Disney employees dressed as women shown greeting children, park guests in viral images
Images recently shared on social media purport to show men wearing dresses welcoming children and families at Disney theme parks.
Photos of two male Disney employees in women's clothing who appeared to be on duty went viral on social media after conservative influencer Libs Of TikTok shared the images on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The caption for the Aug. 25 post read, "Disney has men dressed as women, wearing dresses greeting children at some of their attractions. Received both of these this week from disturbed visitors."
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One of the undated photos was captured outside the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at the Disneyland Resort in California and showed a bearded man wearing a headscarf and dress inspired by the Fairy Godmother character from Disney's 1950 film "Cinderella."
Disney has men dressed as women, wearing dresses greeting children at some of their attractions.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 25, 2023
Received both of these this week from disturbed visitors. pic.twitter.com/c0NGDhRKh3
The boutique — named after the signature song from the movie — is said to provide "magical makeovers for royalty-in-training ages 3 to 12" and offers kids the option to "choose a special hairstyle and then add makeup, nail color and accessories and even a Disney Princess (or knight) costume."
Earlier this year, another male Disney employee wearing makeup and a dress was captured on video greeting children outside the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
A viral video posted in May showed a man with a mustache and wearing a Fairy Godmother dress waving to a young child and welcoming customers into the store.
Disney has a man in a dress working in the dress store for little girls at Disneyland. This is who Disney wants girls to see when they first walk in to pick out a dress. pic.twitter.com/Ta2dwyAaSa
— Jason Jones (@jonesville) May 30, 2023
The man — who identifies himself as "Nick" — is heard telling the children, "I'm one of the Fairy Godmother's apprentices. I'm here to shop you around and make all your selections for the day."
Another pair of images shared by Libs of TikTok showed at least two separate areas of Disney parks with the colors of the "progress" pride flag "built into the decor…where children take pictures."
Disney has the trans, nonbinary, and progress pride flag built into the decor at their parks where children take pictures with.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 28, 2023
Received this from a disturbed visitor. pic.twitter.com/gGY12mvHVV
It's not clear where the photo backdrops were located within the park.
A request for comment sent Thursday to a Disney spokesperson was not immediately returned. This story will be updated in the event a response is received.
In 2021, Disney Parks announced changes to its employee dress code, stating that it would go with a "new approach" that provides "greater flexibility with respect to forms of personal expression surrounding gender-inclusive hairstyles, jewelry, nail styles, and costume choices; and allowing appropriate visible tattoos."
"We're updating them to not only remain relevant in today's workplace, but also enable our cast members to better express their cultures and individuality at work," Disney Parks Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D'Amaro wrote at the time.
Disney says its dress code, the Disney Look, "is an inclusive set of guidelines that not only aligns with our brand but empowers our cast members to more proudly be their authentic self."
"Our themed costumed cast members are a critical part of enhancing the experience of our Disney show, and our non-costumed cast members also play an important role as representatives of the Disney brand," the Disney Careers website states. "Regardless of the position you hold with us, when you take pride in your appearance, you become a role model for those around you, and you convey the attitude of excellence that has become synonymous with the Disney name."
According to Inside the Magic, the policy change allows employees "to wear any costume piece matching their location, regardless of gender." The blog also reported in 2022 that Disney made changes to its Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, allowing for staff who don’t identify as female to take part in magical Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique makeovers.
Disney's promotion of LGBT themes has become a trend in recent years, including an official Disney pride collection with rainbow-themed Mickey Mouse ears and other items.
Earlier this month, Emily Gwen, the self-identified designer of the "lesbian pride" flag, criticized Disney for selling pins with the flag's colors while saying she "can't afford to pay for [her] medication this month."
In 2021, as part of its corporate LGBT activism, the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida, removed all references to biological sex in its introduction to the Magic Kingdom fireworks show.
While the original introduction consisted of the words, "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dreamers of all ages," that greeting was modified to "Good evening, dreamers of all ages."
Disney shares hit a nine-year low this week after reports that the entertainment conglomerate is dealing with "lackluster summer crowds" and mounting subscriber losses on its Disney+ streaming service.
