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Disney cast members are known for adhering to the polished “Disney Look” guidelines but one former Walt Disney World Resort performer recently shared how she managed to bend the rules—sporting purple hair while working at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
The Evolving Disney Look
Disney Parks have long held strict grooming and appearance standards for cast members. The “Disney Look” originally required employees to adhere to guidelines that excluded visible tattoos, unnatural hair colors, and certain personal expressions. These rules were designed to ensure a uniform, professional appearance that fit Disney’s family-friendly image.
Credit: Disney
In recent years, however, Disney has loosened its policies to reflect modern societal standards. In 2021, Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort updated the guidelines to allow visible tattoos, facial hair, certain nail polish colors, and even some natural-looking hair highlights. By 2023, a “gender-neutral” costume policy was introduced, allowing cast members to select costumes based on their assigned role, regardless of gender.
Despite these changes, unnatural hair colors—such as purple—remain prohibited under the Disney Look guidelines. However, one cast member found a way around the rule.
Breaking the Rules With Purple Hair
Credit: Disney
Former entertainment cast member @kayla.g21 recently took to TikTok to share her experience of wearing purple hair at Walt Disney World Resort. As a character performer, she wore wigs or character “heads” while on stage, meaning her real hair was rarely visible. This gave her the confidence to break the rules.
@kayla.g21 Replying to @K SOMEHOW the world kept turning at Walt Disney World after my egregious actions 🫢
“They do not allow purple hair, but I fear that did not stop me,” she explained in her video. “Since I was in entertainment and no one ever really saw my real hair, I would just show up to work in my wig cap and then a beanie on top, check into base, put my makeup on, put the wig on—nobody knew.”
Even so, there were moments when her purple hair was exposed. She recalled removing her wig between sets in Florida’s sweltering heat, which occasionally caught the attention of managers. Surprisingly, many of them didn’t seem to mind.
Credit: Disney
“There were times when in between sets, I’d take my wig off because it is 95 degrees in Florida, and managers would for sure see it,” she shared. “But they would either A. mind their business and not say anything or B. compliment it.”
Other Disney Cast Members React
While some managers were supportive or indifferent, others weren’t as accepting. The former performer described an encounter during a shift at Chef Mickey’s, where a manager confronted her about her hair.
“This manager that I had never seen before in my life was like, ‘Hey. Can I talk to you outside? I think you know what this is about. Has anyone said anything to you about your hair?'” she recalled.
Credit: Disney
Her response? “I mean, managers have complimented it, why?” The manager reportedly didn’t appreciate her answer and escalated the issue by filing a report. However, no disciplinary action followed.
Reflecting on her experience, the former performer embraced her decision to bend the rules for self-expression: “They don’t allow purple hair, but somehow the Walt Disney World company managed to survive my reckless abandonment in my chase for some sense of individuality in a role full of look-a-likes. And you know what? I think they’ll be just fine.”
Should Walt Disney World Resort roll back its “Disney Look” policies even further? Share your thoughts with Disney Tips in the comments.
