A person can only imagine what working at a place such as Disney World would be like, especially since it’s lauded as being the happiest place on earth, or something like that. But there are a lot of rules when it comes to working at Disney’s theme parks, and many of them are a bit odd when it comes down to the fact that EVERYONE, not just those in the costumes and not just those in the public eye, have to follow the same set of rules. If you want to work at this park then you have to abide by their rules and in doing so you have to give up a good portion of your identity when clocking in it sounds like. That might sound a bit harsh, but to be realistic there are some rules that make a lot of sense considering that those working at the park are representing the brand and are therefore being paid to make Disney look good. But there are several rules that just don’t make a lot of sense, despite the reasoning affixed to them.
Here are a few rules that are a bit odd when it comes to working for Disney World.
5. They have to use very specific language when speaking to guests
There’s no slang that can be used, a full title has to be given when a person is describing a street, a location, or an individual. From the performers to the janitors, every employee has to be knowledgeable enough to give accurate directions and descriptions of anything and anyone that a guest might ask about. This might not sound that weird, but think about how some of us describe how to get to a place that should be common knowledge to a lot of people. This wouldn’t fly in Disney World, as everyone has to be able to speak in full sentences and give as much detail and description about anything that a guest might want to know about.
4. All tattoos have to be covered
Again, this isn’t too weird and a lot of tattoos can be covered up pretty easily, especially when it comes to those that wear the outfits for various characters. But what is odd is that those that aren’t in the public eye and don’t interact with the guests are also expected to cover up every single tattoo apparently as the image of the park extends beyond where people can see it sounds like. This might be perfectly acceptable to some folks but it sounds a bit odd simply because expecting people to cover up when they’re not going to be seen by anyone is a little bit over the top when it comes to park rules.
3. Cast members weren’t allowed to fraternize outside of work
This sounds dodgy at best and at worst possibly fascist to those that love to throw the word around. It’s suspect without any doubt since it’s essentially telling people what they can and can’t do in their own time. Obviously there aren’t bound to be a lot of people that would follow this to the letter, especially since if Disney did give incentive to other employees to report any fraternization it could lead to serious legal issues. But the fact that anyone would even bother to say something like this is a bit unnerving since it means that a company somehow feels that they can control the actions of their employees both on and off the clock, and that’s not okay.
2. Facial hair was banned
This might be an older rule that’s no longer in effect but there are reasons for it that could make sense, such as personal hygiene issues that an employee didn’t want to consider. But banning it outright is another mark against a lot of companies since much like tattoos, there are plenty of people who don’t work directly with the guests that should be able to do what they want with their bodies, within reason of course. Hiring and/or firing of employees shouldn’t really focus on such things unless it’s required for a role or simply because it’s park policy. In any case, it’s still an issue that many guys would raise.
1. Every worker has to at least act like they’re happy
People are going to have bad days, that’s the long and short of it, but as a Disney employee you can’t show it apparently. Even if the world is pressing in on you and everything is crumbling down around your ears, apparently, you still have to smile and show people the best possible face you can muster because everyone’s supposed to be happy at Disney World. In other words, you have to take a big dose of happiness, no matter how fake it is, before clocking in.
If that last one didn’t unnerve you just a bit then you might be willingly oblivious, or never had a customer service job.
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