Disney World would not be as magical as it is if it were not for Cast Members!
Magic Kingdom Cast Members
Cast Members create magic moments daily and are always there to help you and your family have a fun and memorable trip! While Cast Members are there to make magic, they also have to follow a strict set of rules, and now there are even newer rules that Cast Members have to follow.
Many members of the DFB team used to be Cast Members and from time to time, they give us an inside look at what it was like to work at the Most Magical Place on Earth. Cast Members have dress code rules to follow, like what color shoes and socks they are allowed to wear with their costume. There are also even rules on what kind of gifts Cast Members are allowed to accept. While a lot of these rules are well known, there are three new rules that Cast Members now must follow.
We love Cast Members!
This is less of a new rule and more like a relaxed rule change. Cast Member appearance rules have been getting updated throughout the last few years with Disney’s newest key, the Inclusivity Key.
EPCOT Cast Members
©Disney Addition of the Inclusion Key
With the addition of the Inclusion key, Cast Member rules on nail polish, facial hair, hairstyles, and even tattoos have started to be relaxed. If a role or location has multiple costume choices, Cast Members may choose from any of them, as costumes are now genderless.
Cast Members
If you want to learn more about the Five Keys, you can take the Keys to the Kingdom Tour at Magic Kingdom! This five-hour walking tour gives you a look backstage and even takes you into the utilidors, which are Magic Kingdom’s not-so-secret underground tunnels for Cast Members to move to different areas of the park!
Learn All About The Keys to The Kingdom Tour Here!
You may have started to notice more Cast Members with tattoos, and it is not because they all randomly decided to get tattoos together but because Disney is now letting Cast Members show off their ink without having to cover it!
This Cast Member doesn’t have to cover up the ink anymore!
There is an exception to this rule change: Tattoos bigger than the size of the Cast Member’s extended hand must be covered, but we have seen in some cases that larger tattoos have been allowed to be shown. Tattoos on the face or neck must be covered regardless of size. Tattoos also must be appropriate and not offensive.
Cast Member tattoo
We think this rule change is a great way for Cast Members to be able to express themselves and not have to stress about covering their tattoos!
Cast Members at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Cast Member pin trading is back in Disney World after being on hiatus for years!
Cast Members creating magic
Disney pin trading has been around for about 25 years, and one of the best parts about pin trading is getting to interact with Cast Members! As of April of this year, you are now able to approach a Cast Member with their own personal pins and ask to trade, similar to the pin boards, except this is one-on-one with the Cast Member!
Cast Members trading pins
While these rules were in place before the pandemic, it can be new for some Cast Members as Cast Member pin trading just came back.
Time to trade!
Cast Members can only trade two pins at a time. They are also not allowed to say no to a trade, even if they really love the pin that you are trading for. Cast Members are also expected to hand you the traded pin, as the guest is not allowed to touch or take off the pins on the Cast Member’s lanyard.
Click Here to See Two of the BEST Pin Trading Places in Disney World!
It is so great that this offering is back, opening the door for more fun interactions with Cast Members!
Pin Trading
Cast Member previews for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure just wrapped up, as the attraction will officially open to the public on June 28th!
Tiana!
This attraction is expected to be very popular, especially right as it opens, and Disney is prepared to combat the long lines. Disney has already announced that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be using a Virtual Queue.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
In the past, Cast Members have been able to make exceptions for their off-duty Cast Member friends to use the Lightning Lane line or Virtual Queue line to ride an attraction. That will not be the case when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Cast Members in attractions who have been training at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure have been told that they cannot let their friends, even as off-duty Cast Member friends, in the line if they do not have a boarding pass obtained through Virtual Queue or a Lightning Lane return time.
Time to make a splash!
This is being done to ensure that the line can move as quickly and efficiently as possible, as efficiency is one of the five keys.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure queue
Cast Members are there to help you whenever you need them! As always, just remember to be kind! If you have a great interaction with a Cast Member, you can give them a Cast Compliment to thank them for their hard work!
Five Confessions from a Former Haunted Mansion Cast Member!
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Yeah trading pins was an interesting experience for me before the pandemic. I was speaking to a cast member when two people ran up to them and “assaulted” them for the pins. Oh wait, it’s called trading pins. I was simply stunned and a bit freaked out but the cast member reassured me that it was ok, she was used to it. Cast members are amazing as let me tell you, I would have reacted quite differently had it been me. I was not amused.
The relaxation of the appearance rules is a travesty. Tattoos, wildly colored hair, un-kept beards , piercings, etc. have no place among most Disney workers. They’re called cast members for a reason, they’re playing a role and should fit in with the attraction or location they’re working in. That’s part of what used to make Disney special and made the cast members special.
The last time we were there hardly anyone told us to “Have a magical day!” I am wondering if this rule has been relaxed as well. To be honest, I missed hearing it. Hearing “have a wonderful rest of your day” is what we all hear constantly. Small detail but I liked the magic!
The pins cast members trade are not their personal pins. They get them from one of their leaders.
Not a fan of the relaxed hairstyle/tattoo rules. You wanted your employees to look a certain way to reflect your company. Stick to it. If it is too restrictive for someone, they don’t have to work there.
I worked at WDW in the tickets department in 1979/80. My Coworker was sunburned and not allowed to work her shift. My sister was considered too overweight to be hired since the costumes were not accommodating. She was only a size 16 at the time. Boy have things changed for the employees!
Oh. Tattoos….how great. Gotta love that Six Flags vibe.
In an inclusive sort of way, I don’t mind reasonable tattoos… realizing that our daughter, who’s a tattoo artist (and apparently a very good one) has some ink I just plain don’t like. And I suspect she’d not meet the Disney constraints either. Hair styles don’t bother me. I’m familiar with grooming requirements for military, but while we ARE talking Magic, it’s not DoD and their requirements (which, I must note, are relaxing right now, too).Overall, I’m OK with the changes.