Welcome to Magic Kingdom Costuming!

Cast member and Food Chef Christian (our brother!)

One of the most exciting moments for a new cast member is going to Disney costuming for the first time and being fitted for your work costume (what other companies call a ‘uniform’).

Christian went to Magic Kingdom Costuming right after Traditions.

You’re allowed to check out up to five (5) complete work costumes at a time, plus accessories like a jacket and hat, if your costume has one.

When your costume gets dirty or wrinkled, you can just trade it in for a clean one. Costumes can also be machine washed and a lot of CMs keep their costumes and wash them themselves if there’s a shortage in their size.

Each of the Disney Parks has its own costuming warehouse, with the one for the Magic Kingdom being the largest.

Magic Kingdom Costuming, generally open 8am-8pm most days.

Magic Kingdom Costuming

Waiting for Christian at MK Costuming.

Walt Disney World employs more than 60,000 cast members (’employees’ to regular folks!) working in positions ranging from housekeeping at the Disney resorts to food service at every location to attractions at the Magic Kingdom.

Christian working at Cosmic Rays.

Heart of House food prep stations.

1.  Cast members know what costume their role requires each day. We can have 5 complete outfits signed out at any one time, plus accessories like a jacket and hat.

The white chef jackets all lined up, freshly laundered and pressed.

You would think that Costuming would ALWAYS have your size shirt/pants in stock…NOPE!!!

Full view of chef costume.

Caroline had to wash her own costumes for over 2 months because there were only 2 blouses in her size and she had them both!

2.  Cast members pick out the correct size and costume pieces from rows upon rows of shirts, pants, skirts, and jackets. There’s a laminated card or complete costume at the end of each row to show us the costume’s ensemble look.

The Recreation Shoe Guidelines for Disney Resorts and Water Parks.

3.  Disney provides the work shoes for some roles (i.e., food service), but for most locations they just provide strict guidelines on shoe wear and CMs must pay for their own shoes.

See our blog about Disney footwear to learn more:  Loving My Disney Work Shoes

The Disney Costuming sizing chart follows European size guidelines, which are smaller than US size charts.  If you normally wear a size 14 womens, at Disney your costume probably will be a size 18 or 20 costume!  😥

4.  Every day of the year, all returned costumes must be tag scanned, repaired, cleaned, pressed, and restocked on Costuming floor.

Checking out costume pieces for the week.

5. If we return a piece and it doesn’t get scanned right, or if we lose a costume piece like a belt, we are charged a full replacement price, at least $25 per item!

For costume questions, email Costume Recovery at:    WDW.Costume.Recovery@disney.com

WDW Costuming:  407-824-1269

Everyone, no matter how high up in the company you are, wears a name tag when they’re in the Parks.

6.  Dozens and dozens of Disney name tags are accidentally turned in still attached to the costume’s shirt, blouse, or vest every day, 365 days/year!  Cast members have to pay $5 to order a new one and it takes about two weeks to get it. (The first one is free.)  Elly lost her first name tag just two weeks after starting the program! Getting a new name tag

Costume tags show various Mickey Mouse outfits and what the pieces are.

7.  Mickey Mouse has a costume for every occasion and holiday.  Each Disney Princess has a summer costume and a winter costume.

Princess Ariel in her warm winter costume on a chilly day. (“She has legs!”)

Wearing my new outfit, my “referee” one, its: yellow shirt, blue shorts, and red belt.

My Disney Pin Traders work costume: Red shirt, khaki shorts, black belt, black shoes.

Merchandise costume at DAK

DAK cast members. These costumes have no pockets!

Caroline in her stocking “mud” costume.

Off to work at the Christmas Shoppe

Colonial costume for Yankee Trader.

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They are wearing their 90th Birthday Celebration costumes.

What has over 290 Mickey Mouse Outfits, 20,000 Shirts, and at least 4 Belle Gowns/Dresses –

Welcome to Magic Kingdom Costuming! 🙂

This beautiful gown will be worn in the afternoon Festival of Fantasy parade.

Watch a video with a backstage peek at WDW Costuming, with over 3,700 costume pieces here: Disney World Costuming

Anyone interested in a role at Disneyland?  Watch a backstage peek at Disneyland Costuming, with over 800 costume pieces here:  Disneyland Costuming  

WDW costuming facts. Amazing!  WDW Costuming is responsible for almost 3 million costume pieces!

Princess gowns for the meet & greets.  No princess gown is larger than size 10 (fits about a 120lb woman).

A talented CM making one of Donald Duck’s summer costumes.  He wears this at the Cape May restaurant.

Picking out shoes for some may be an issue, unless you’re a ladies size forty.

CP Moment: Getting my costume for Sir Mickey’s at the Magic Kingdom.

Ready for work: Wearing my Sir Mickey’s costume, working at the Magic Kingdom.

Main Street Confectionery Shop

Trolley Car Costume at DHS

Safari costume at DAK

DAK Costuming, an easy place to order a new name tag!

Welcome to DAK costuming!

Disney lifeguard summer costume.

Winter lifeguard outfit:  Red jacket over swimsuit, red track pants, red hat, white sneakers, white socks, sunglasses, red whistle.

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Working together at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

We’ve written two books about our time working – and playing – as Disney Cast Members at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Both are available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle:  Two Girls and a Mouse Tale and Adventures in the Animal Kingdom.

Adventures in the Animal Kingdom

Two Girls and a Mouse Tale

If you’d like to follow our daily Disney blog, here’s the link: https://collinsrace1.wordpress.com/

Have a magical day!

Two Disney Sisters

Two Disney Sisters

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