Most children have grown up watching Disney movies. The lovable family friendly cartoon characters in these films have captured our hearts as children, therefore, many young girls grow up dreaming about becoming their favorite Disney princess. With the birth of the Disney theme park, this was made possible! Young women have the opportunity to live their dream by pretending to be their favorite Disney princess; however, this comes at a price. The requirements for the job are unavoidably strict and the competition for the position is even more of a challenge, not to mention the working conditions.
If The Shoe Fits
1. In order to qualify, did you know you must be between 5’4 and 5’7 and a size 10? Both of these qualities are necessary for costume fitting, but it does seem a bit extreme considering the many women who struggle with body confidence. Should the Disney theme parks start making the costumes more realistic as far as size is considered?
Just Keep Smiling
2. Can you imagine being stuck in the heat all day with makeup, a tight costume, and lines of screaming children to deal with? It does sound tiring, but that seems reasonable for anyone who works at any theme park. However, Disney princesses are required to maintain a smile plastered on their face at all times! If they are caught frowning for too long, they are putting themselves at the risk of being fired. Because of this, your dental health has to be in pristine condition, meaning most women with this job frequently use whitening strips; and if it’s a hot summer Florida day in Disney World, you can forget about drinking any water because you have to keep those whitening strips on.
Flirting with Pocahontas
3. Disney princesses are not allowed to say respond to a question with “I don’t know” even if they are unsure of the answer. They must possess excellent improvisation skills, even when stuck in inappropriate situations. There have been multiple cases of women reporting that they had been flirted with on the job, and even in these situations they must remain poised and come up with a safe and comfortable reaction on the spot. “I’ve never been touched inappropriately, but there’s always the family that makes the grandpa or the dad get a picture alone and they’d whisper how pretty I was or when I got off of work. I’d get slipped the occasional phone number on a napkin, but nothing ridiculous has ever happened.” – form Disney princess to mashable.com.
@snowwhiteoninstagram
4. As a result of the times, social media is a huge part of many peoples lives and has had an enormous impact on society and the way we view this generation. However, there are exceptions. It’s understandable that certain companies do not allow their employees to publish their work experiences on a social networking website, but I’m sure you weren’t expecting the same rules to apply to a position at Disney world. All princesses are strictly prohibited to posting selfies while in costume, pictures of the theme park on shift, or discuss the events of their day with a friend afterwork.
If you’ve ever been to a Disney theme park, observed one of the princesses and thought how easy and fun it’d be to do the job, perhaps after reading this your perspective may have altered. Would you still attempt to apply for this job, or do you even meet the unrealistic qualifications? If so, just remember to never stop smiling no matter what.
