I DIDN’T MEAN TO! I swear. I didn’t mean to break the rules during my time as a Disney World Cast Member, but I did. And I got in a teensy bit of trouble for it.
Cinderella Castle
Cast Members have to abide by a lot of rules that a lot of folks probably don’t even think about. I mean, in the story I’m about to tell you, I didn’t even think about it and realize I was breaking a rule until it was a done deal. If you’re new to reading my Cast Member posts, I was a Disney College Program participant and was lucky enough to be placed at the Haunted Mansion. Yessirree, I used to be a Mansion Maid! Okay, I’ll quit stalling now. Here’s the embarrassing tale of how I broke the rules as a baby Cast Member!
Here’s the situation. As Cast Members, you get a pretty snazzy discount on hotel rooms. This makes staycations a highlight of any Cast Member’s time working for the Mouse! Well, I had booked a room at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and was STOKED — because my (then) fiance and his family were coming to visit for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. I had all my plans in line and all my ducks in a row when I discovered that there was a problem with my reservation — right as I was headed to work the day my ressies started.
Coronado Springs Resort
I swung by Coronado Springs to check in for my reservation (because of the Cast Member discount snafu), and I was rocking my trusty Haunted Mansion maid skirt because I was on the way to work. BUT I didn’t yet have on the iconic blouse, apron, bat, or my nametag. It’s HOT in Florida, so I waited until the last minute to put on all the garb. So, I headed in to check in for my reservation in the green skirt, Doc Marten boots, and a gray tank top. Totally innocent, right? WROOOOOOONG.
Coronado Springs
Apparently, even just the skirt itself is iconic enough for any Cast Member to recognize the Haunted Mansion costume a mile away (maybe not a mile, but definitely across the lobby). Let’s just say I got a friendly (but firm enough that I got a little sweaty and teary-eyed) reminder about the costume rule I had unintentionally broken.
Coronado Springs
Here’s the thing: they did tell us we could wear our costumes to and from work, as long as we ditched the nametags, but what I didn’t know (again, newbie Cast Member, remember?) was that Magic Kingdom has specific, non-universal costumes. This means you can only wear them within that land inside Magic Kingdom. And guess what? That rule extends to wearing them outside of the park too, as long as you’re on Disney World property.
Coronado Springs
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. If I had decided to stop for gas in my full-blown mansion maid getup (sans nametag), that would’ve been A-OK, but a casual stroll through Coronado Springs? Not so much.
The incredible Joel!
Let me emphasize that this was a completely unintentional rule break! It never happened again, and honestly, I never thought a long green skirt could be so recognizable. But hey, lesson learned!
Cast Members are the BEST
So, there you go. If you’ve ever wondered about some of the rules Cast Members have to follow even when off work, now you know. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.
I Was a Disney World Cast Member, and I’m Letting You In on a Lunch SECRET
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My cast member friend once took a cell phone picture of an interesting spider in a web. Unfortunately, it was backstage at Disneyland where absolutely no picture-taking is allowed. She was suspended for 2 weeks but came back all the wiser!
Back in my day, costumes had to be scanned out at the beginning of your shift and back in at the end. Security would stop you if you tried to leave with your costume on or packed in your bags. If they found anything (other than your name tag) that belonged to Disney, that was theft and grounds for immediate termination.
Resort stay discounts. That’s amazing. I work for Disney as an online Disney ding reservation agent (cast member). We get NO discounts at all. I wish Disney would give all Disney agent’s discounts. Only seems fair to me.