News New Changes Coming to the Disney Look 2021

[SoFloMagic]

Tattoos aren’t about theming - they are about the “Disney look” and “Disney difference.”

But so are costumes vs. polo shirts.

If you take away anything unique about the “Disney Look” it’s not the Disney look anymore is it?

They took away the hub trees. That was unique to the Magic Kingdom look. Things can change and yet still be the same thing. Magic Kingdom is still Magic Kingdom. The Disney Look is still the Disney Look, it's just been updated a bit. I don't think anyone will care, and if it makes any cast members feel more included or more comfortable being themselves, it's a big win.

"Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future" - Walt Disney

 

[el_super]

Ban sunglasses? No. Better align them with costumes? Absolutely. Heck, seeing as you can buy a decent pair for $20, I’d say a simple neutral pair of sunglasses could just be issued with one’s name tag. I don’t think you should be wearing a variety of personal affects be it sunglasses or necklaces or body art. I see it as a costume, a designed part of the show.

So if we can progress to a point where we see that there is SOME value in having Sunglasses, and agree that they can and should be regulated, why not extend the same to tattoos? Instead of having the discussion as an either for or against tattoos, why not compromise with some tattoos are OK and others are still not OK?

Radios? I’d definitely prefer they be selected, styled and obscured to work with the costumes and context. Ponchos? I’d prefer designed raincoats. I have an unhealthy ire towards those water bottle holders. I’m the guy who doesn’t like branded napkins because they break the immersion. I like Galaxy’s Edge having unique name tags and costume separates that can be mixed and matched. Why not let people express themselves through wider costume options?

They did this with Galaxy's Edge to some extent, making costume options that were sort of mix and match and allowing the CMs to create different looks with the various pieces. So it's definitely going in that direction (I hate the water bottles too, but see them as a necessary evil).

I’ve asked you this before, is a Br’er Rabbit tattoo something you consider appropriate? Guns? The Redhead? A Jungle Cruise tattoo that features elements now being removed? This isn’t meant as a gotcha but they’re examples of things that people do get as tattoos and depending on whether Disney is having their cake or eating it at that particular moment determines whether or not it is appropriate.

I don't think they're appropriate, but if I was being completely honest, I probably wouldn't notice them unless the CM pointed it out (which would be a whole other problem). I am comfortable saying that tattoos should be allowed, because I am OK with Disney taking the responsibility to decide what is and isn't appropriate for the park setting and working with Cast Members to accommodate them. Like I said, it's extra work, and it's definitely going to be hard, but I think that's a better position than an absolute 100% "No" in every scenario.

I am also not so naive as to believe that all Cast Members think and agree with the same things I do, whether or not they have a tattoo in my face stating it. Even if Disney somehow thought a Brer Rabbit tattoo was appropriate while I do not, if I saw one on a Cast Member, I don't know if I would care. As long as that Cast Member was still friendly and polite toward me, what politics his tattoos might be communicating seem somewhat irrelevant. Actions speak louder than words I guess.

 

[Lilofan]

That money the CM can’t accept is donated on behalf of the company.

Not unless one cleans your room. Housekeepers do a tough job and I tip them accordingly or leave them our leftover food.

 

[HarperRose]

Spot on and boy, people are working hard in this thread to make the point that CM's don't matter.

If CM's mattered to Disney, they'd get paid a decent living wage. Instead, they're thrown the bone of "expressing themselves" and you're all cheering like it's the best thing they've ever done.

 

[HarperRose]

That's a bit on the cynical side. If i were in casting, and had an otherwise perfect candidate in front of me, I would think it silly to have to tell them no based solely on a small tattoo or piecing they have. As these things become more common in society, it's going to be harder and harder to say no to otherwise good people and that's something that would weigh on me aside from any financial decisions.

CM's could have tattoos previously, they just had to be in a location they could be covered.

 

[John park hopper]

So glad Disney will allow tats now the Hells Angels can get a honest job

 

[TP2000]

Now now. I didn’t say that. I have no power here.

I just know something’s getting messy when frequent Disneyland boarders have found their way up here

That was a decision made by the owners/operators of this website.

A thread was started in the Disneyland forum yesterday afternoon by @chadwpalm and it existed for only 8 minutes before it was locked by the moderator with a specific instruction and link to come over to this forum/thread to discuss the changes to Disneyland CM grooming codes. I clicked that moderator link that brought me here, and that's no skin off my nose.

So here we are. At the specific instruction of the owner/operator of this website, discussing changes to CM grooming codes.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

They took away the hub trees. That was unique to the Magic Kingdom look. Things can change and yet still be the same thing. Magic Kingdom is still Magic Kingdom. The Disney Look is still the Disney Look, it's just been updated a bit.

Taking away the hub trees, and other changes around the hub, vastly changed the look and feel of The Magic Kingdom, though.

 

[jaklgreen]

Yes, on the way out of the parks greeted by a thank you, have a magical day, we should slip them a $5 bill. Here you go, I'm sorry your job sucks.

No, but you can acknowledge them, look them in the eye and tell them to have a good night. I see so many people just ignore the cast members as if they don't exist when they wish them a good/night, whatever. We always smile and tell them thank you when we leave because they are PEOPLE.

 

[TP2000]

People are saying that “this is not it what Walt wanted” and Walt made those decisions in the 1950s

To be fair to Walt, the grooming codes his management team instituted, called "The Disneyland Look" at the time, did not come along until the early 1960's. Even during the first couple of years, the grooming codes weren't in place to any real extent. Many of Disneyland's restaurants and retail were outsourced to other companies at first, and Walt couldn't really control their employees. That was one of the things he changed as soon as their leases started running out in the late 1950's.

The famous ban on mustaches didn't exist until 1957 or '58. Van Arland France, the director of the Disneyland University training department didn't codify a lot of what we now know as the basics of Disney theme park operation until the early 1960's.

There was a famous story that Van France would tell later in the 20th century, who knows if it's true or not, about Mrs. Disney seeing a young shop clerk going to her job at The Emporium with a very fashionable yet towering beehive hairdo, when those came into vogue around 1962. She complained to Walt that the girl looked too modern, and Walt told Van France to write new rules about ladies hairdo's into the Disneyland Look codes.

It was all part of the process. It didn't pop into immediate being on July 18th, 1955. It got going later in the 1950's, and didn't really gel into place until around 1961-63. By the time Walt took all those Disneyland managers to help operate the World's Fair pavilions in 1964, the Disneyland Look had been pretty much codified and understood as part of the park's foundational principles.

Later, the Disneyland Look standards were changed to the Disney Look standards after WDW opened and the same principles were brought out to Florida. They have evolved ever since as styles and standards change.

 

[chadwpalm]

That was a decision made by the owners/operators of this website.

A thread was started in the Disneyland forum yesterday afternoon by @chadwpalm and it existed for only 8 minutes before it was locked by the moderator with a specific instruction and link to come over to this forum/thread to discuss the changes to Disneyland CM grooming codes. I clicked that moderator link that brought me here, and that's no skin off my nose.

So here we are. At the specific instruction of the owner/operator of this website, discussing changes to CM grooming codes.

This baffled me as well. Is this not a company-wide subject? Should it not be in the Walt Disney Company > Disney Co News & Discussion area of the forum? Why is this topic only allowed to be talked about in the WDW subsection and not Disneyland? I don't ever come to this side of the board (I just don't care about WDW)........not that I would participate anyway as it's already 49 pages of political ideals that nobody is going to change each other's minds over, but still baffles me nonetheless.

Oh well. Carry on.

P.S. I'm only here now because I was tagged.

 

[TP2000]

For the record, the Disneyland Look standards were meant to make the CM blend in to the show, not be the show.

You were not supposed to be pulled out of the story and the show that the Imagineers had created by seeing CM's wearing the latest styles and blatant individuality. The CM's were not the stars, they were in the supporting roles. Disneyland was the star of the show, not the ride operators or the churro gal or the shop clerk.

"Disneyland is the star, everything else is in the supporting role." -Walt Disney, 1961

That message is now offensive to a generation of Americans who think they are always a winner and get a trophy for everything. I'm a star! I'm in the starring role! I'm very special and this place couldn't exist without me and my fabulous talents! And to pander to those CM's, Disney management has purposely aimed messaging at that thought that Disneyland is not the actual star, the girl selling churros is the star and why 100,000 customers show up there every day. To see her! The star of the show!




I could care less if a CM has a tattoo, but when they are acting in the role of a haunted mansion chambermaid or bobsled operator I don't want to see their tat of their dead abuelita staring me in the face. It's tacky.

That's what's different about this latest change. It allows CM's to not conceal or alter their grooming choices before they step out on stage in the parks. They can be a 1900's small town shop clerk with 2020's tats and hair and jewelry, an 1860's wild west cowboy at a runaway mine train with gorgeous pearl-drop earrings.

Previously, the CM's had to cover their tats and the man with the pearl-drop earrings had to take them off before he went to work in Frontierland. No more.

I think this is nothing but the lowering of grooming standards to try to avoid having to pay more to attract top talent.

 

[Oddysey]

The best part about kids is having this talk. "Because they want to." "Oh, okay." Kids literally don't care because they have no reason to think it's odd or strange unless you act like it is.

Let me preface the post to follow by saying that I am not worried (like the poster you responded to) about my child walking into Disney and seeing a man dressed how a woman would typically dress. I appreciate having open dialog with my child. I would prefer they ask me rather than someone else seeing as I am ultimately responsible for them. That said...

1. If it was not odd or strange to see someone dressed in this manner than the child would not ask the question in the first place. This negates the premise that how I act will determine whether my child finds it odd. They found it odd hence the question. Otherwise the question is not needed. I would agree that how I act could determine whether or not my child may accept the way the person is dressed as "ok" or should be viewed as "normal," but the question is spurned by the fact that my child finds it odd for a male to dress how the typical female may dress.

2. My 9 year old is exceptionally inquisitive and is not going to accept the "Because they want to" answer as a real answer. It will not satisfy her curiosity because she is intelligent enough to know that "because they want to" is not a real answer. She would be curious as to why I chose not to explain the issue and either continue to ask or file it away to be dealt with later. Children know when they are being dismissed just as well as adults do.

I do not mean this as a knock in any shape or form, but my assumption from your post is that you do not have children of your own? I obviously could be wrong, but your view seems to indicate that.

3. My answer to the question would be something like...

The person dressed in said manner has a condition where their brain perceives that they are female, but were given the body of a male. Consequently, they dress the way they feel most comfortable and what helps them feel better. I won't tell her how to feel about it. She will feel how she is going to feel. Children are much more intelligent than we often give them credit for.

4. I lean conservative, and I have my own issues with the policy but I realize that Disney is only evolving with the times. They are catering to a new generation who are creating new social norms and I may no longer be in their target demo. I am at peace with the fact that Disney is leaving me behind. I am thankful that I got countless years of enjoyment from their product and except that todays Disney is no longer my Disney. I will gladly step aside and let a new generation enjoy the "new" Disney. In fact, I was a 16 year passholder and made the decision to let my pass expire pre-Covid in 2020.

5. Whether I agree or disagree with someones lifestyle, I will always treat people who are different from me with respect. My hope is that my daughter will be kind hearted and accepting to others as well.

 

[UNCgolf]

Let me preface the post to follow by saying that I am not worried (like the poster you responded to) about my child walking into Disney and seeing a man dressed how a woman would typically dress. I appreciate having open dialog with my child. I would prefer they ask me rather than someone else seeing as I am ultimately responsible for them. That said...

1. If it was not odd or strange to see someone dressed in this manner than the child would not ask the question in the first place. This negates the premise that how I act will determine whether my child finds it odd. They found it odd hence the question. Otherwise the question is not needed. I would agree that how I act could determine whether or not my child may accept the way the person is dressed as "ok" or should be viewed as "normal," but the question is spurned by the fact that my child finds it odd for a male to dress how the typical female may dress.

2. My 9 year old is exceptionally inquisitive and is not going to accept the "Because they want to" answer as a real answer. It will not satisfy her curiosity because she is intelligent enough to know that "because they want to" is not a real answer. She would be curious as to why I chose not to explain the issue and either continue to ask or file it away to be dealt with later. Children know when they are being dismissed just as well as adults do.

I do not mean this as a knock in any shape or form, but my assumption from your post is that you do not have children of your own? I obviously could be wrong, but your view seems to indicate that.

3. My answer to the question would be something like...

The person dressed in said manner has a condition where their brain perceives that they are female, but were given the body of a male. Consequently, they dress the way they feel most comfortable and what helps them feel better. I won't tell her how to feel about it. She will feel how she is going to feel. Children are much more intelligent than we often give them credit for.

4. I lean conservative, and I have my own issues with the policy but I realize that Disney is only evolving with the times. They are catering to a new generation who are creating new social norms and I may no longer be in their target demo. I am at peace with the fact that Disney is leaving me behind. I am thankful that I got countless years of enjoyment from their product and except that todays Disney is no longer my Disney. I will gladly step aside and let a new generation enjoy the "new" Disney. In fact, I was a 16 year passholder and made the decision to let my pass expire pre-Covid in 2020.

5. Whether I agree or disagree with someones lifestyle, I will always treat people who are different from me with respect. My hope is that my daughter will be kind hearted and accepting to others as well.

That's not necessarily true, though -- there could be a man wearing a skirt because he thinks it's more comfortable; not because he's transgender.

 

[Nubs70]

No, but you can acknowledge them, look them in the eye and tell them to have a good night. I see so many people just ignore the cast members as if they don't exist when they wish them a good/night, whatever. We always smile and tell them thank you when we leave because they are PEOPLE.

I usually do say thank you as I pass by. It's a little awkward interrupting a conversation between two CM's.

 

[Oddysey]

That's not necessarily true, though -- there could be a man wearing a skirt because he thinks it's more comfortable; not because he's transgender.

Yes, this is the reason most men wear skirts

There is obviously an outlier in every situation. Let us not get stuck in the weeds as we both understand that men wearing skirts because they feel more comfortable airing the boys out is not what is being discussed here.

 

[WondersOfLife]

The thought process highlighted by the example is the same..

They literally are not

 

[TP2000]

This baffled me as well. Is this not a company-wide subject? Should it not be in the Walt Disney Company > Disney Co News & Discussion area of the forum? Why is this topic only allowed to be talked about in the WDW subsection and not Disneyland? I don't ever come to this side of the board (I just don't care about WDW)........not that I would participate anyway as it's already 49 pages of political ideals that nobody is going to change each other's minds over, but still baffles me nonetheless.

Oh well. Carry on.

P.S. I'm only here now because I was tagged.

No worries.

I'm not sure why we aren't allowed to talk about this in the Disneyland forum either. But I respect the owner of the site if that's his decision, and he made it convenient for us by linking to this discussion from the Disneyland forum.

It was just a response to @Disney Analyst who somehow objected to Disneyland regulars posting here on this forum, as though we needed to ask permission or something. I didn't really get it either, but at least it made me chuckle!

 

[WondersOfLife]

I feel like tattoos, jewelry, and more extremes of hair and facial hair can make cm’s Look less professional and less uniform.

And that's the thing... That's just an opinion. Other folks consider dressing as who you are professional. Others believe clean cut is professional. So it doesn't matter.

 

[UNCgolf]

Yes, this is the reason most men wear skirts

There is obviously an outlier in every situation. Let us not get stuck in the weeds as we both understand that men wearing skirts because they feel more comfortable airing the boys out is not what is being discussed here.

It's actually becoming one, which was my point. There have been NBA players and rappers wearing skirts (and even dresses) this year, and it's become a fashion thing -- fashion designers have been pushing it for a couple of decades actually -- there are guys starting to wear them in magazine spreads and other places.

I'm saying in the next few years you might see younger guys wearing them as a fashion statement rather as opposed to any other reason, so assuming the vast majority of guys in a skirt are transgender is probably not going to be true going forward.

Regardless, I do not think it's something you're going to see on a regular basis at a Disney park.