Adrian Barich: the surprising rules that keep the magic bubble at Disney World from bursting

West Australian

3 days ago

A friend of mine just got back from Disney World.
Her family basically stayed on site, at a resort within the Disney World complex.
And she came back with some intriguing information. I'll get to it in a moment but first, I want to let the wave of nostalgia flow over me as I recall everything from my childhood associated with Walt and his show The Wonderful World Of Disney.
Even just saying that name makes me almost step back in time: I'm suddenly propelled to the 1970s with a feeling that's almost painful. Sometimes I feel like I really want to go back to my childhood but am unable to do so.
As we all know, you can go back to the place but not to the time.
Yes, I'll admit it: I'm the king of nostalgia in my house. The feeling is often triggered by a familiar smell, sound or memory.
It's a good thing to wax nostalgic, right? And of course, you often look back through rose-coloured glasses with this sense of longing.
When I was a kid I used to love Sunday nights because at 7pm (right after dinner) on came The Wonderful World Of Disney.
Later, I also liked watching The Winners, which really got me interested in playing footy but that's another story.
Many Australians of my generation have great memories of The Wonderful World Of Disney: a TV show that created a love for all things Disney. What brilliant marketing.
And guess what? Walt Disney died in 1966, when I was three, but he still appeared on the show for as long as I can remember. With his wonderful, warm folksy style, he was irreplaceable.
But back to the reason for the column (and thank you for allowing me to take a trip down memory lane). My friend, fresh back from Disney World, told me about the Disney 'hug rule' and I couldn't believe I'd never heard about it.
Apparently the actors dressed as Disney characters at any of their theme parks are trained to not pull out of a hug with a kid before the kid does.
Because as legend has it, according to Walt, 'you never know how much they may need that hug'.
How good's that?
My friend also discovered many other Disney rules that help ensure the magical bubble isn't burst while you're at the park.
As they say, Disney World, or Disneyland, are places travellers go to experience magic and make memories.
Walt even insisted everyone use only their first names, which caused a few problems as you can imagine. Just think of how many Olivias you'd have today. So to combat confusion, no two people working the same job on the same shift can have the same name.
It goes without saying tattoos and piercings are banned, or at least can't be visible, even if you are playing a pirate.
And cast members must always stay completely true to their character. So Ariel will talk a lot about the ocean, Maleficent will be aloof and a bit mean, and Aladdin knows all about flying carpets.
Another rule is that characters should never be seen eating while in costume, which makes sense: imagine seeing Tinkerbell chowing down on a hot dog.
Even words are important; 'I don't know' is not a phrase that should be used.
And as well as learning their character's mannerisms, there are other skills: if you want to be Mickey Mouse, for example, you must learn his 'official' autograph. So even if a kid collects several autographs from the mighty Mouse, they'll all be roughly the same. It keeps the magic alive.
And how's this? For cast members playing characters, they must act as if nothing exists outside of the Disney universe. So if you ask Jasmine where Adventureland is, she won't have a clue. If you question Mr Smee about his favourite fast food, he'll act like you're speaking Swahili.
How good?!
Every Disney park has underground tunnels that they use to move cast members (referred to as CMs) around so that Minnie Mouse doesn't get held up on her way to a meet-and-greet.
The CMs also speak in code, so as not to cause alarm. If there's an emergency, it's a code red. I bet you can guess what a code V is . . . that's right, a guest has vomited.
And on your next trip, get a character to point at something, say, Magic Mountain: they'll do it with two fingers, because one is considered rude. I kid you not.
All characters must pick up any rubbish, too. Walt was a clean freak. But you can't just bend down and pick it up; that's too obvious and could spoil the moment.
I kid you not, CMs are asked to use a 'swoop and scoop' motion to gracefully remove trash from the ground. They are also required to drop it in a bin 'nonchalantly'.
It truly is the happiest place on earth.