Visiting Disney is enjoyable for the entire family. It is also often enjoyable for those who are working hard behind the scenes to keep Disney’s reputation as The Happiest Place on Earth.
Although a job at Disney may seem like a dream job, you might be surprised to learn that there are specific rules that must be followed. Some of those rules can actually be quite restrictive.
Can Cast Members Accept Gifts?
Before we answer this question directly, it’s important to understand that there is a difference between accepting a tip and accepting a gift. A tip is typically something that has monetary value and often comes in the form of cash.
Disney Cast Member Rules
Disney cast members are not able to accept a tip of any sort unless they are in a tipping position. In other words, they are working in a job that would typically accept tips. Gifts for Disney cast members can be really difficult to pass on. This will include the following cast members:
Room Service
Housekeeping
Bell Services
Valets
Spa Workers
Restaurant Wait Staff
If you would offer anyone on that list a tip, they will likely decline to accept.
Interestingly, they may also decline a gift, even though cast members are permitted to accept small gifts without monetary value. If you are offering a small gift, you may have to offer it multiple times.
Some of the different things that may be offered as a gift to Disney Cast Members include something from your local area, such as a postcard, pin, or sticker. Homemade crafts or cards are also popular.
Any small gift without a monetary value is permissible.
Something else you might consider is giving them kudos. This is perhaps the best thing that you can do for any Disney cast member.
If a Disney cast member goes above and beyond in the way that they treat you and your family, make sure that you get their information. You can then send a compliment to the official @WaltDisneyWorld Twitter account and include the hashtag #CastCompliment.
You can also call Disney or write a letter to give a cast member a compliment.
Complementing a Disney Cast Member in this way is noted on their record. It will also be remembered when promotions and raises are given.
Can Cast Members Wear Apple Watches?
Disney cast members are permitted and may, at times, be required to wear a watch. Wearing an Apple Watch, however, is a different story.
The official word on whether cast members are able to wear Apple Watches or not is leaning toward the negative. That being said, you will sometimes see cast members wearing an Apple Watch but that isn’t true in all locations.
One of the things that Disney wants to avoid is having their cast members becoming distracted. If you are wearing an Apple Watch and it is constantly alerting you to new text messages, emails, and phone calls, it could distract you from taking care of the visitors to the theme parks and resorts.
For that reason, if a Disney employee is able to wear an Apple Watch, they would not be able to receive phone calls or text messages while working. There may also be some limitations on color but suffice to say, it should blend in.
In some areas where safety is a priority, such as those who are working on an attraction or who may be lifeguards, then an Apple Watch is out of the question. In other areas, however, it may be permissible, even if it isn’t officially allowed.
Here’s a popular YouTube video where an actual cast member discusses her 22 “honest truth” about being a cast member!
Can Disney Cast Members Smoke (in Designated Smoking Areas)?
If you are asking if Disney employees are allowed to smoke, the answer is yes. In fact, many people who work at Disney smoke cigarettes.
It is an entirely different subject, however, when it comes to if Disney cast members are allowed to smoke in designated smoking areas provided for park and resort visitors.
If you smoke and have visited Disney in recent years, you already know that the areas where you can smoke are becoming few and far between. The same is also true for cast members, but they have their own, designated smoking areas.
Disney cast members will not use the same designated smoking areas that are set aside for use by visitors. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t smoking, they are just smoking in their own areas.
If you have been looking for some of those cast member smoking areas, you will have a difficult time finding them. In most cases, those areas are hidden from view and are behind lines that visitors are not able to cross.
Can Disney cast Members Live on Property?
Most of the cast members who work at Disney do not live on Disney property. They live in the surrounding area within driving distance and will often commute to work.
There may also be some Disney cast members who commute long distances and may stay in the general area while they are working. They are not provided a room by Disney, however, when doing so.
That doesn’t mean, however, that Disney has never allowed cast members to live on Disney property. In fact, they have some apartment communities nearby and there may be some Disney employees or perhaps interns that are both living in and working on Disney property.
In many cases, those who are provided housing as part of an internship will have part of their paycheck withheld to pay for the rent. Essentially, Disney may be providing a place to live but the employee is going to pay for it.
Do Disney Cast Members Get a Free Annual Pass?
In most cases, Disney cast members are not provided with a free annual Pass. They are invited into the park, however, by means of free tickets.
- The number of free tickets that are provided to Disney cast members depends upon how long they have worked for Disney and how many hours they have worked. In addition, the position they hold at Disney may have some say in how many tickets they receive.
The tickets that are provided by Disney to cast members do more than get the cast member into the park. They also have the ability to bring a limited number of guests into the park with them.
Interestingly, Disney cast members are responsible for those they bring into the park. They will have to stay with them while they are visiting unless arrangements have been made in advance.
Additional tickets may also sometimes be offered to Disney cast members. It provides them additional access for friends and family members so they can enjoy the parks as well.
Cast Member Blackout Dates
Although Disney cast members may be able to visit the parks with free passes, they are limited by certain blackout dates. Those blackout dates may change, depending upon park availability.
In other words, if the parks are full, then the cast members may not be able to visit.
The cast members may also be available to visit special events at the parks, and they will be provided with discounts to do so.
Are Disney cast Members Allowed Facial Hair?
When Disney got its start back in the 50s they limited the amount of facial hair that was allowed by cast members. In most cases, it was completely disallowed.
In 2000, however, they started to allow mustaches and short beards. Those new guidelines limited the length of facial hair and it was closely regulated.
More recently, Disney cast members have been given additional freedom as to the amount and type of facial hair that they have. Disney no longer puts a limit on the length, although they do say that it must be maintained and neatly groomed.
Where Is the Disney cast Member Store?
If you are looking for the Disney Cast Member Store, you might have been struggling to find it. This is because it doesn’t actually exist!
First of all, a Disney cast member is somebody that works for Disney and can assist you, regardless of whether you are trying to buy a stuffed Winnie the Pooh or if you are trying to recover a lost ticket.
Any store that you go into at Disney is essentially a cast member store. That is because” cast members” work at all of them.
That is one of the things that makes Disney so great. If you’re having any problems or need assistance, all you need to do is find a Disney employee (cast member) and they can assist you.
FAQ
Where Do Disney Cast Members Live?
While most full-time Disney Cast Members reside in the Central Florida area, specifically in the Orlando metropolitan area, some may live in nearby counties or states.
Additionally, Disney provides housing options for its employees, such as the Disney College Program Housing and affordable housing developments.
