I am a Disneyland attractions Castmember with over 14 years experience. Currently working in Fantasyland where I've been for a long time now. I have tales to tell, rumors to confirm/debunk and will answer your questions.

You must have some crazy stories, could you share a few?

• mad hatter stuffing Alice inside a recycle can (onstage, while kids watched and laughed)
• The Genie (in full costume) running up to Jasmine (also in full costume) pinning her against a wall and proceeding to pretend to have his ahem, way with her while she shrieked with laughter. He did the flexed arm He-Man pose the whole time. This was backstage, of course. *Mad Hatter accidentally pulling Alice's wig off onstage. It got caught on his coat button, he turned one way she turned the other way, and well.... *Me accidentally falling in the Rivers of America, climbing out in front of horrified guests, throwing my hands in the air and yelling "Next show in 14 minutes, thank you!" while my coworkers broke out cheering. *Saw the rope-swinging pirate in the Fantasmic Peter Pan sequence give himself too much rope and hit one of the light poles on the river's edge. *Also Fantasmic: Ariel knocked Eric's wig FLYING with a tail flip. That sucker did a good 15+ foot arc into the water! *Having a large male guest threaten to kill me when I tried to break up a dangerous bottleneck in the crowd that he was causing. Kids were panicking in the crowd so I was serious about it. Mind you, I am small and short and he was easily 6 ft. As soon as he made his threat FIVE plainclothes security guards came out of the woodwork and just swept him away with them. It was magical.
  *Saw an excited disabled kid get out of his wheelchair and stumble-walk to reach a character. Turned out he had never walked before. *Had a crazy woman shove me to me out of her way so she could get another pic of her kid in the parade (this was a 'dance troupe mom' and they are a NIGHTMARE every time.) I was 7 months pregnant at the time and went to my knees. A bunch of other guests flew at the mom in a rage and chewed her out while other guests helped me up and hollered for security. My lead got there and chewed her out too. :) *Have seen countless proposals in front of the castle. Most ended well. One night there were six in a row. Saw one gal shout "I've known you a month!" and run away.
  *Seen Johnny Depp chilling in a break area/smoking area backstage with other castmembers. *have caught idiots out of their ride vehicles or doing other such stupid shit on rides on many occasions, and I screw with them mentally every single time before handing them over to security. *I've gone into Peter pan's Flight after closing and played Godzilla in the miniature London town scene. 8) *Have caught 32 apple stealers on Snow White. Yes, I keep track. *I am known for being funny at work. Made a guest laugh too hard - he puked. *have seen main street flood over the curbs (ducks swam down the street...) which culminated in a castmember clocking out, going to Main St, whipping out a folded floaty ring from his backpack, blowing it up and casually floating down the street to the main entrance while guests in rainboots laughed their asses off. *Caught guests doing adult things on a ride via the camera system right before closing. I got on the in-ride PA system and softly said "Sorry folks but there is no eating allowed on the rides. Thank you." *I could go on...

Actual Johnny Depp or someone playing as him from Pirates of Caribbean?

Actual JD

If you were Disney management, what would you change?

Making things a little more flexible for castmembers that have young kids or other dependents. I've seen too many castmembers who had to quit or have been fired for calling out to care for a sick kid or elderly parent. FMLA is not available to everyone, it has to be earned first. My kid slashed his hand open at a playground and needed a lot of stitches...could I get out of work for ONE four-hour evening shift the same day since I was at the ER with him? Nope...come in or get dinged for it! Mind you I'm on the phone with work while my kid is screaming in the background. Anyway...

oh, and I would bring back the private holiday parties for castmember families. We were all pissed as hell (and hurt!) when that was taken away a few years ago.

What's your favorite story involving a Disney Princess?

I have two - one sweet, one funny.

The sweet one was when Cinderella was on her way out by the corndog wagon on Main St. She paused to see a couple more kids and started to exit through the gate there. It was the end of the day so she was done with her shift. Anyway this little boy with his leg in a cast up to the knee had just wheeled up and barely missed her. He got up from his wheelchair, took a few tottering steps after her with his arms held out, burst into tears and sobbed "noooo princess don't goooo!" She immediately turned just inside the gate door, went right to him, knelt and took him into her arms - and spent several minutes of her walk-time with him. =)

*2: I saw a delighted 3-4 year old girl run full speed past Rapunzel (the tot glanced at her and was like NOPE NOT YOU!) to charge right into Flynn Rider's open arms. He was some 10 feet behind Rapunzel and this girl was all 'a princess? Ain't nobody got time for that!' He saw her coming and knelt to get a hug. She didn't slow down when she reached him and his expression switched to 'oh shit' an instant before she ran full tilt into him. She bowled him over onto his back and ended up perched on his chest like a happy little bird. He was all HALP SOMEONE PRY HER OFF WITH A FRYING PAN, and the guests were laughing, the castmembers were laughing and Rapunzel was like "FTS, I am chopped liver to that child, you are on your own."

Is there a secret gym and basketball court hidden deep underground???

There is a dusty old makeshift half court in the Matterhorn about halfway up. It was put there so the mountain climbers could amuse themselves while on break. Isn't used for much now. Gym? nah.

I thought it was put there because at the time, structures couldn't be a certain height unless it was a sports facility?

Not true, just another cute Walt story that we all wish was true.

How can I sneak into Club 33? And in case I get caught, what's it like inside?

You can't unless you have powers of awesomeness and invisibility. I've been there once on invitation, but that was before the huge refurb. Ergo I can't say anything about what it's like inside now. =/ Awesome food though, they had (and still have) a cold seafood buffet for brunch that includes main lobster tails!

You uh, see any 'magic' happen? If you know what I mean? And I think you do :P

yes, check my other replies.

What's the most interesting story you have from the last 14 years on the job?

Depends on what you consider 'interesting.' There's 'oh cool' interesting, and there's funny-interesting, there's disney-magic interesting, there is FFS interesting, and then there's 'poke it with a stick from a safe distance' interesting. Pick your poison.

I'm interested in all of it. Is it possible to get one story from each of those categories?

how about Tweedle Dee getting stuck upside down in the wishing well at Snow White's Grotto by the castle? Hope the quarter was worth it, buddy.

Or when a guest snuck onto the back of T. Sawyer's island and put one of the fake bucks on top of the fake does in a compromising position, in full view of the passing Mark Twain...and it stayed that way ALL DAY?

Saw a guest sidle up to a male trolley horse on Main St and discreetly fondle his 'stallion part' then hurry away.

An opossum getting inside the Alice ride at night and causing the ride to E-stop and go haywire, trapping guests inside not once, twice but three times. Couldn't figure out what was wrong until the animal was spotted on the security cameras.

Once had a kid puke in the queue at Pinocchio. It was a hot day and that queue is enclosed and kinda cramped. The stink spread fast and caused a domino effect of puking that rippled through the whole line. By the time the cleanup crew arrived everyone had fled the queue by any means possible and the floor was a swamp of partially digested Disney goodies.

Had a kid break his leg after deliberately taking a flying leap off the back of his carousel horse while his parent turned away after the ride was over. Didn't think enough happy thoughts, kiddo.

One coworker had a female guest fly into a rage because her kids saw "two ducks doing it." Worse yet according to her "they were both boy ducks." To which my coworker replied "well, this IS the happiest place on earth." Love that guy.

Saw the Beast lose his tail in the castle moat...and then fall in trying to get it back.

Have broken up more fist fights between angry dads than I care to count...I may be small in stature, but if you start a fight that scares the little kids and I will verbally smack you into time-out!

Saw Flynn Rider lose his shit while being comforted by other castmembers backstage because a terminal make-a-wish kid asked him what it was like to die. (as per the end of the movie where the character 'dies' and is resurrected - kid wanted to know what to expect when his own time came.)

Asked guest not to climb over the rail to join his party in a line three times, as we have a gate he can use just a little further down. He kindly told me to eff off. Not three seconds later he lost his balance and fell on his ass (Nothing serious.) In my best Disney-cheer voice I said "And what did we learn?" His group absolutely roared their approval.

While greeting at an attraction I briefly entertained and talked with a cute little girl who told me her name was Blue. I called her Blueberry because "you're cute, sweet and a bit of a fruit, like me" and she got a kick out of it. After she left with her family my coworker said "dude that was Beyonce, and that was her kid." Me: ".....oh."

We once had a high guy go into the treehouse shortly before closing, strip his shirt off and go into full Tarzan mode. He climbed out onto the tree's branches with security after him while crowds gathered below to watch. I was there along with some other CMs, just to see what was going on. Some guests were worried, some amused, at least two yelled "Jump!" and I oh so desperately wanted to follow that with a shout of "Do a flip!" But alas, I like my job.

I was driving a small crowded boat. The boat was in water. It was spring. Two ducks flew into my boat - one chasing the other - landed smack in the center of said boat and proceeded to violently mate while all of my guests stared in shock from about a foot away.

Saw a female guest steal a duckling from a mama duck and put it in her purse. Mama duck attacked the woman and beat the shit out of her up and down Main St. Comedy gold.

Driving a boat again. Pointed out a small crawfish to some kids (it had crawled out of one of our many waterways and was sitting at the water's edge) Said "look kids, it's Sebasatian!" Hey, all crustaceans look alike to me. The words were barely out of my mouth when a seagull swooped down and snatched the crawfish. Parents started laughing. Me: ".....aaaaand Scuttle just came to take him back to the ocean, yay!" As I drove my boat on I started humming 'Circle of Life' to myself (still on the PA system) and all the parents completely lost it.

Here's a couple more.

At a Halloween party 2 years ago a guy dressed as Thor was clearly drunk. The carousel was closed for a big refurb was was completely walled off. 'Thor' ran up to the carousel, yelled "I NEED A HORSE!!!" realized it was closed and proceeded to pitch a fit that involved attacking a trash can (ineffectively) with his hammer.

Some guy got high on speed (I think?) and stripped naked, got backstage, climbed a ladder behind the main st building and went running across the Main st rooftops in full view of the guests below. Security caught him and got him down and backstage again...but he got away from them and ran into the lost children's center through a back door. If they have lost kids there who are upset we will often have a character come in to entertain and comfort them. Well, Snow White was there meeting a couple of kids. The drugged fruit loop man ran into the room buck naked and tackled her with a mob of security guards on his heels. I still wonder who footed the kids' therapy bills.

Saw a young woman calmly buy a corndog, perch herself atop a trash can, eat her corn dog, them stick a hand down her shorts and pleasure herself (loudly) to orgasm. Even our most seasoned security guards were at a loss.

What do you think of Banksy's Dismaland?

I am highly amused by it and depressed by it all at once...which is probably what he had in mind lol

I am another cast member going on 30 years. I don't have the experience of knowing what the park was like during Walt's days but I can say since I started a lot has changed for the cast members.

Do you feel the current leadership team cares about the cast members like the did no less than a decade ago? What are some examples that make you feel that way?

Hiiii there. :) I think some teams care more than others and it varies wildly. I've had wonderful managers who I'd trust with my own children and some I wouldn't trust with a pet rock. Most of my bad experiences were a decade or more ago so maybe things are better now. My father died unexpectedly in an accident 2004 and when I came back from my bereavement leave I was still a mess and struggled at work - I was okay onstage, but I'd go backstage and cry on every break. As soon as my area manager caught on to my distress he/she (no gender given to protect me) put me on an immediate personal leave without dinging my record and very kindly said 'I can give you up to a month. Take care and call me personally if you are ready to come back earlier than that.' Not many managers at Disney would do that even today.

Then I had a manager refuse to let me go home without being dinged after I was attacked by a wasp at work and stung multiple times. Swollen painful ear with four stings...but keep working!

Thanks for answering my first one & just thought of another one!

Noticed on my last trip last week that a ton of girls were wearing "cheeky" shorts, the ones where the butt crease/butt cheek shows. My friends and I thought this would be not allowed (or we would have brought ours!). What is the dress code and is that a borderline piece of clothing?

Very borderline if not over the line. They were probably eventually talked to. Things have become less and less strict over the years which makes me a little sad. Nothing obscene is allowed, no gang stuff or drug imagery, etc. No chains, spikes, etc.

The no chains and spikes kind of surprises me a tiny bit, considering the whole "bat day" thing, where goth kids descend on the park sometime in August. Or do they not really do that anymore?

Nope, bat day still happens and the spike rule still stands. It's an injury risk in tightly packed crowds.

Why do they not turn the rides or music off at night?

the rides ARE all shut down at night (powered down and tagged out, as we call it) but the ambient music does run 24/7. (Not the music inside the rides though, that too is shut off.) There are few things more eerie than an empty, sterile Disneyland at 3 am echoing with soft music.

I would pay many dollars to experience that

Then get a job there and work closing shifts!

I no longer live in California, but we always had annual passes when we lived there. Do employees generally like or dislike AP holders?

It's 50/50. Many AP holders are awesome and we think of them as old friends...and then there are the entitled asses who act like they own the park. We have APers who have 'their' declared spots every day in front of stages who get nasty if unknowing day guests get there earlier and take that spot, APers who crowd kids out and hog 'their' character, APers who stalk castmembers/certain characters, APers who learn the loopholes and abuse them, APers who get a kick out of trying stunts like stealing ride props and sneaking backstage, etc. That's just the short list. We love half of ya - the rest can bug off!

what are these loopholes and why doesn't disney patch them out?

Why would I tell you that? :P And disney doesn't patch them because they can't.

Do guess still Flash in the ride name "Splash Mountain"?

yes, it just never makes it online anymore. Or so it seems....

Do you get sick of smiling all day?

YES. Sometimes I have a good cussing fit in my car after clocking out just to get all the magic and sparkle out of my system after a long day. One can only eat so much sugar! Not that the occasional raunchy conversation or dirty joke contest in a closed break room doesn't help. }=)

Did anyone ever get down with a guest, and did they get caught?

Yes, many times. No, yes, sometimes.

I hear stories of "haunted" attractions at the park such as Pirates of the Carribean. Any paranormal experiences while at/during work?

The only odd thing I had happen was having a motion sensor go off inside a closed, empty FL ride. It went off repeatedly while I was doing the last closing procedures at the console. The sensors went off in each scene in order as if someone was walking through the ride. I walked all the way back through to check (thought maybe a maintenance guy went into the ride though I hadn't had anyone tag out and go in) and found nobody.

How do you feel about the Disney College Program? I recently got accepted and I'm really nervous! Have you met any college program members?

I think it's a great thing. Don't be nervous, you're joining a family and you're going to make some memories! It's going to be one of the best times of your life, bar none. (as long as you don't do anything stupid like run naked across the Main St rooftops, just sayin.)

How do you pick up trash in character?

You pick it up and say "I always like to pick up the trashy type"

I don't understand this. Can you explain? Sorry

lol nope.

is it true that one should never rub Mickeys belly?

Very true. Even Minnie doesn't get that privilege.

Why is this?

Mostly a running CM joke.

Is it true that there is a door Between the employees lounge and the park that says "smile you're on stage"?

Those signs are everywhere backstage! Along with a mirror so we can make sure we are 'show ready.'

Do you think, it's still somewhat true to the vision of Mr Disney..?

Mostly....much has been lost along the way but the core spirit is still there and always will be, I think.

Any creepy stuffs to share?

How about being hit on by characters while on stage? I'm not talking about cute Disney-esque stuff, I'm talking about being passed suggestive notes, having my apron strings untied from behind and having a character start hinting at the size of his d*ck while the guests are out of earshot.

Then there's the other kind of creepy - ghost stuff.

Any cool ghost stories?

Already posted one, go look.

Do you all get along with the staff/actors who play the Disney characters? What are they like behind the scenes? Do they have big egos?

I actually have some friends in that department since one of my old jobs was attached to it. Most of them are cool but the princess girls can get a little nasty 'mean girls' style. Many tend to look poorly on the annual passholders to follow them constantly. (many AP holders develop crushes/obsessions with certain characters and performers, but that's a whole 'nother topic.) They are a rather frisky group backstage, prone to playful misbehavior...I have break room stories that would destroy your childhoods, haha. But they love what they do for the kids and they are Disneyland's heartbeat (in my never to be humble opinion.)

Please do tell these stories :)

Might make it easier for some CMs to ID me at work, aka "wait I remember that, I was there too so that narrows it down..." But I can say that I've known Peter Pan and Captain Hook to get along MUCH better backstage than onstage!

So you were a princess then? :p

Do tell those dirty stories! This is reddit after all, can't be a front page thread without NSFW stuff!

Are you kidding? I'd rather this not be a front page thread lol! I've overheard 'Cinderella' rant about 'Ariel' and say "she can't even fill those seashells!" (I got the hell out of dodge and LMAO'd) I've seen nice girls quit their princess dream jobs in tears thanks to the mean girls, and when any super nice, gentle girl tells me she's gonna audition for a princess role I say "don't. They'll eat you alive." It's just a small percentage that are nasty, but they can sure do some damage! It's mostly just the princesses though, other face performers are generally cool. The fur performers (Goofy, Mickey etc) are actually pretty awesome.

I think it comes down to telling a young pretty girl that she looks like a world-famous fantasy princess tends to make her ego go through the roof. It's like a high school inside the princess 'community' most of the time. Drama llamas everywhere.

What do you do for work outside of this? I don't imagine you get paid a lot even after 14 years...

I actually get paid much better than most CMs at this point - even more than most of my leads lol. Anyway i won't say what I do for extra cash outside work to help hide my identity.

where is the best place to work from a heat/air conditioning standpoint in the park?

Mansion, Pirates, any indoor food location.

The two with thr most distinct smell. Is there a reason for the smell? I assumed disinfectant. It's not a terrible smell but those two are the only ones I can really remember vividly

It's that whole cave/underground/damp smell thing. If you go into a slightly damp stone cave it'll smell just like Pirates.

Have you ever seen anyone show up to Disneyland on LSD or high on some other substances, and if you did would you care as long as they weren't causing problems?

Yes, and we absolutely care. They would be a huge danger on rides, among other things. Anyone suspected of being under the influence of anything will be followed closely and removed from the park as deemed necessary.

How dangerous is the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction? I remember reading it was shut down for a substantial amount of time because a guest was injured on it. My girlfriend and I were at Disney on the day it recently reopened and we were hoping to ride it later during the day, but then a bunch of cast members were cordoning it off and told us it was shut down again; they weren't sure when it'll reopen. It made both her and I reconsider even riding it ever again.

Edit: typos. Sorry, I'm on mobile!

It's only dangerous to drunks and idiots.

I'm pretty sure you have run into some celebrities. Who was the one who had you starstruck?

I've met a few, seen a few at a distance (some I didn't recognize until they were gone) but none got me excited. In my eyes a guest is a guest is a guest. Everyone gets the same treatment. I've seen Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, Madonna, Kurt Russell, Nicholas Cage and Beyonce to name a few.

What's your favorite Disney movie?

I don't have a single favorite. Lion King, BatB, Mulan, Up, Ratatouille are my top listers.

Which attractions did you run? Any stories from the Frozen attractions? Little Mermaid as well?

Not gonna say to protect my job...but I've been around! I only work DL so no Mermaid. I've worked one Frozen attraction and have dealt with NASTY parents who could not get in (arrived too late among other things.) One parent threw his popcorn at me. I did my best 'I love the smell of napalm in the morning' deadpan face and said "throw a turkey leg next time, I'm hungry."

I was at Disneyland a few weeks ago during "Gay Day"...I had no idea that was a thing. Are cast members told ahead of time of groups that may be visiting the park?

Oh and I super miss Rockey Rods, do you have any info on that? I refuse to give up hope!

Sure, we know the schedule. It's all over the 'net and hard to miss anyway. And Rocket Rods and not coming back. make your peace and move on.

What's it like to have the dream job ?

This isn't my dream job. Actually I don't know what that would be, heh.

What is the most life scarring thing you've seen?

Probably the Genie/Jasmine incident already detailed here. :p

Can you hook me up with tickets? :)

NOPE