We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the most surprising secrets they know about working at Disney parks. Here are the fascinating results:
1. "There's a hierarchy of cool kids based on your job as a cast member, and unsurprisingly, the princesses are at the very top. There are also cliques and cafeteria politics you have to learn to navigate."
2. "Guests can be pretty mean to cast members."
"I once had a man slap me in the face because he said I hadn’t taken pictures of his son on a ride (he went three times, and I got photos every single time). Luckily, a sheriff was nearby, and she escorted him out. I’ve also been spit on and run over with strollers — on purpose."
3. "People often sprinkle the ashes of their dead loved ones throughout the Haunted Mansion ride at Magic Kingdom. Cast members refer to it as 'Code Grandma.'"
4. “Magic Kingdom is built on the ‘second floor.’ There’s an entire web of offices, store rooms, break rooms, and a cafeteria underneath it.”
5. "Mickey Mouse is usually played by a female cast member. Casting is based on height, so many female cast members often play shorter characters like Mickey and Minnie."
6. "Trash is removed via the utilidors beneath the park, so they are often dirty and smell absolutely disgusting."
"Guest tours only visit the 'nicer' parts of the tunnels."
7. "If you see a cast member with a gender-neutral name tag (like Chris, Pat, or Alex), chances are they forgot to bring their own."
"Cast members aren't allowed to go onstage without a name tag, so they just have to go by the name on whatever fake name tag was available for the day."
8. "If a cast member says they are 'friends with' Goofy, Buzz, Woody, etc., it means that they dress up as those characters."
9. "When your shift ends, you have to go directly to the backstage area without stopping (unless a guest asks you a question)."
10. "If someone offers a tip, we’re supposed to deny it politely three times. After that, we can accept it, but we have to let our supervisor know."
11. "If you see someone fall down or get hurt in any way, you have to ask them three times if they need medical assistance."
12. "When you’re working, you can’t buy food in the parks or use the guest bathrooms. You can't even change out of your costume to do so."
13. "Cast members point with two fingers, the index and the middle finger, because pointing with one finger can be offensive in some cultures."
14. "Paramedics actually answer a lot of calls from cast members. Emergencies range from cast members overheating in costumes to experiencing anxiety attacks."
15. "There's a LOT of training. At Disney University, located behind the Magic Kingdom, we're taught all things Disney, which can include anything from taking classes on Disney history to learning how to 'make magic' for the guests."
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Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.