If you want to see Disney Cast Members (CMs) goofing off in costume, act now before the TikTok account chronicling their antics gets deleted again. Originally operating under the username @illegaldisney and now under the username @illegal.disney, an anonymous Cast Member at one of the Disney Parks has been sharing backstage content ranging from Chip and Dale body rolling and using gym equipment to photos from inside the heads of Zootopia Judy and Nick costumes. On the latter, multiple people have commented to celebrate the account’s return after it went down earlier this week.
For those who aren’t aware of Disney’s incredibly strict rules for CMs—especially those who don fur suits or dress up as “face” characters like the princesses—this account likely doesn’t mean much. It’s basically a series of short shit posts showing people goofing off at work, no different than the accounts that share similar content from the backrooms of Starbucks stores. Illegal Disney’s TikTok posts are mostly innocuous, with content bordering on a PG-13 rating at worst. To be honest, Disney Parks visitors likely see worse behavior from each other on a daily, if not hourly basis.
However, those who are familiar with Disney’s rules are probably more shocked by the account’s very existence than its content.
Disney tightly regulates its cast members’ online activity
Disney Cast Members can never reveal their role at the parks. They always have to be in-character and following their particular story, which includes learning their character’s autograph, answering any and all guest questions the way their character would, and generally being “on” for every moment they’re visible to the public. If their role at the parks is revealed in any way—even if they aren’t the ones to talk about it—their job is immediately put in jeopardy.
For example, in the early aughts, Tumblr users became obsessed with a CM who played Peter Pan at Disneyland at the time and several of them began stalking him at the park to the point of learning his real name and revealing it online. Although he no longer works for the parks, this was a big deal at the time because it risked his personal safety and his livelihood. He took on the nickname “Spieling Peter” in the parks, likely because he talked to guests so much in their interactions, and there are dozens of videos of him on YouTube to this day.
Any CM risks being fired if they talk about their job on social media, but those who play characters in the parks have to be especially careful. Disney insists on separating the “magic” of its parks from the real world, so anyone who breaks that covenant basically forfeits their role at the company and allegedly risks blacklisting in the industry as a whole. If you’ve ever wondered why it’s all but impossible to track down certain Disney character actors on social media, that’s why.
Illegal Disney is delightful because it breaks the rules
This year, we’ve seen a number of major companies either vote to unionize or go on strike under the protection of their unions because they want better treatment at work. Capitalism doesn’t see workers as human, and seeing humans at work being human is honestly really nice. The Illegal Disney account may seem shocking at first, but it’s frankly just a group of people goofing off and making their lives a little more joyful in between hot, muggy, and potentially stressful interactions with the public under the ever-watchful eye of their mouse overlord.
Sharing those moments on social media shouldn’t put their jobs at risk because apps don’t regulate their “required” age limits well enough. Every kid eventually learns the truth about CMs (just like Santa or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy), and Disney Adults still visit the parks and go on the cruises for character interactions without any qualms about the “magic” being ruined. If any Disney execs are reading this, I promise: We will be OK.
Whoever is behind the Illegal Disney TikTok account, we wish them and their co-workers the best.
(featured image: Disney)
