Disney loosens ‘Disney Look’ jewelry, facial hair rules for cast members
When it comes to being a cast member at the Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resorts, you’re expected to adhere to a set of appearance guidelines called the “Disney Look.” This week, those guidelines got an update.
The new guidelines relate to visible jewelry and men’s facial hair. Before the change, cast members were only allowed to wear medical alert bracelets and necklaces, in addition to rings, earrings, and a business-style watch, and men had to keep their facial hair trimmed to no longer than a quarter-inch.
With the update, the policy is a little looser. Now, cast members can wear one “modest visible bracelet in good taste” and one “modest visible necklace in good condition.”
For men looking to grow longer facial hair, their beards, mustaches, and goatees can now be up to one inch in length. Stubble during the growing-out process is now acceptable. Men previously had to wait until they were on vacation or away from work to grow their beards and mustaches.
Should cast members have to stick to the classic and professional Disney Look, or should they be allowed to express themselves with modern styles and accessories? Sound off in the comments below!
Just more watering down in quality to make up for a lack of labor force.
I’ve seen more inappropriate appearances on Park Guests (ie dirty feet in flip flops, shirts not covering a large belly, beards not even groomed and probably loaded with bacteria, etc) so who cares about a bracelet, necklace, earrings, piercings, facial hair – as long as a Cast Member is well groomed and in clean clothes!
When a quest pays the exorbitant prices for the Disney “experience,” its not too much to expect the cast members to be presentable. I agree with Mr. Nico…lack of work force & little self respect in cast members = loosened guidelines.
I recently spent 10 minutes looking at the jewelry (watches, Pandora) in MouseGears. The cast member behind the counter stood directly in front of me, leaning against the back counter and NEVER uttered a word! OMG, another human being is in front of me & I’m so scared I may have to speak to them!!! Pathetic!!! Can’t really call that guest service at all!
Hard disagree with all of the people saying the updates are due to a watered down work force and lack of decent candidates. I like red hair. Red hair is a naturally occurring hair color on a lot of people. It isn’t blue, or purple (but so what if it was?) Disney hired me as a brunette and thus denied my approval for changing my hair color to a natural shade of red because it was not my natural hair color, even if I said I would sign a contract agreeing to maintain the color and not let my roots show. This is ridiculous. It does not make me less presentable, less tidy, or less capable fo a worker to have red hair. Likewise, wearing a simple locket or charm necklace or family bracelet would not make me look less presentable.
Disney is losing there Magic touch that is expected by the gurests.
The new standards seem fine. They are still standards, but Disney should not loosen them further. It is good for guests to see the clean-cut look even if they don’t have it themselves. Modeling appropriate behavior and dress is a positive.
These new guidelines are hardly radical. For those in the comments taking about “watering down” in quality, I truly would like to know how a bracelet, necklace, or well groomed (and still short by the way, at
one inch) beard has anything to do with the service you receive at the parks. I’ve received poor customer service and encountered plenty of rude people who fit the old guidelines as well. Not to mention, the rudest people at the parks are by and far the guests. I say who cares what the cast members look like—if they’re presentable and helpful, they’re doing their job.