Disneyland!!!

[Danitgirl1]

Hi all
Sorry, I have been scarce for far too long.
We were away for over a month on a family holiday and then work, life etc just meant that I could not post until now.
By way of an update we went to Europe where amongst other things we went to Disneyland. WOW what a place. Also, it would be the VERY best place for some trans* folk to work. Think about it... Dress up, dancing, parades... And you get paid! I wrote a light hearted blog (https://daniellaargento.wordpress.com/2015/07/20/being-a-disneyland-performer-the-ideal-career/) on the subject.
Honestly I can see few draw backs.
What do you all think?
Hugs
Daniella

[Teresa]

Danit,
I often think about that, we did the Disney trip to Florida some time ago and I wondered who was under the costumes ?
I would think they would be very selective but maybe someone could answer that if they have any connections with the theme parks, I doubt makeup lasts very long on a hot day when wearing a Minnie Mouse outfit !

[Eryn]

There is a great book on this topic which goes into the details of portraying the characters. Not a task for the meek!

http://www.amazon.com/Mouse-Tales-Behind-The-Ears-Look-Disneyland/dp/0964060566

[AlyssaS]

I've read that most of the costumed characters are women because you have to be pretty short to fit in the costumes. I forget the height, something like 5'3 or so.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Dani, Here in the USA Disney is very LGBT friendly.:daydreaming:

[Krisi]

That's odd because by all reports, Mr. Disney was not.

[Diane Smith]

I was working for the local cable TV company when we added The Disney Channel to our lineup back in the early '80s. As part of the launch celebration, we had a visit from Mickey Mouse himself, and I handled some of the arrangements around getting him prepared and to the location on time. Under the ears, Mickey was a very cute, bubbly and intelligent 20-something girl who was just a delight to work with. (Only the best of their performers get to be Mickey!)

Another fun fact was that they had to make a phone call back to Disney HQ before Mickey could come out and be seen in public. Mickey Mouse is only allowed to appear in one place at a time, lest he be photographed in two locations simultaneously, which would prove that there are multiple costumes and performers and, therefore, that he isn't real. They had a central office that made sure all the other Mickeys around the world were inside and out of sight before ours could come out for the event. Santa Claus should be so well organized!

- Diane

[Eryn]

That's odd because by all reports, Mr. Disney was not.

Walt Disney died in 1966 at which time many people, even closeted gays, expressed anti-gay sentiment. To do otherwise was social and career suicide.

Disneyland has a checkered past that mirrors that of society. At one time simply holding hands was sufficient to have a gay couple ejected. Men were prohibited from dancing with men on the dance floors, but oddly women were allowed to dance with other women. They canceled a private party for a LGBT group which led to the unofficial, but wildly successful "Gay Days" (http://www.gaydaysanaheim.com/). I doubt that Disney objects to all these people paying $100 each to make their presence known!

Disneyland has moved with the times and they are now have a reputation for being LGBT friendly.

[jamiesnj]

I'm thinking about going to Disneyland for their Halloween celebration. Has anyone ever gone dressed?

[LilSissyStevie]

Being a parent and living in Southern California I've had the misfortune of going to Disneyland more than once. I absolutely despise the place. I admit that I liked it the first time I went in the mid sixties. They didn't then pack people in like cattle like they do now. I also have to admit that the best meal I ever had that I didn't cook myself was a prime rib dinner at the Blue Bayou restaurant in Disneyland. The food, atmosphere and service were absolutely perfect.

Eryn,

Back in the day it was not unusual for girls to dance together or even be seen holding hands walking down the street if they were close friends. It didn't make them lesbians but God forbid two men did that!

[Eryn]

I haven't been there in years, but I used to work for a company that reserved the park one night a year for a private party. Tickets were reasonable at that time. Best night ever was one where rain threatened on the day of the party. Every ride was a walk-on!

Nobody did a theme park better than Disney, because Walt spared no expense in his. Everything was kept on-theme and perfectly maintained with flower beds being replanted and nicked paint being touched up nightly. Zig-Zag lines were avoided and effort was made to provide entertainment for those waiting. One time I stood and watched people dropping their cigarette butts to the pavement (yes, years ago) and the longest I ever saw a butt sit was 20 seconds before it was picked up by a sweeper. Even without going on the rides an adult could have a full day's entertainment.

Some of this legacy undoubtedly continues, but the parks are now strictly business.

I've also visited other "theme" parks like Six Flags and find them to be simply collections of thrill rides. Very little theme at all and not much in the way of entertainment except for going on the rides. Nice for teens, not much there for adults or younger children.

[LilSissyStevie]

Another thing - as a former concrete and masonry worker, I was always very impressed by the workmanship at Disneyland. I would walk around there looking for flaws in the concrete and brickwork and it was difficult to find any. Old Walt must have been an extreme taskmaster.

[Eryn]

I don't think that he was so much a taskmaster as someone who was willing to pay to completely rebuild something if it did not live up to his standards. Here is a little clip illustrating his activities before Disneyland opened:

http://time.com/3957667/walt-disney-video-clip/

[AletaHawk]

Disney is on the forefront of LGBT equality issues from a corporate standpoint, but they also have very strict appearance requirements. I'm not sure how it applies to trans cast members, but considering it was only a year or two ago that they even allowed men to have beards, it's not likely they allow trans cast members in forward-facing roles in the parks. In admin and behind-the-scenes roles, I've no doubt they're very supportive though.

It's all about putting on a very specific, meticulously crafted image. Cast members at the Magic Kingdom aren't even allowed to go from Adventureland to Frontierland in costume if their costume isn't neutral. We can't have pirates walking through the Old West, now can we? And no, that's not a joke. I genuinely admire their attention to detail, because it's not something you see just about anywhere else.

[Eryn]

Yes, the dress code is very specific. Facial hair was banned for all cast members but one exception was made: the captain of the RMS Queen Mary! This despite the fact that Uncle Walt wore a mustache!

[Jenn A116]

I'm a big fan of Disney in general. Once I retired I actually moved to central FL to be close to Walt Disney World. I might be able to answer some of the questions that popped up in this thread.


Danit,
I often think about that, we did the Disney trip to Florida some time ago and I wondered who was under the costumes ?
I would think they would be very selective but maybe someone could answer that if they have any connections with the theme parks, I doubt makeup lasts very long on a hot day when wearing a Minnie Mouse outfit !

For "fur characters" (those with a head) there are specific size/costume requirements. Minnie is always a girl. Mickey could be either. The issue is simply size. Friends of Mickey or Minnie can only be 5'1" tall. Other short characters, like Chip and Dale, can be a bit taller like 5'5". So you have the physical limitation if you are cast to play that part. I doubt that any of those folks actually wear makeup under the costume.


I've read that most of the costumed characters are women because you have to be pretty short to fit in the costumes. I forget the height, something like 5'3 or so.

Correct.


That's odd because by all reports, Mr. Disney was not.
I've read extensively about Walt's life but never seen anything that indicates that. At any rate, today's Walt Disney Company, is on the forefront of acceptance.