by Alvin Ward
Disneyland may be the Happiest Place on Earth, but don’t think that means you can just waltz in and do whatever you want. In fact, Mickey Mouse’s theme parks have banned quite a few things over the years. Here are just a few of the things on which the Mouse has dropped his hammer.
1. Long Hair
Until the late 1960s, men could either have flowing locks or enjoy Adventureland, but they definitely couldn’t do both. According to Snopes, if a long-haired fellow tried to buy a ticket, a cast member would discreetly and politely inform the man that his hairdo didn’t jive with the park’s unwritten dress code before escorting him from the park.
2. Facial Hair
It’s tough to find a picture of Walt Disney without a mustache, but for decades it was even tougher to find a Disney employee who had a ‘stache of his own. Starting in 1957, workers at Disney parks were not allowed to have long hair, grow beards, or wear mustaches. (The underlying logic was that park patrons wouldn’t want to buy a $9 soda from some filthy bearded hippie or mustachioed Snidely Whiplash type.)
In 2000, Disney was having trouble drumming up enough manpower to staff its parks, so it relaxed the facial hair ban. Employees were finally allowed to grow mustaches, provided they kept them trimmed and groomed. Beards didn’t fare so well, though; they stayed on the forbidden list.
3. Blake Lively
How could anyone not like the cute-as-a-button star of Gossip Girl? Disneyland apparently wasn’t always amused with Lively’s pre-fame antics. According to Lively, when she was six, she and her older brother used the old put-hairspray-on-a-friend’s-readmission-hand-stamp-to-transfer-the-stamp-to-their-own-skin trick. It would have been the perfect crime, except security nabbed the Lively kids right as they went through the park’s turnstiles and slapped the pair with a one-year ban.
4. Florida State Football Recruits
In June 2007, four Florida State football recruits met up for a little bit of fun. Instead of engaging in any of the myriad nefarious acts a group of 18-year-old males are known to favor, the players decided to go to Disney World, which seemed like the very last place in the world they could get into any trouble. Wrong. Park officials approached the men, all of whom were African-American, while they hung out in Downtown Disney and ejected them from the park for violating its anti-loitering rules. Security also hit the players with a lifetime ban from the park in a move that many Disney critics claimed smacked of racial profiling.
5. Costumes
You may want to dress up like Jack Sparrow for a day of riding Pirates of the Caribbean, but if you’re older than nine, forget it. Disney bans any costumes and masks on anyone who’s ten or older. Also listed on Disney’s park dress code: “Makeup that could be construed as part of a costume.” So go easy on the eye shadow—the fashion police might decide you’re shooting for a 19th-century harlot look and give you the heave-ho.
Similarly, the dress code bans “clothing that accentuates or draws attention to private areas,” a well meaning, if oddly phrased, choice. Here’s hoping Disney starts handing out unisex burlap smocks at the park gates to avoid any potentially accentuated private areas. [Image courtesy of reader Christopher Schwarz.]
6. Gallows
In early 2008, upstart English punk band Gallows was all set to open for Social Distortion at a gig at the House of Blues at Disneyland. The bill seemed like a good way to get exposure for a band that was starting to catch on stateside—or it did until Disney officials actually stopped to listen to Gallows’ debut record, Orchestra of Wolves. Once Disney brass heard Gallows’ tunes, they nixed the show due to the band’s occasionally offensive lyrical content.
While it seems odd to get upset at a punk band for being abrasive, Disney’s move wasn’t unprecedented. Just a few months earlier, the company had banned the metal band Machine Head from performing at the House of Blues for similar reasons.
7. Kids
Kids banned by Disney? You bet. In January 2008, Disney announced that children under the age of 10 would no longer be allowed to dine at Victoria & Albert’s, the ritziest restaurant at Disney World’s Grand Floridian Spa and Resort. The move made news, but Disney officials claimed that the AAA five-diamond-rated restaurant didn’t attract that many children in the first place. In addition to being pricey, Victoria & Albert’s only offered a fixed-price menu with kid-unfriendly offerings like caviar, so the restaurant only catered to a handful of young diners each year.
8. Segways
GOB Bluth is going to be in quite a bind if he ever tries to ride his Segway into Disneyland. The company bans Segways from its parks, ostensibly because it’s tough to balance safety issues with the potential for having a fleet of two-wheeled vehicles rolling around the grounds.
The trouble here, though, is that a lot of disabled people use Segways in lieu of wheelchairs. These folks were understandably peeved that they couldn’t visit the parks using their preferred mode of transportation, and several of them filed lawsuits. So far it’s been tough for the Segway riders to get Disney to budge; earlier this fall, a federal judge threw out a class action lawsuit brought against Disney by Segway devotees. The ruling left an opening for further legal action, though, so this court battle may not be over yet.
Readers have brought up two other things that might not be welcome in Disney parks: Nikita Khrushchev and bubble gum. Alvin has added those stories…
Nikita Khrushchev?
Disneyland as a battleground for the Cold War? Believe it or not, that’s exactly what it became in 1959. That year, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev spent 11 days visiting the United States. He spent one day of the trip in Los Angeles, and the fierce orator wanted to see Disneyland. However, the LAPD and the rest of Khrushchev’s security detail were worried about his safety during such a trip, so they nixed the idea.
Khrushchev accepted the news with characteristic poise, which is to say he exploded. He ranted, “And I say, I would very much like to go and see Disneyland. But then, we cannot guarantee your security, they say. Then what must I do? Commit suicide? What is it? Is there an epidemic of cholera there or something? Or have gangsters taken hold of the place that can destroy me?”
Gum?
Want to chomp on some gum while you’re standing in line at a Disney park? You’ll have to bring it with you from home. In an effort to keep chewed gum from being stuck all over the parks, none of the shops in any Disney theme park sells gum. Supposedly this innovation came from Walt Disney himself, who wanted to make sure that his guests could enjoy their visits without getting gum stuck to their shoes.
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That’s interesting. I think the first time I saw a Segway it was being driven (?) by a Disney employee in the parking lot at Epcot. Hrm.
posted by Jen on 10-29-2009 at 12:13 pm
Oh, thanks for the pic of “Gob” (hysterical) and the “hamburgler”. Totally made my day.
Keep up the “banned” lists, I love them:)
posted by OkieMelissa on 10-29-2009 at 12:28 pm
They do allow Segways at EPCOT, although you have to pay for their use, attend a safety course and be guided on your tour of the park while using it.
posted by rj472 on 10-29-2009 at 12:29 pm
Disney has several park tours where guests ride Segways as well. But the restriction prevents unsupervised used in the parks.
As far as costumes go, adults CAN wear costumes to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World.
posted by Kerry P on 10-29-2009 at 12:31 pm
Nikita Kruschev – that was huge news when Walt himself banned the leader of the USSR from Disney World
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 10-29-2009 at 12:51 pm
You forgot one of the biggest things: gum. You cannot buy gum at any Disney theme park, resort, or entertainment venue.
posted by Will on 10-29-2009 at 1:02 pm
I was also going to mention that you left Nikita Kruschev off the list, but PartiallyDeflected beat me to it.
posted by The Revolutionary on 10-29-2009 at 1:07 pm
Add smoking hashish in the parking lot prior to entering the park to the list. Happened to me in 1978.
posted by clonus on 10-29-2009 at 1:08 pm
Thank God Disney banned Segways. If only they would do the same with scooters. If you are disabled a wheelchair should be fine. You don’t need an over-sized vehicle that could potentially injure (perhaps fatally) another guest. And how often do you actually see a Segway or motorized scooter being used by the disabled person? In my experience, it is rarely the case. Just somebody who has abused their health to the point where they believe they should have rights above all other people. This may seem grumpy. That is fine. But there is a reason Disney does not want these vehicles in their parks and it is not because of any dislike of the disabled. It is that they are not necessary. Disney supplies wheelchairs and that should be enough.
posted by Alvy Singer on 10-29-2009 at 1:31 pm
Talking about undies in number 5, for a long time Disney forbade characters to wear their own clean, unskanky underwear. They finally negotiated the right to clean undies under the character costumes! Below is the news article on it, for any doubters.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1376479.stm
posted by plaidearthworm on 10-29-2009 at 1:32 pm
Re: the dress code, I wish they’d ban offensive t-shirts. My husband and I were there a few weeks ago, and while on a boat leaving one of the parks we saw a woman wearing a shirt with a picture of Pinocchio, captioned “I didn’t go to the Red Light District in Amsterdam!” And his nose was extended. Except it wasn’t actually his nose. I’m no prude, but I was absolutely appalled they let that woman into the parks (well, ok, we were on our way out so maybe she was asked to leave).
My husband WAS asked a few years ago to turn his Ben Folds shirt inside out-it had B*STARD across the front. He totally deserved it, although there was a woman ahead of us wearing a shirt with an image of a naked woman.
Awesome list, though!!
posted by Kate on 10-29-2009 at 1:44 pm
That’s strange… I’ve been to several death metal and rap shows at that House of Blues. I’m sure the lyrical content of those performances was much more offensive
posted by Stab Man on 10-29-2009 at 2:27 pm
OK. Once again, the word you want is JIBE, not jive.
If the thing you say don’t jibe (are incongruous) you may be talking jive (lying.)
posted by BassMan on 10-29-2009 at 2:33 pm
Things, that is.
posted by BassMan on 10-29-2009 at 2:34 pm
During the facial hair ban period, employees of Retlaw (Walter spelled backwards) were always allowed to wear mustaches in the park. – the privately held company owned by the heirs of Walt Disney, manages the two Disneyland attractions that he personally owned – the Disneyland Railroad and the Disneyland Monorail. Walt Disney through Retlaw Enterprises also owned the Viewliner and the horse-drawn streetcars on Main Street.
posted by MattG on 10-29-2009 at 3:18 pm
It would be easier and less controversial to allow segways (and other motorized vehicles) to only be used by the disabled instead of banning them outright. If you wanted to use one because of a physical disability, you could just show your handicapped vehicle tag on the way in and anyone with a handicapped tag would be allowed to use one and anyone without a handicapped tag would be denied the use of one.
It could work like places that ban pets, but allow service dogs like guide dogs for the blind.
posted by Melissa on 10-29-2009 at 4:29 pm
One more: my high school. I went to a local high school and every year there was a senior Disneyland trip… until the year I was a junior. That year’s senior class caused so much trouble, our school was banned for several years. Thanks, seniors.
posted by Michelle on 10-29-2009 at 5:28 pm
GOB would have to get himself a new Segway since I believe his was destroyed when Lucille hit him with her car.
posted by Bert on 10-29-2009 at 5:33 pm
I remember when two of my friends tried to wear costumes into Disneyland on Halloween(in their early 20′s). They were told they had to cover them up and remove the accessories. The reason they gave was that they would be taking away from Disney’s costumed employees.
And regarding the Segway ban, I actually agree with Alvy Singer. They aren’t banning wheelchairs – just segways.
posted by Nerak on 10-29-2009 at 5:43 pm
About the costumes…What about all the freaks that show up on Bats Day? Some of the most elaborate costumes I have seen were on that fateful day. They must have a special deal with disney…?
posted by Justine on 10-29-2009 at 7:50 pm
What if you changed into a costume after you got in? hahaha!
posted by Justine on 10-29-2009 at 7:52 pm
“The trouble here, though, is that a lot of disabled people use Segways in lieu of wheelchairs.”
Yeah, not true. In fact, because it is untrue is the reason Disney won the court ruling. (Perhaps you should read it more thoroughly?). Disney does not discriminate against disabled guests, and offers wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs. Segways can be dangerous and are not easily monitored.
posted by Logan on 10-29-2009 at 8:43 pm
Logan — What do you mean with your dismissive “not true”? My husband is disabled and occasionally uses a segway to get around. He’s not alone. Here are several articles about others:
Segway helps disabled man more than wheelchair
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/17/INMSV3G2E.DTL
Segway replaces wheelchair for some
http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/19/segway-replaces-wheelchair/
And here are a bunch more in one place:
Articles, Essays and Support Group Items
About Segway users who have mobility challenges
http://www.digitalthreads.com/segway/segdart1.html
posted by Maura on 10-29-2009 at 9:25 pm
@ Partially
Actually Disney never banned Krushchev.
He was denied permission to go by the LAPD because it wasn’t on his travel itinerary and the police couldn’t guarantee his safety at the last minute. His wife and kids were supposed to go while he was attending official functions but begged off at the last minute.
And it was Disneyland, not Disney World.
posted by Steve on 10-30-2009 at 8:49 am
A number of years ago, you were not allowed to enter, unless you submitted your finger for finger printing (electronically). They claimed it was for security. My mother in law wanted to leave, but eventually we submitted. I wonder what Disney is doing with my fingerprints.
posted by Stew on 10-30-2009 at 9:30 am
Walt Disney did not ban Kruschev from going to Disneyland. The Secret Service did claiming they could not provide adequate security. In the end they relented and said his wife and kids could go but she did not want to go without her husband. So she didn’t. Neither did the kids. Walt Disney in fact was all for the idea.
posted by R Brown on 10-30-2009 at 9:39 am
@Maura
Yes, some disabled folks who find it more comfortable to use a Segway than a wheelchair. BUT, a Segway is not an certified medical mobility device that is subject to all the safety requirements as such. If whichever part of the Federal Government recognizes it as such, and it conforms to all the requirements and oversight that are required, then Disney will undoubtedly be required to allow them. As for now, Disney has every right to ban the use of ‘recreational vehicle’ by their guests.
Personally, as someone who travels with a disabled parent, I can see both sides of the argument. I even understand the earlier argument of doing away with scooters. People who don’t need them and rent them just for convenience infuriate me. Problem is, we live 1000 miles from Florida. If we fly, we need to rent a scooter as my mother’s electric wheelchair can’t fly with us. Her arthritis is too bad to propel herself in a traditional wheelchair, but a scooter (an approved medical device) provides as much mobility as is possible in the parks. (Universal is much more wheelchair friendly in our experience).
Also, the court case was neither a win nor a loss for Disney. The judge rejected their proposed settlement and completely dismissed the case, saying that “This case is not about necessary accommodation… The real question, it seems, is the extent to which the ADA can (or should) promote equal treatment and human dignity by requiring acceptance of new technologies.’’
Basically, the judge told everyone to go home until the Segway gets classified as an assistive device.
posted by Karen on 10-30-2009 at 9:42 am
A couple of quick points:
Segways are banned, but only if they’re not Disney property. Disney actually offers Segway tours at Epcot.
Also, costumes are obviously OK for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (which I’ve been to in costume at WDW and was lots of fun).
posted by FlowerPower on 10-30-2009 at 10:20 am
Okay…. wait a second…. “smacked” of racial profiling????? Something tells me that is not the right word
posted by Dillan on 10-30-2009 at 12:23 pm
Re the facial hair thing. My husband when he was in college worked for a Disney owned entertainment facility that was not one of the big 2 US parks. Disney also banned facial hair at this facility. He was told that Disney was concerned that facial hair would scare small children.
posted by Mary Crawford on 10-30-2009 at 4:43 pm
Smacks is being used correctly. It means to contain an element suggestive of something.
posted by kate on 11-1-2009 at 9:33 am
I thought Steven Van Sandt was banned from one of the parks due to the way he dressed.
posted by belleshpgrl on 11-2-2009 at 11:23 am
@Stew – as a former cast memember that worked the turnstiles at Epcot, I can tell you that it’s not fingerprinting. The system used is actually called biometrics. It’s essentially just a measurement of your finger. The data is recorded along with the ticket number which is flushed after the expiration of the ticket. It is to prevent anybody else from using your ticket. At least, this is the information we are told – I may be off on some counts. And with the millions of guests that visit Disney from all around the world yearly, I really don’t think there is any practical way they could store fingerprints even if they wanted to.
Sorry for the lengthy explanation – I had to explain this to guest after guest when working there. Biometrics is about as fun for the cast member running the turnstile(s) as it is for the guests who don’t understand the system (not that I blame them).
Anyways, interesting article!
posted by Former Cast Member on 11-2-2009 at 2:14 pm
I’m actually surprised about the gum ban. I’ve been to Disney World several times and one of the memories I’ll never be able to forget is having someone spit a wad of gum toward me while waiting in line for Splash Mountain. Instead of stepping on it, it ended up in my hair. What a mess.
posted by Kacey on 11-3-2009 at 12:58 pm
Couple of things… Costumes are allowed for the parties (the picutre of me as above,was acutally taken in the parks at one of the previously mentioned parties.. check out the MNSSHP wristband :)
Fingerprints are not collected as mentioned. Easy way to prove this. Have you ever seen the biometric reader cleaned between Guest? If not, the fingerprints would all blur together.
Facial hair is not permitted on any Guest interaction Castmember. Backstage roles and third shift roles allow this rule to be in effect. If you work for the major parks, Disney Stores, Liquidation Sites, the DVC location in NY, the cruise line, Adventures by Disney, or the former Disney Quest, you would be considered in a Guest interacting role.
posted by Chris on 11-3-2009 at 10:35 pm
A few decades ago I was behind the scenes at Disneyland while negotiating a deal with one of the high-level employees. Camera in hand, I was allowed to take photos, in general, but was “banned” from photographing any character not in full costume, e.g., Mickey Mouse with his human head.
posted by Bruce on 11-5-2009 at 6:05 am
@Chris: A neatly trimmed mustache is allowed on guest interaction cast members, as long as it is well maintained in an ordinary style, or something to that effect.
@Bruce: Of course not! It’s all about the pixie dust, the magic…a picture like that could traumatize a 5 year old.
posted by V on 3-20-2010 at 11:38 am