logical fallacies, which unfortunately weaken your message.

Firstly, the idea that a professional and uniform appearance is necessary for a leading tourist attraction (appeal to tradition) is not inherently true simply because it has been done this way for a long time. It is important to evaluate the reasons for maintaining such standards and whether they are still relevant and effective.

Secondly, your statement that the 60s were all about self-expression presents a false dilemma (false dichotomy), as it is possible to have both self-expression and a professional appearance. The two are not mutually exclusive and can coexist. In fact, allowing employees to express their individuality while maintaining a professional appearance can improve job satisfaction and overall performance!

Finally, your argument that 'self-expression isn't new' misrepresents the issue at hand (strawman), which is whether a strict hairstyle policy is appropriate for Disney cast members. The question is not whether self-expression is a new concept, but rather whether a strict policy is necessary for achieving the desired level of professionalism and image for Disney.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

That's a weird place to take the conversation. I think you understood what I meant. I'm puzzled that you would disagree with the view that a military vibe doesn't exactly scream Disney.

Well… Walt himself thought the uniform and professional appearance of the military fit Disneyland.

But… lots of things Walt liked have been stripped away from the parks and the company.

Let me also add that I recently took a cruise with Virgin and noticed how they allow and seemingly encourage extreme hair styles, tattoos, piercings, etc. which all other cruise lines do not. It fits their brand of being “hip, sexy, and edgy” but I still felt that in some cases it gave off a less professional vibe. That's my view.

 

[Drdcm]

Your reply contains several logical fallacies, which unfortunately weaken your message.

Firstly, the idea that a professional and uniform appearance is necessary for a leading tourist attraction (appeal to tradition) is not inherently true simply because it has been done this way for a long time. It is important to evaluate the reasons for maintaining such standards and whether they are still relevant and effective.

Secondly, your statement that the 60s were all about self-expression presents a false dilemma (false dichotomy), as it is possible to have both self-expression and a professional appearance. The two are not mutually exclusive and can coexist. In fact, allowing employees to express their individuality while maintaining a professional appearance can improve job satisfaction and overall performance!

Finally, your argument that 'self-expression isn't new' misrepresents the issue at hand (strawman), which is whether a strict hairstyle policy is appropriate for Disney cast members. The question is not whether self-expression is a new concept, but rather whether a strict policy is necessary for achieving the desired level of professionalism and image for Disney.

Just playing… but this in itself is an argument from fallacy. You are discounting his conclusions because of fallacy rather than arguing your points. Touché?

 

[LittleBuford]

Well… Walt himself thought the uniform and professional appearance of the military fit Disneyland.

Honestly, I don't much care what Walt felt was appropriate over half a century ago now. Times and standards change. Below is a photo of how female CMs on Main Street used to dress at one point:

To modern eyes (or to my modern eyes, at least), their attire seems strangely sexualised, a relic of a time when "girls" were expected to look "pretty" for their male employers. This is how the same costume looks today:

Ignoring societal shifts is a bad strategy for any business, and especially one like Disney that is all about engaging the public.