As kids, we all want to immerse ourselves in the magical fantasy world of
Disney characters. And for that very sole purpose (besides trying to squeeze more money out of customers), the Disney Theme Parks were established. There are 12 Disney Parks around the world, which attract both children and adults to keep flooding in every weekend, queueing all day and paying a hefty price for a single ticket, just to see our childhood dreamland coming to life before our eyes. To us Disney enthusiasts, they’re nothing short of a miracle.
However, to maintain that dream-like image, Disney parks’ employees must work really hard every day, and there are tons of secrets they must keep from the customers. Driven by curiosity, redditor u/memezdankton posted a question on Reddit, asking former employees of the parks to share some spicy secrets about the place, and received some rather interesting (and messed up, even) answers. Let’s take a look at these juicy and dark stories that lurk behind the vibrant and beautiful theme of Disney parks.
#1 Traumatized employees on their first day of work.
Source: Undercover Tourist
"I went to college with a woman who played Snow White. She said she wanted to quit on her very first day because she had so many screaming, vomiting, angry, hungry, drooling children handed to her for photos. She said it was the absolute worst. I'm not sure how long she stuck it out for but I know it wasn't long." -
u/Witty-Message-2852#2 Employees were told to get breast implant.
Source: Disney Park
"I had a friend who was a gorgeous redhead in her early twenties. She got cast to play Ariel at Disney World. She returned home after a few months saying that they were pressuring her into getting breast implants. To quote her (quoting her manager), 'There is no way Ariel has such small boobs.'" -
u/onearmedmonkey#3 Mascots weren't allowed to remove their costume while at work, under any circumstances.
Source: Walt Disney World
"My mom was working in the nurses' station and got a call for a costumed character who had heat exhaustion (the costumes get extremely warm, especially in summer). He was advised to remove the costume and walk to the nurse building to recover, but wasn’t allowed to. They were so busy trying to make sure that nobody saw him out of costume that they literally risked his health." -
u/thistakestoolongtodo#4 Employees were often harassed by customers, one way or another.
Source: Walt Disney World
"People sexually harass the characters super frequently. I was working with Ariel and cast members will always count down before they take a photo so people have time to get into position. I counted down and this teen boy decided to try to rip off one of Ariel's shells. I had to open his camera and expose his film so the photo didn't get developed and passed around. I found out later that I was supposed to take it to the Kodak shop to have the film developed and that one removed - but I'd always heard the rumors about ruining the film and nobody really trains you on that so I just went with it. The little a**holes deserved it." -
u/leopoldisacat#5 Be careful of the ducks!
Source: Disney World
"I used to occasionally work at one of the outdoor carts in front of the castle at Disneyland. There’s water in various areas of the park, so we got lots of ducks, and in the springtime, the babies would hatch and walk around with their mothers. People don’t always pay attention to where they are going and sometimes step on one of them, usually killing them. If I was able, I would step away from my cart to escort a family of ducks to safety."
- u/Lrehcsa1926#6 People spreading REAL ashes of their loved ones in the park.
Source: Walt Disney World
"Ever heard about people spreading ashes of their loved ones in the POTC or Haunted Mansion ride? Its goddamn true!" -
u/gnomzy123#7 The stinky secret of the "secret" tunnels.
Source: Walt Disney World
"The 'secret' tunnels under MK and Epcot. They smelled so bad. It’s where all the garbage went to. We had a subway and another restaurant just for cast members. They would close down cast parking without telling the cast members in appropriate time. Mandatory overtime when needed without double time. I can keep going." -
u/uhsorrybro#8 Deaths in the park are literally not allowed.
Source: Walt Disney World
"No one can actually ‘die’ in a park. They remove the dead person and declare them dead outside the park. Also haunted mansion people can’t smile, a favorite pastime is to get them to crack." -
u/lzytm#9 The park's managers can be very frustating to deal with.
Source: Bertrand Guay/AFP
"A true story that is "dirty" ethically.Before I worked for them, when I was just an annual passholder, I got overcome by the heat and humidity, almost had a heatstroke, at the bathrooms outside the EPCOT entrance. Two security guards wanted to take me to the park's First Aid, but a Disney manager refused. "He gets in the park when he buys a ticket." Manager walks away for a minute. Security guards say "man, I can't believe this" and "what an operation." 30 mins for Reedy Creek Fire Dept. to show up. I was so sick I didn't even pull out my AP until they got there. Security guard #1 says "NOW can he go to First Aid?" Suddenly that manager is all about helping me - and so apologetic! He pushed me in a wheelchair all the way to First Aid. 'Can I get you some water, sir?'
Big f**kin' phonies." -
u/jcwagner1001#10 Just like real Disney movies, social status does exists.
Source: Walt Disney World
"As a cast member at Disney World in 1979 I learned quickly that putting people in uniforms brings out the worst in the instinct to “other" people. Certain cast members in specific uniforms were very high in status, and other cast members were very low. Since you wore your uniforms all the time your status was immediately spotted and people tended to treat you better or worse based on your status." -
u/pirate_for_life#11 Disney refused to prosecute the guests.
Source: Walt Disney World
"I think the worst part about character harassment is that Disney does not prosecute the guests, at least when I was there. When I was working in the 2000s, there was someone whose wrist was broken by a drunk guest who grabbed and twisted it really badly. They refused to prosecute, and I think she may have ended up with permanent nerve damage in her wrist, which really sucked because she was also a gymnast." -
u/jon98gn#12 Specific characters require specific heights.
Source: Mouse Steps/JWL Media
"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."
u/leopoldisacat#13 "Disney Employees started referring to Disneyland as Mousechwitz due to working conditions."
Source: Walt Disney World
"Management told them to stop, so they used Duckau instead."
u/WimbleWimble#14 "The Disney F**k You"
Source: Walt Disney World
"If anybody tells you to have a magical day, they mean you were a gigantic a**hole and hated dealing with you. We call it the Disney F**k You." -
u/fishmom5Which of the Disney park secrets above do you find most disturbing? Tell us below!