This weekend, the new costumes for Custodial cast members arrived in the parks at Walt Disney World Resort. After new costumes debuted for cast members on Main Street, USA at the Magic Kingdom, the new Custodial costumes have arrived. These are now part of the approximately 893 existing costume designs and around 140 million individual garments in the Walt Disney World inventory.
The process to bring these new costumes to life included cast feedback sessions, detailed fabric sampling, and wear testing. The new costumes were thoughtfully redesigned to be both functional and fashionable. The Disney Parks Blog shared the following about the new costumes:
“Cast feedback was so important to us when designing these new operational costumes because our cast are everything. They create Disney magic each day in their interactions with guests and we want to make sure they feel comfortable and confident while making magic,” Nicole, a Costume Designer with Disney Live Entertainment, shared.
Knowing every cast member at Disney has a very special role to play, Nicole and the team carefully looked for ways to design and deliver new costumes that elevate every performance. These new designs feature moisture-wicking fabrics that serve as a strong sun protectant with added stretch, additional pockets, vibrant new colors and introduce adjustable pants that can cinch at the ankle.
While making exciting new updates to these costumes, the Costuming team was careful to preserve the sweeping Mickey Mouse logo that has become iconic and treasured by our custodial cast.
“We want this new costume to be equally iconic and special in its own way, giving nods to the current costume while being something new and exciting that everyone feels confident in,” shared Danielle, the Costume Development Manager for this project.
Danielle made sure each decision made during the development of these new costumes placed significant consideration on cast, including introducing interchangeable garments with customizable features. Working closely with the Buying team, she found a new vendor for hats – a women-owned business started by a former optometrist. The hat chosen from this vendor not only boasts key safety features, but its unique shape also fits perfectly for cast who wear glasses, all while being adjustable for different hair styles.
“I’m excited about taking these costumes into the future by utilizing updated fabric technology and materials that have a little extra pixie dust built into them,” she said. What’s even more exciting? These are just one of the many new cast costumes debuting soon at Walt Disney World. Danielle shared her passion about reaching even more cast with new designs and features that keep fit, function and comfort top of mind.
Disney has shared that more new costumes are on the way in the future. Daps Magic will continue to follow any updates on costumes and share news as it becomes available. What do you think of the new costumes for Custodial cast members at Walt Disney World Resort? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
