A Change of Codes at Disney Hotel

It may be a job beyond even the abilities of Tinkerbell and her pixie dust.

How to transform about 1,600 employees of Anaheim’s Disneyland Hotel into a crew of well scrubbed workers who take to their tasks with the vigor of the Seven Dwarfs?

Whoops, maybe not the Seven Dwarfs. Six of those seven little fellows had long white beards.

OK, how about like Walt Disney himself?

Nope, dapper Uncle Walt sported a mustache.

There will be none of that, thank you, for workers at the 1,174-room hostelry, just a monorail ride away from the Magic Kingdom.

Strict Dress Code

It seems that when Wrather Corp. sold the hotel in January to Walt Disney Co. and Industrial Equity (Pacific) Ltd. of Hong Kong, it left hotel employees vulnerable to Disney’s strict dress and grooming code. And if they do not conform, they’re out.

“Yes, they can be fired,” said Disneyland spokesman Bob Roth. “We want to give people every opportunity to conform. First they will be given an oral warning, then a written one, then a suspension. If they still fail to comply, they will be terminated.”

So, it seems, the law of the Magic Kingdom is now becoming the law on the 36 acres of land housing the hotel complex. No exceptions.

“The reason that we are doing this is because the Disneyland Hotel is becoming part of Disneyland Attractions, and we have an appearance standard . . .,” Roth said. “We have had this policy since 1957. It is associated with Disney and is expected by our guests.

“Just to give you an idea, a worker on the graveyard shift in a warehouse must meet the same standard. We need to be uniform. We can’t make exceptions without changing the rules.”

And the rules are very strict.

Out are long fingernails, eye shadow, beards and mustaches. Pants, for the most part, are out for women. They are required for men.

Men’s hair must not reach below ears or collars. No gold chains or earrings. Tattoos must be kept from public view.

The natural look is de rigeur for women, a touch of mascara, maybe just a hint of blush. No big earrings. Just one ring per hand and no more than two necklaces--delicate little necklaces.

If there is any doubt in an individual case, the appearance coordinator can advise.

According to Roth, “anything that causes attention to that individual” is out.

“They are part of the team here, and this is the way the team looks,” he said.

All this has not gone over well with some hotel employees.

“We’re going back to ‘57, and this is the ‘80s,” said Bill Argyle, 40, an engineer who has worked at the hotel for five years.

Sees Problems

Sporting not just a mustache but a gold chain displayed against a backdrop of curly chest hair, Argyle was anticipating problems. He said he might give in a little, on the chain. But giving up the mustache, which has graced his upper lip since 1970, is out of the question.

“We’re going to take the write-up,” he said of himself and some fellow engineers willing to face losing their jobs rather than their facial hair.

“What you have is this Aryan attitude that the Disneyland people have taken with regard to dress code,” said Donald Mear, business representative of Operating Engineers Local 501, currently representing about 40 employees in contract negotiations with the hotel. “We will be filing grievances on the issue . . . on the basis that it violated their rights as an individual.”

Throughout this week, employees at the hotel are to attend “orientation sessions.” The dress code--already in force for about 26,000 Disney employees, according to Roth--will be explained, and the company then expects it to be adhered to.

Roth said he understands some employees will complain, but he will not be moved by their reasoning.

“What it comes down to is that they are going to have to make that choice,” he said. “We hope that they will see that being part of the Disney company is in their long-range interest; that the benefits will outweigh the difficulties.”

Sunny Roskie, for one, has seen it that way.

“I didn’t want to be forced into it . . .,” she said.

Roskie looked wholesome. Her button earrings were restrained, but even she conceded that the nail polish would probably have to go.

“Yeah, I know,” she said. “This is not the right nail polish. It’s frosted.

“And I’m not wearing eye shadow (any more). I haven’t been without eye shadow for 10 years. I tried it (no eye shadow) out on my husband. He said it looked fine. So if he likes it, I guess it’s OK with me.”

Randy Dearborn, 29, caught driving his little maintenance cart around the hotel grounds, hadn’t gone quite so cold-turkey, but he was adjusting to the clean-cut look.

“I had a beard two days ago,” he said, touching his mustache. “I’m cutting down slowly. I’ve got a family to feed. . . .”