17 Former Disneyland Employees Spill Their Secrets.

Stuff most people don't know about Disneyland.

Published 4 years ago in Wow

Stuff most people don't know about Disneyland.

1
My SIL got a the role of Cinderella at Disneyland Paris. She had to practice Cinderella’s autograph over and over because although different actresses play her all over the world, the signature of the character has to be identical anywhere it’s signed for consistency.

2
There are Three hidden phones in the magic kingdom that when you pick up have dialogue from Disney characters like a Stitch in Tomorrowland.

3
Disneyland first interview papers include a blank outline of a person to indicate where you have tattoos. It’s referenced if you want to change positions internally, to indicate how said tattoos could be revealed, based on what your new uniform would be.

4
A friend of mine worked at Disney World. According to her Epcot is the best place to work. When she was at the Magic Kingdom she said she went home crying all the time because the moms were so mean. She also said that cast members got to do something I think is called “magic moments.” At her gift shop she could just give a park goer something for free. She said that was a perk.

5
I used to work at Animal Kingdom – one of our “magic moments” was to ask a kid to help you “Find Nemo”. We would hide a Nemo plushie in the shop and from what I remember the kid got to keep the plushie after they found it. Not really a dirty secret but one of my fonder memories from my time there.

6
This was years ago at DL but there used to be a show of Tinkerbell flying through the sky before fireworks started in the summer. They would put the spot light on her as she went down a zip line and go to black just as she crossed to a back stage area. The novelty of it was that there was no sophisticated mechanism to stop her. There were literally a couple of guys in a tower at the end of the zip line holding a mattress that she would crash into to stop. Nightly, CMs would gather at the base of the tower backstage just to see this happen. As soon as she crashed, everyone would go back to their locations.

7
You have to be in specific height ranges to play the different characters. Because Mickey’s height range is so short he’s usually played by a woman. Likewise for Donald, although the most successful and best known Donald that I knew while I worked there was a little person.

8
When the princess face characters come backstage they have to take off their dresses so they don’t get dirty while they’re on break so the princesses are usually walking around in a smock and bloomers if you see them back there. There is some serious cognitive dissonance when you walk back and see Snow White in her bloomers on her phone cursing up a storm.

9
Former cast member from the early 90s. There was a central ‘bank’ near the Magic Kingdom tunnel entrance where all the park gift shops, restaurants etc would deposit the day’s cash. Each day an armored truck would drive into the tunnel to haul away the loot. i can only imagine how much cash they took outta there!

10
I worked at WDW 1993-1997. in Frontierland and Adventureland (Foods). Mostly I worked the Turkey leg wagon in Frontierland. The few months I was assigned to the “Sunshine Tree Terrace” refreshment stand, there was a huge, fake “Sunshine Tree” in the space. It had transparent green plastic leaves, and plastic oranges. There were light projectors on the ceiling to make it look like the sun was filtering through the tree. The leaves, and sometimes the oranges, would fall off. They had been installed in 1971, so 23 years later they would just drop. Every time one fell off, I took it home. In 2005, the Sunshine Tree was removed and destroyed. I have a shoebox full of leaves, and 3 oranges, the last surviving pieces of the Sunshine Tree.

11
They issue black T-shirts and black shorts for the costumed characters to wear underneath and sweat in. One day there was an uproar because in the breakroom there was a sign “ No Blacks Allowed” (meaning the undergarments). They started calling them “basics” after that.

12
Had to maintain “the Disney look” No facial hair with exception of groomed mustache (picture Walt Disney). Clean looking haircut that couldn’t hang over the ears or neck (male). Before I started a shift I was given a razor and asked to shave because of stubble/5 o’clock shadow. This was 2007-2010ish, lifeguard at resort pools.

13
Disney will give VIP treatments to wealthy people & celebrities. Including being chauffeured from backstage between attractions, surrounded by a circle of cast members. I walked right past Justin Bieber & his family behind the Imagination Pavilion at Epcot without realizing it.

14
As a former Disney World medic, can confirm people die all the time. And some stories are WILD.

15
In Disneyland, in the peter pan ride, i was always in awe with the floating stars that you zoom by in the ride. Turns out they are just LEDs on the end of wire hangars (attached to the walls, mostly) that are wrapped in electrical tape.

16
Former amusement park employee in So Cal. In the 80’s we had fantasy characters in full body suits (like Disney) & they would walk around & take pictures/shake hands with the guests. Well, LA gangbangers loved this amusement park & were always starting trouble. One of our characters in costume was set on fire & had to jump into a park water feature to extinguish the flames. After that incident, they were assigned security chaperones for safety.

17
NPR had an interview with Walt Disney’s niece: The (Not So?) Wonderful World of Disney The gist of it is that Walt Disney respected his workers, paid them well, and made sure they were always treated right. After he died, the corporate suits that took over made it hell on earth for the employees.