Former Disney Princess Reveals The Truth Behind "The Happiest Place On Earth"

If you're an employee at Disney, regardless of whether or not you're a character, you have to be a good actor. Everything that goes on at the park is a show. It doesn't matter whether you're playing Cinderella, or simply sweeping up the trash, you're referred to by the same title...

This may sound a little confusing, but when you are employed by Disney, you immediately become a "cast member". Disney never refers to us as "employees" or "staff", only by our first names - which are displayed on our badges. Rumour has it, this is because Walt believed it was way more personal. And to be fair, he was right!

Disney World is a big place, and the fact that there's so much to see and do create a host of problems for its cast members. However, if they want to hold onto their jobs longer than I managed to, there's one thing they can't say under any circumstances, even if it means going on a wild goose chase looking for a phone...

If a guest ever asks you a question, you must never reply with "I don't know". If you don't know the answer, it's your job to find it out. We were given extensive training to prepare us for all sorts of situations, but in those rare occasions where we couldn't help, we would have to call an operator on the staff phones hidden around the park.

Everything at Disney World is expected to be family-friendly and that includes the appearance of every single staff member. Disney takes its image so seriously that they've gone to the effort of making an extensive book about what is and isn't okay in terms of their staff's appearances...

When you are first recruited, Disney provides you with a whole book dedicated to how you are supposed to look whilst on the job. It is appropriately named The Disney Look Book. Hidden within its pages is everything you need to know about the appearance of a cast member, and, trust me, there's a lot involved...

Disney doesn't just want its staff to be happy all of the time. It also wants them to look as plain as possible. They've provided their employees with a shockingly detailed description of what they're looking for, which describes exactly how they should look down to the length of their fingernails...

As I just mentioned, all cast members' appearances must follow The Disney Look Book's guidelines. However, the book isn't the only training you receive. I had to attend a training session at Disney University (yes, that actually exists), as well as a training day in my park. One strict rule for the princesses is that they must stand between 5ft4" to 5ft8" tall. Oh, and man-buns are banned for the males.

Disney cast members basically have to learn a special language when they arrive. As I said before, employees are not referred to as "staff", only "cast members", whilst the customers are known only as "guests". If guests wander into areas that are off-limits to them, it is referred to as going "backstage". It, therefore, makes sense that everywhere else is called "onstage" - yep, the entire thing is one big show.

With so many people in such a hot environment, filled with an endless supply of food, accidents really do happen, especially on rides. However, us Disney employees aren't allowed to say things as they are. Even though our code language would be pretty easy to decipher if it was overheard by a guest...

Yes, Disney may be "The Most Magical Place On Earth", but that doesn't mean guests don't hurl from time to time. What do you expect when you combine cotton candy, hamburgers, and roller coasters? When a cast member hears "Code V" echo down their earpiece, they know that someone has thrown up after (or on) a ride. And yes, it's as gross as it sounds, but it must be cleaned immediately!

When guests are having a lot of fun, it's inevitable that things will accidentally get left behind. Whether it's a case of forgetting your handbag at the burger stand or forgetting to pick up your electrical devices again after going on a water ride. When I worked at Disney, I found all kinds of things in the park - from lost cell phones to - believe it or not - glass eyeballs!

Cast members get asked the same questions every single day. Most of the time you shrug them off because, hey, you are at Disney so you have to be polite. However, when you get asked what time the "Three O'Clock Parade" is for the 100th time that day, you can't help but die a little inside.

Remember I said that you have to be a good actor to work at Disney World? I meant it. Whilst the stars of the silver screen might think they've got their work cut out for them when they're learning their lines for the latest Hollywood blockbuster, I can assure you that it wouldn't have been half as hard as what I did at Disney...

There's a lot more to being a Disney cast member than what most people think. Once you've got the special language in the bag, and you've nailed your character's personality, there's a number of other skills you need to master on the job, and, for me, the trickiest thing to learn was this...

At Disney, you must never walk past litter, or draw attention to the fact that you are getting rid of litter. Instead, you must perform the "Disney Scoop" and discreetly dispose of the litter whilst on the move - you must not stop or bend over. I must admit that it was a difficult skill to master, but you get there in the end.

If you're reading this and wondering why the information I'm disclosing isn't public knowledge, that's because the company is very secretive about its practices. There's a reason why only a fired employee would be willing to tell you everything you've ever wanted to know about working at Disney...

Cast members aren't allowed to discuss their roles at Disney. Ever! Of course, they're allowed to use social media sites in their free time, but not when they're on the job. Even though there's some great backstage action that would make for some amazing Instagram pictures, staff wouldn't dare whip out their smartphones!

One of the reasons why I wanted to work at Disney was because of the way the staff dressed. I knew that even if I didn't get a job playing one of my favorite Disney princesses, I'd still land a pretty cool outfit. However, what I didn't know then was that being proud of my princess dress could cost me my job...

It is imperative that Disney "keeps the magic alive" and, therefore, cast members are not permitted to take snaps backstage. In fact, your contract with Disney will be terminated immediately if you are caught taking pictures in costume. Walt's predecessors run a pretty tight ship, and that's something that I learned the hard way...

Despite the fact that I couldn't share my joy about my princess outfit with the world, I did love the things I noticed about Disney after working there day in and day out. As a cast member, you soon realize that when Walt created the park, he wanted every detail to be perfect...

The next time you are vacationing in Disney, keep your eyes peeled for "hidden Mickeys" everywhere. They are concealed in the strangest of places; around the parks, retail stores and cruise ships. A flowerbed may initially look like a sweet display of carnations, but delve a little deeper and you'll soon notice that the blossoming plants are perfectly arranged in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head.

Aside from what I noticed as a Disney employee, I also learned a lot on the job. Whilst I'm probably not going to return to the park again for another few years when I eventually take my kids there (long after the people who fired me are gone!), I'll share all the cool facts I learned with them...

During orientation, cast members are taught some pretty interesting facts about Disney. One that sticks in my mind is that the Animal Kingdom is sunk into the ground. Apparently, this creates a more preferable climate for the animals contained there, which makes sense as the weather in Orlando is extremely hot!

It's no secret that a lot of adults are obsessed with Disney, however, a trip to Disney World really is the stuff of dreams for kids. It's kids, after all, who pester their parents to buy them Disney merchandise and take them to see the latest movies. But in the park, they're not referred to as kids if they get lost...

When a child becomes separated from their parents whilst on Disney property, they will never be referred to as a lost boy or girl. They are referred to as lost adults. Therefore - technically speaking - a child is never lost. It's a strange thing to do given that a lot of children inevitably wander off from their parents in the park!

One of the things which probably contributed to the fact that I got fired was that I'd decided to permanently mark my love for Disney on my skin. Whilst I got my tattoo before I worked at the park, it was occasionally visible beneath my costume, and I was paranoid about it...

Despite all the rules and regulations, being a Disney cast member has some massive plus points (and no, I'm not just referring to the rides). You get free entry into the parks on your day off, a generous discount on food and beverages, plus guest passes for family and friends!