Disney has updated its dress code for theme park employees to include gender-inclusive hairstyles, visible tattoos, and more.
On Tuesday, Josh D'Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, announced a loosening of restrictions on the company's dress and style code for cast members, as part of the company's commitment to foster a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace, which enables employees to "better express their cultures and individuality at work."
Under the new appearance policies, employees will be offered "greater flexibility with respect to forms of personal expression surrounding gender-inclusive hairstyles, jewelry, nail styles, and costume choices." In addition to these changes, cast members at Disney's theme parks will now be permitted to show up at work with "appropriate visible tattoos."
"Moving forward, we believe our cast, who are at the center of the magic that lives in all our experiences, can provide the best of Disney's legendary guest service when they have more options for personal expression – creating richer, more personal, and more engaging experiences with our guests," D'Amaro wrote on the Disney Parks Blog on Tuesday.
The announcement comes as part of a wider effort by the company to incorporate inclusion as one of the key principles in the employee blueprint that guides staff on decisions and the approach they bring to their interactions with others. The key of "Inclusion" joins the other four keys of "Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency," which have all served as pillars for guest services for more than 65 years.
The appearance policy changes for cast members at Disney's theme parks are just one in a series of adjustments that the company has implemented over the past few months. Disney previously announced plans to update its Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World after receiving years-long criticism over the ride's outdated and insensitive depictions of cultures.
Jungle Cruise is not the only theme park attraction to be getting a revamp either. Splash Mountain is set to be "completely reimagined" as a Princess and the Frog ride at Disneyland and Walt Disney World after fans petitioned to overhaul the ride because it was inspired by (and still includes) imagery from Song of the South, a movie featuring racially insensitive depictions.
The Walt Disney Company has also drafted in a group of experts to advise and assess its content and ensure that it accurately represents global audiences. As such, Disney+ has removed access on kids' profiles to several titles that usually come with content advisory notices, meaning that titles like Peter Pan and Dumbo will no longer stream on Disney+ profiles that are specifically set up for children.
Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
