Used Cast Member Clothing OK 2 Wear @ Parks?

[ducklite]

Some employees (AK, transportation, food services, and DTD are right off the top of my head) are allowed to have a certain number of costumes checked out and keep them, including laundering them. I've got a friend (who posts on teh DIS) who is a DTD CM, and she never takes her costumes back because they are in short supply of her size. So she keeps them and launders them herself. There are a few people in my neighborhood that work at AK, and they also launder their own. You'll see them at Publix or the gas station after work in costume. Same with people in food services.

That said, I would not dress my child in a CM costume to take them to WDW for a number of reasons. If you want them to stand out, look on E-bay for "Team Disney" apparal. This is ony sold to CM's at the various backstage store locations.

Anne

 

[granmanh603]

The CM are allowed to take home their costumes now....I did notice the last time I was there in March that some of the CM looked likes slobs, wrinkled and dirty, not like they used to.

 

[Tiffer]

I bought my son a monorail pilot pin off ebay a couple years ago and when he wore it to Disney, a monorail driver told us to have him remove it or he would call security. He was 12.

What a Jerk.

 

[dawnball]

Things have changed sinice I last worked there (91 & 93). If you got caught walking in the wrong land with your costume on you would be in deep trouble. Showing up in a wallmart? :

As per a thread I read on a cast member site awhile ago there was a labor ruling that unless Disney pays employees for the time it takes them to change Disney can't prohibit them from wearing costumes off property.

 

[sorcerormickey]

As per a thread I read on a cast member site awhile ago there was a labor ruling that unless Disney pays employees for the time it takes them to change Disney can't prohibit them from wearing costumes off property.

This is correct. Disney *used* to pay CM's 'walk time', 20 mins before and after your shift so you would have time to go change. Now they do not.

I see lots of CM's everywhere, especially in Target. You are not allowed to wear your nametag when not working, but I see a lot of them being worn outside of WDW.

 

[Zooey72]

This is correct. Disney *used* to pay CM's 'walk time', 20 mins before and after your shift so you would have time to go change. Now they do not.

I see lots of CM's everywhere, especially in Target. You are not allowed to wear your nametag when not working, but I see a lot of them being worn outside of WDW.

They changed that did they? heh, unions suck. The college kids I am sure are still pretty much slave labor making that big min. wage and being crammed 6 to an apartment. They charged me like $60 a week, which was at least $240 a month x6 = $1440 a month for one apartment. Those apartments were nowhere near worth $1440 a month to cram 6 people into. What a racket. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my 2 semesters there. But at the same time I know when I am being taken advantage of.

Point is that unions are supposed to protect workers... but in the case of temp workers you are just one of the slaves rowing the boat. No consideration what so ever. We had the last chance at getting OT, a day off, you name it... and than the union had the audacity to ask if we would want to become members! Give $ from my min. wage check to people who are actively trying to screw me over? Ya, right...

 

[twinklebug]

They changed that did they? heh, unions suck. The college kids I am sure are still pretty much slave labor making that big min. wage and being crammed 6 to an apartment. They charged me like $60 a week, which was at least $240 a month x6 = $1440 a month for one apartment. Those apartments were nowhere near worth $1440 a month to cram 6 people into. What a racket. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my 2 semesters there. But at the same time I know when I am being taken advantage of.

Point is that unions are supposed to protect workers... but in the case of temp workers you are just one of the slaves rowing the boat. No consideration what so ever. We had the last chance at getting OT, a day off, you name it... and than the union had the audacity to ask if we would want to become members! Give $ from my min. wage check to people who are actively trying to screw me over? Ya, right...

My son is in that exact situation - 6 kids packed into one apartment. His rent is more than $60 though. The apartments are NOT run by Disney, but rather an apartment complex with an agreement with Disney. "Rent" is for more than just the apartment. Funds are taken wekly from the paycheck and split then transferred to the Apartment management company and the CPer bus/van service, also not Disney owned or run. Boy - I know too much & I don't even get any of the bennies.

 

[Zooey72]

My son is in that exact situation - 6 kids packed into one apartment. His rent is more than $60 though. The apartments are NOT run by Disney, but rather an apartment complex with an agreement with Disney. "Rent" is for more than just the apartment. Funds are taken wekly from the paycheck and split then transferred to the Apartment management company and the CPer bus/van service, also not Disney owned or run. Boy - I know too much & I don't even get any of the bennies.

When I was there last I talked to a CM and she told me that they don't stay at Vista Way any more. When I was there you could choose to live with people from other countries, which I guess they also dropped. Probably too much culture clash. I know my morrocan roomate made some of the most disgusting smelling food that stunk up the apartment for hours. Cooked fish with the heads on w/o taking the scales off - yuck.

 

[twinklebug]

When I was there last I talked to a CM and she told me that they don't stay at Vista Way any more. When I was there you could choose to live with people from other countries, which I guess they also dropped. Probably too much culture clash. I know my morrocan roomate made some of the most disgusting smelling food that stunk up the apartment for hours. Cooked fish with the heads on w/o taking the scales off - yuck.

Nope they stay at Vista Way and another complex I can't recall the name of right now. My son has to move at the begining of next month because they consolidate the CMs as old ones leave.

Laughing at your fish comment (I love fish but hate the smell too) I guess DS is lucky - 4 of his room mates are culinary majors, the other I believe is custodial.


SORRY OP! - I didn't mean to drive your thread offtrack

BTW - for a child I'd get the costume, have them dress in it and if there's a problem at the gate have an alternate outfit to slip into.

 

[mjhd]

I would say don't risk it. Here's why:

Last year my son (6) met a cast member and they instantly hit it off - they had the same name. My ds tried to trade the cast member one of his pins for the cm's name tag so he would have an official disney nametag with his name on it. We didn't think the cm would go for it, but my son smiled and that's apparently all it took another little piece of disney magic.

Fast forward to the next day...we're at epcot and he's wearing the nametag. He goes up to a cm to trade pins and long story short, she confiscated the pin and called security. management guy comes over and after a LONG wait he finally says that my ds can keep the nametag but must put it away and not display it. I really hope that the first cm did not get in trouble - my son will remember that moment forever There are mean people even at disney - I wouldn't want your magical time spoiled as ours was.

 

[verchad]

Just to clear things up, I was looking at mousesurplus on ebay, which is what appears to be "official" disney surplus including ride cars, pieces of attractions, old/discontinued stuff and new stuff too.

 

[strmtroopr96]

I can't imagine that Disney is selling real costumes. I worked there for 2 semesters and the way it works is every day you go to their laundry and pick up your costume for the day. I never washed a thing, hence I never wore one home to have the op. to steal it. The guard at the gate would stop you if you were walking out with a costume. You sign for your clothes every day so even if you were to stuff it in a duffle bag you are still accountable for it.

I don't think Disney would sell them either. Seems way to risky a security thing given how the world is today, and they would not make that much profit off of used closed. IMO whoever is selling it is telling you that to jack up the price.

When I did my CP, I was able to wear my costume home. I worked at the World of Disney. My roommates weren't able to though (3 at MK, 1 at Boardwalk shops, and 1 at CBR giftshop).

 

[katerkat]

I did the CP in 1999 and wore the costume home - but I was a guard at BB so red suit and red shorts doesn't typically raise eyebrows! We were allowed to take ours home and wash them because they were swimsuits.

And the other apartment complex is Chatham, and I thought they were pretty roomy for six, and about the same price others pay for 3-bedrooms and all utilities. But I got to ours first and claimed the bedroom with 2 to the bethroom instead of four.

 

[Acklander]

To the OP, I don't know if it's allowed or not but from what I've seen of the costumes for the most part they are a heavy poly blend - probably wouldn't be very comfortable for your DD in the Florida sun.

 

[qtwns]

Could you purchase the costumes for the material and make your own miniature DD sized version? Or perhaps, make a costume out of the material for her favorite Disney stuffed animal (or Pal Mickey?) Or use the fabric to cover a photo album or autograph book? There's more than one way to skin a cat, and if you came by the costumes from a legit source, then there are all kinds of creative things you can do with the fabric. Sounds like a fun mother/daughter project.

 

[verchad]

Could you purchase the costumes for the material and make your own miniature DD sized version? Or perhaps, make a costume out of the material for her favorite Disney stuffed animal (or Pal Mickey?) Or use the fabric to cover a photo album or autograph book? There's more than one way to skin a cat, and if you came by the costumes from a legit source, then there are all kinds of creative things you can do with the fabric. Sounds like a fun mother/daughter project.

Some interesting ideas, thanks.