ORLANDO, Fla. — In an effort to be more inclusive, Disney is making some changes to a number of things within its company, including the “Disney Look” — the dress code for employees.
What You Need To Know
- Disney expands its "Four Keys" to add Inclusion
- As part of the initiative, Disney is making changes to the employee dress code
- Change allows visible tattoos, gender-neutral hairstyles and more
- Disney is also making changes to certain attractions
Disney recently added a new key, Inclusion, to its long-standing tradition of the Four Keys — Safety, Courtesy, Show and Efficiency— which serve as guideline to its approach to guest service.
In a post shared on the official Disney Parks Blog on Tuesday, Disney Parks Experiences and Products chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed what the Inclusion Key would mean for the company going forward.
“We want our cast members — and future cast members — to feel a sense of belonging at work,” D’Amaro wrote. “That means cultivating an environment where all people feel welcomed and appreciated for their unique life experiences, perspectives and culture. Where we celebrate allyship and support for each other. And where diverse views and ideas are sought after as critical contributions towards our collective success."
In addition to being a guide to how employees (known as cast members) interact with guests, the new key will also allow cast members more flexibility in personal expression through changes to the dress code. Disney's strict dress code, known as the "Disney Look," included gender-specific rules for how cast members could wear their hair and what type of jewelry could be worn. And all tattoos had to remain covered.
But with the update, the policy will allow gender-inclusive hairstyles, jewelry and nail styles, according to the post. And cast members will be allowed to have “appropriate visible tattoos.”
“We’re updating them to not only remain relevant in today’s workplace, but also enable our cast members to better express their cultures and individuality at work,” D’Amaro wrote.
The Disney Look, which has been around since Disneyland opened in 1955, has evolved slightly over the years. Most recently, cast members were allowed to have beards that were up to one inch in length.
The dress code changes is just one of the ways the Inclusion Key being implemented at Disney. The company has already begin to make changes various attractions.
Disney previously announced plans to transform Splash Mountain at Disneyland and Disney World into an attraction based on the animated film “Princess and the Frog.” And changes are also being made to Jungle Cruise, which will receive an updated storyline and new diverse characters.