Male Cast Member Costumes

[Chi84]

And that's the problem. Some people care a lot, some are sorta there, other could care less. Now takes those attitudes and magnify them across the spectrum of the Disney business and what guests end up with. Disney doesn't feel the need to conform to any one group because there isn't consensus. So the parks end up with wishy washy policies and procedures that get debated about here for pages and pages. AND NOT A DAMN THING CHANGES. Except maybe a decline of a couple more degrees . . .

Disney has just adopted a new dress code. I’m not sure why things need to change.

 

[mkt]

other could care less

I'm generally there. Oddly enough, the sunglass argument is the one I can sort of agree with - if the sunglasses are distracting from the theming, they should go.

Unfortunately, I also recognize that Disney doesn't provide costume sunglasses and the CMs are paid low enough that they literally might not have an extra few bucks to buy a cheap pair of more neutral sunglasses. Which is why I let it go.

 

[Chi84]

I hope I don’t regret jumping into this thread but I do loves me some philosophical questions.

“Inclusivity” is a vague term, like “freedom”. We obviously can’t have absolute inclusivity because it would mean embracing everyone from fascists to violent sociopaths. I mean I guess we could do that, but then a totalitarian type would just take over and create a totally un-inclusive society. When we say inclusivity, it’s about making a particular circle bigger but still with boundaries where people are excluded. In the paradigm we’re discussing here, older more conservative views are the excluded. This paradigm is most decidedly not more inclusive to them. You will sometimes hear people complain that this means we have diversity of more superficial characteristics like what one is wearing, but not “diversity of viewpoints”.

My personal point of view - I am old enough (mid 40s) that at a visceral level, cis men in women’s dresses strikes me as esoteric (transgender men wouldn’t strike me as unusual.) Akin to, I don’t know, cast members wearing giant inflatable flamingo hats or something. However, I feel that it would be hypocritical of me not to support cast members wearing whatever costume they want - so I feel it’s “on me”, in this case, to realize I just grew up in a different time and work on getting over my reaction. That said… I also have a hard time thinking we should demonize some sweet grey haired grandma and grandpa from the midwest as bigots because they think a man in a dress at the Magic Kingdom - the epitome of squeaky clean all American life - is shocking. I think at some point you give people some grace and say, hey, they were just raised in a totally different time, change isn’t easy, let’s not demand that a 60 or 70 something who can’t adjust to radically altered social norms at the drop of a hat is some kind of hateful xenophobe. They were enculturated for decades with certain norms, I think change being difficult and often anxiety-producing when the world suddenly looks very different is natural.

I agree. Earlier on I pointed out that people of normal sensibilities could easily be shocked by some of the recent changes. “Grace” is a nice way to put it

 

[MisterPenguin]

Solution:

Every CM from now on will be in a 'fur costume.'

The character costumes with the giant heads and bulky fur onesie will easily hide purple hair, tattoos, black nail polish, bodily shapes, and exposed ankles. It will be impossible to know a CMs gender or race or age.

From the ticket booth staffed by Sully to the server at Be Our Guest in a Queen of Hearts costume, the personal looks of the human beings serving you will be covered up and no longer a nuisance to one's enjoyment of the parks.

/solved.

 

[MisterPenguin]

"The New Look" is now almost two years old.

Parks are as full as ever.

 

[mkt]

Every CM from now on will be in a 'fur costume.'

No.

NO.

During my time in WDW as friends with Tigger, one person on this board thought I was a "furry" and sent me some rather creepy messages.

No dude. It was a job, not a lifestyle. Creepy mofugger.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

"The New Look" is now almost two years old.

Parks are as full as ever.

Paint is also peeling off of deluxe resorts and the resorts are completely sold out this week.

 

[Lilofan]

Disney has just adopted a new dress code. I’m not sure why things need to change.

I would think cast member feedback - You said We Listened.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Back to the original post. Then it's time to put everyone in unisex costumes with shirts and pants/shorts. This is the only way to be truly inclusive for everyone -- for the cast members and for the guests. Hopefully, this is where this is headed.

All to avoid seeing a man in a dress?

 

[Goofyernmost]

I can see an issue with the jewelry, but anyone living in FL (and many other places) should be wearing sunglasses to protect their eyes. This, from the Mayo,

Wear sunglasses. Ultraviolet light from the sun may contribute to the development of cataracts. Wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet B (UVB) rays when you're outdoors.

Your future self may thank you.

Show before blindness I always say! No, actually I don't, but it does amaze me just how many people couldn't care less about harm happening to others to not burst their entertainment bubble.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Damn.

GASP!

 

[Goofyernmost]

My life is so much better than I ever dreamed it could be.

Even though I am content with how my life went and were it has gotten, it is nowhere near what I dreamt it might be. But sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you.

 

[Goofyernmost]

So do people care what a CM looks like or not? Is that ok or not

I've never noticed what a CM looks like. I'm more focused on how much they seem to be concerned about my concerns as a paying customer. (or what we will laughingly call "guest") A number of years (still in the 2010's) I went to WDW and had a question about direction from any CM available. I was standing there waiting for a group of four to stop chatting amongst themselves and look my way or at least be curious as to why I was standing there. They never did so I moved on. Later that week I went to Universal and there is an area around the Dr. Seuss area that can get confusing when it comes to direction and I just stopped for a second to get my bearings and immediately one of their team members came up to me and asked if I needed any help. I explained my problem and was given the answer then asked where I was from (turned out they were from New England like myself) and how I was enjoying my visit. We chatted for a few minutes and went on our way. A small thing but something that I have remembered. It was at that point that I first felt that Universal had become what Disney once was.

 

[Goofyernmost]

So what's wrong with putting everyone in unisex pants/shorts? Wouldn't that make everyone happy?

How about everyone in kilts? Wouldn't that make everyone happy?

 

[mkt]

GASP!

Damn.

 

[mkt]

How about everyone in kilts? Wouldn't that make everyone happy?

It'd be breezy in the summer, but too cold in winter.

 

[mkt]

My life is so much better than I ever dreamed it could be.

I'm generally content with my life, but there's no arguing that opportunities are harder to come by for my generation and the ones after it.

Right now, with a higher level of education and statistically greater productivity than my baby boomer era colleagues, I am earning comparatively less than they were at the same point in their careers while paying more for basic necessities. Oh, and some of them have pensions, I have a 401k which is depressingly low.

 

[Lilofan]

I'm generally content with my life, but there's no arguing that opportunities are harder to come by for my generation and the ones after it.

Right now, with a higher level of education and statistically greater productivity than my baby boomer era colleagues, I am earning comparatively less than they were at the same point in their careers while paying more for basic necessities. Oh, and some of them have pensions, I have a 401k which is depressingly low.

I'm lucky to collect my pension. Years later we had a new CEO that eliminated the pension plan and the option was to contribute to 401K to save for retirement. Pensions are a way to go, if one serves their country in the military after 20 years. One of my former peers collected his pension right after he retired from the Navy then worked full time at another job. Big difference working 15 hours a day 7 days a week while on a aircraft carrier for several months then going to a civilian job working 45-50 hours a week, weekends off.

 

[mkt]

I'm lucky to collect my pension. Years later we had a new CEO that eliminated the pension plan and the option was to contribute to 401K to save for retirement. Pensions are a way to go, if one serves their country in the military after 20 years. One of my former peers collected his pension right after he retired from the Navy then worked full time at another job. Big difference working 15 hours a day 7 days a week while on a aircraft carrier for several months then going to a civilian job working 45-50 hours a week, weekends off.

I have a cousin who just retired from the Air Force after 20 years (at age 38) and is collecting a pension already, while working full-time now for the post office.

Maybe I should've gone in the military.

 

[Lilofan]

I have a cousin who just retired from the Air Force after 20 years (at age 38) and is collecting a pension already, while working full-time now for the post office.

Maybe I should've gone in the military.

Your cousin after 20 years as a federal employee can retire and collect his second pension at age 58.