Disney cast members can post on their Instagrams and Facebooks as much as they want… off the clock. When they’re at work, they’re strictly forbidden from using social media and personal electronics. And off the clock, they are prohibited from talking about their jobs on social media at all. You might think that with more than 50,000 cast members, then it is difficult to keep track of everybody off the clock. But, Disney has a lot of power and people working for them, and they are very aware of what is said about them online. This is all part of Disney’s intentions to keep up the magic and their image, however a lot of workers feel that it’s very restrictive.
In one very public case in 2016, a Disney employee was fired for posting a photo of a sign which advised other employees how to respond when asked about alligators. The sign read ““If a guest asks if we have gators in the water around Tom Sawyer’s island (or any other bodies of water), the correct and appropriate response is, ‘Not that we know of, but if we see one, we will call Pest Management to have it removed.’ …Please do not make jokes with our guests about this.” It’s no surprise that the Cast Member got the boot for publicly sharing this information.
The Hidden Mickeys
Scattered around Walt Disney World are countless concealed Mickey Mouse heads. Some guests love coming to the park to try and search for the Mickey heads dispersed throughout. There are several websites on the internet which are committed to finding and reporting the Mickey symbols. According to a HiddenMickey SquareSpace page, there are 50 symbols hidden in Disneyland’s ToonTown area alone. Here is a list of Hidden Mickeys in Frontierland. Skip this list if you don’t want the surprise to be spoiled!
Golden Horseshoe stage vent; Big Thunder Mountain Railroad; S.S. Mark Twain between the smokestacks; S.S. Mark Twain River Excursions sign; Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island cave entrance; Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island on chimney; Rivers of America; Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante; Big Thunder Ranch Petting Zoo knot hole; Big Thunder Ranch House reigns & bridles; Big Thunder Ranch House horseshoe pile; Shooting Exposition; Pioneer Mercantile; and Critter Country. Another fun fact about Mickey Mouse is that there are always around 7-8 Mickey Mouses roaming the park at the same time. But when people ask a cast member "How many Mickeys are there here?", they must always say "One." This is to keep the Disney illusion alive for the guests and to make the Disney experience as believable as possible. Up next; how to tell if you've pissed off a Cast Member.
The Cast Members’ Secret Code
If you hear from a cast member "Have a Disney day," you can be sure that you really got them mad. Disney members need some way of staying sane and letting off some steam while staying true to their character. Some people know that cast members need to stay in character at all costs so they will sometimes take advantage of this. They bully the cast members and try to trick them into breaking character. Kids also can be quite irritating and they might try to pull on the ears of dogs or tug a princesses's arm to get her attention. While it's extremely obnoxious behavior, it's part of the average work day for costumed employees and something they need to get used to. So, if you ever hear from an employee to have a Disney day, you can be sure that you triggered them. You should also say it right back to them!
Other code words that employees use are "Treasured Guest," which describes a visitor who is being rude and out-of-line. "The Kiss Goodnight" means "last call" and refers to the park closing in 30 minutes. "When You Wish Upon A Star" is played and you can assume that cast members are muttering silently to themselves for you and all other guests to go home already.
No Selfies!
Disney is very strict about this next rule. If Disney catches you taking pictures in your costume, you can consider yourself unemployed.
Disney execs put their foot down with this one and there's no getting off the hook. If they find out that you took selfies backstage, you can kiss goodbye to the Magic Kingdom.
"Code V"
Cast members go through extensive training in how to speak to each other as well as to guests. One thing they are prohibited from uttering the word "vomit." If a guest has an accident on or during a ride, a cast member gets on the radio and says "Code V." The last thing they'd need is for another guest to get sick at hearing the word "vomit."
There is another secret lingo which cast members use to alert each other about ride difficulties and other mishaps. A “Code P” means someone accidentally urinated in the park and a "Code H" means that a parade horse pooped in the park.