Disney cast members famously aren’t allowed to have unnatural hair colors–even after the Disney parks loosened their “Disney Look” guidelines to allow for more personal expression. However, one former entertainment cast member recently shared how she got away with having purple hair while working at Walt Disney World Resort.
In 2021, Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort changed the Disney Look guidelines to allow certain visible tattoos, facial hair, select nail polishes, and more. In 2023, the Disney parks implemented a “gender neutral” costume policy, allowing cast members to choose whichever costume style they want for their assigned role regardless of their gender.
The original restrictive Disney Look policies had been in place since Walt Disney opened Disneyland Park. Although they were intended to make cast members look uniform and consistent, they didn’t reflect modern societal standards or allow for individual gender expression.
While the Disney Look now permits cast members to boast specific natural-looking hair highlights, it still prohibits unnatural hair colors. However, former Disney character performer @kayla.g21 recently shared how she got away with having purple hair while working at Walt Disney World Resort:
@kayla.g21 Replying to @K SOMEHOW the world kept turning at Walt Disney World after my egregious actions 🫢
“They do not allow purple hair, but I fear that did not stop me,” she began. “…Since I was in entertainment and no one ever really saw my real hair, I would just show up to work in my wig cap and then a beanie on top, check into base, put my makeup on, put the wig on, nobody knew.”
Even though entertainment Disney cast members like this TikToker always wear wigs or character “heads,” they’re still obligated to conform to Disney Look guidelines. However, this former Disney Princess performer said most managers didn’t care about her purple hair.
“There were times when in between sets, I’d take my wig off because it is 95 degrees in Florida, and managers would for sure see it,” the former Disney cast member recalled. “But they would either A. mind their business and not say anything or B. compliment it.”
She described those managers as people she had developed positive relationships with but said some bosses she didn’t know as well occasionally tried to report her colorful hair.
“One day, I traded around and ended up with a Chef Mickey’s shift hanging out with Pluto,” the former Disney cast member explained. “This manager that I had never seen before in my life was like, ‘Hey. Can I talk to you outside? I think you know what this is about. Has anyone said anything to you about your hair?'”
“I said, ‘I mean, managers have complimented it, why?'” she continued. “And she did not like that.”
The manager from Chef Mickey’s submitted a report to the Disney cast member’s manager, but nothing came of it. The TikToker argued that she could wear a costuming-approved beanie if she had to go on stage to greet guests when she wasn’t performing.
“They don’t allow purple hair, but somehow the Walt Disney World company managed to survive my reckless abandonment in my chase for some sense of individuality in a role full of look-a-likes,” she concluded. “And you know what? I think they’ll be just fine.”
Should Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort allow cast members to sport unnatural hair colors? Share your opinion with Disney Dining in the comments.
If the person who is wearing a costume that completely covers their body, head and all has hair of an alternative color, what difference should it make? No one is going to see it on stage anyway, and if people backstage do, so what?