Disney Look changes at Tokyo Disney Resort for inclusivity

Disney Parks in the United States have implemented inclusive changes in stages over the past few years. In 2019, Disney allowed more options for jewelry and facial hair, which was the first major Disney Look change we had seen in many years.

Inclusion Key

In 2021, The Walt Disney Company announced the addition of the Inclusion Key to their four pillars of company success: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. This fifth key of company success was intended to round-up the company’s ideals for visitors and cast members alike. Since then, Disney has worked to change rides, shows, merchandise, announcements, events, and more to allow for more inclusive options.

Also in 2021, Disney changed their United States parks and resorts Disney Look policy again, allowing visible tattoos and eliminating gender requirements for employee costumes, hairstyles, and makeup.

Tokyo Disney Resort Disney Look Changes

The Tokyo Disney Resort is now also changing their Disney Look policy. These partial changes to the Disney Look appearance guidelines will eliminate the use of gender-specific descriptions, while at the same time relaxing some of the guidelines.

Until now, hairstyles and makeup were described separately by gender at the Tokyo Disney Resort. This information will be standardized for all cast members, regardless of gender. This change aligns with Disney’s Inclusion key and continues to be rolled out to Disney Parks and Resorts across the world.

Going forward, regulations regarding makeup will be unified for all cast members (regardless of gender), and guidelines for hair color and style will be relaxed to the extent that they meet the general appearance requirements for cast members.

In addition, unisex costuming will be introduced for some costumes in phases. This expansion of unisex costuming means some costumes will no longer be designated to a specific gender. The costumes will still complement theming throughout the resort and provide the needed functionality for cast members to perform their duties; however, this change will allow cast members to select costumes of their choice.

It’s important to note, the Tokyo Disney Resort is not owned by the Walt Disney Company, and is instead owned and operated by the Oriental Land Co. While everyday visitors may not notice a difference in the way the companies operate, legally they are separate. Therefore the decision for this update to the Disney Look was not forced on the Tokyo Disney Resort to align with the U.S.-based parks. This change for inclusion was chosen upon by the Tokyo Disney Resort as part of their “Vision for 2023.”

For example, Tokyo Disneyland has not announced any changes or closures for their Splash Mountain attraction, whereas the ride is being changed at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.