As the book says, MICKEY MOUSE NEVER FAILS.
Supposedly.
But sometimes Mickey does have a bit of a bad day. As do many of Mickey’s Disney pals around Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and the other Disney theme parks.
Because being a walkaround character (sometimes called ”rubberheads” or “FUR CHARACTERS” by some) is not always the best job to have in the theme park.
Your vision is hindered, if you can see at all. The costumes are heavy, unbearably hot, awkward to manuever in, and not often cleaned to smell as fresh as they should be. You’re often kicked, poked, prodded, propositioned, and occasionally abused by children young and old-enough-to-know-better.
Yes, being a Disney Costumed Character has been called ONE OF THE WORST JOBS AT DISNEY specifically because of the high accident/injury rate associated with it according to INSIDE THE MOUSE, a book based on interviews with former park employees.
And with all that, the employees who act as “friends of” each character continue to do so in order to bring smiles to the faces of every park visitor. And for putting up with all that, and doing their job well — we at Web Watch salute you.
Read “Cast Member Confidential” for behind-the-scenes Disney fun
Cast Member Confidential -a Disney Employee Memoir
If you’re a Disney park fan, then one thing that you’re probably interested in is some of the behind-the-scenes stories about what it’s REALLY like to work at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Sure, you could read KEVIN YEE’s book MOUSETRAP: MEMOIR OF A DISNEYLAND CAST MEMBER, or maybe even Inside the Mouse: Work and Play at Disney World, The Project on Disney, based on interviews with former Disney employees. Both are excellent books for what they cover, and Web Watch recommends them highly.
But sometimes works like those can offer some views of life at Walt Disney World or Disneyland that are a bit more whitewashed than how things actually were. Looking at working at the Mouse with rose-colored glasses, if you will.
Sometimes we want to see a truth that’s a bit more unadulterated and unfiltered.
Sometimes we want to really pull back the curtain and see what life really is like to work as a cast member at one of the World’s Busiest Theme Parks.
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