It’s probably tough work being a cast member that manages rides or plays a costume character, but the hardest work is definitely that of custodial members. It was Lillian Disney (Walt’s wife) who proposed that custodial members should wear all white. In this way, they would be extra careful with keeping their costumes clean. As a result, these employees are the easiest to find in the park if you’re looking for assistance.
They are also the ones who know the parks better than any other employee because they have the power to wander freely about the park. So, they have the answers to all your questions because they’re more knowledgeable and accessible. A former Disney World College Program participant said that custodians are the best people to show you where something is. If you don’t understand the directions a cast member gives you, you should approach a custodian and ask them for help. A cast member doesn’t have the same freedom as a custodian and therefore doesn’t know as much about the park other than their confined location or job. So, if you need help, just look for a man or woman donning a pristine white jumpsuit.
First Name Basis
Disney cast members go the extra mile and make an added effort to call you by your first name. Did a cast member refer you by your first name when you were checking out and you found it out?
Well, they look for clues of your name on pins or hats, or by a quick glance down at your credit card.
Change Your Name if It's Taken
In the 1950's, it wasn't so common to address people you didn't know by their first name. But, Walt Disney didn't like being called "Mr. Disney." He insisted that people call him by his first name, Walt. So, cast members all have their first names on their name tags. Apparently, no two cast members can have the same name, so if yours is taken, you'll need to decide upon a variation of your name or middle name.
Cast members must wear a name tag at all times. If you lose your name tag or forget it at home, you can choose from a whole pile of gender neutral names like Sam and Alex. One cast member shared that when he lost his first name, he became Chris from New York for two weeks while waiting for his new name-tag to arrive.
Not an Easy Job
All cast members need to undergo extensive training and custodial cast members are no exception to this rule. There are Disney ways to sweep objects and certain chemicals to use for various clean-ups. In order to communicate with one another on the radio, they must learn a series of radio codes.
Although custodial cast members take on most of the job, every Disney employee takes part in keeping the park clean.
Cats on Duty
Speaking of keeping the park as clean as possible, there is a specific job that can be undertaken only by specific members of the Disney family: cats. The Disney parks have stray cats that roam the park at night in order to clear out unwanted pests and rodents.
These feral cats live in Disney but they come out at night only after visitors have gone home. While they weren't always welcome, they are now a good solution to controlling pests.