Why The Name Tag Is Important

Anybody who has ever visited any of the Disney theme parks has surely noticed the staple of every Cast Member's costume: the name tag.

The history of the name tag goes all the way back to Walt Disney himself, who came up with the idea for multiple reasons. Disney wanted his Cast Members to treat the Guests as if they were actual guests in their own home and thought that going by a first name basis would help to form a friendly interaction. On the Cast side of things, Walt wanted every member of his team to feel equal, from the president of the company to the people taking out the garbage.

Maybe Walt just couldn't remember everybody's names

Through my experiences during the College Program, I have seen the purpose that the name tags serve on a daily basis. I first recognized that the name tags possessed a quality of magic during Traditions when we all received our freshly printed name tags. At most jobs, receiving your name tag is simply a part of the process and nothing to get excited over, but here at Disney, we all couldn't wait to put them on and wear them proudly.

Throughout training I was meeting multitudes of Cast Members, way too many for me to remember their names. During my first week of work, the name tags really came in handy in helping me to get to know people. Not only would it serve as a reminder if I forgot their names, but it also gave me an idea of where they were from (all name tags have either a college name or your hometown), which would help to spark more conversation.

Yes, we are all this good looking

The name tag also helped when I would interact with Coordinators and Leaders. The first name basis really helped to make them approachable and easy to talk to, an important factor in the workplace. It is also probably a big help in them learning our names and getting to know us.

I also really do believe that the name tags put all of us Cast Members on the same level. We all can relate to each other and know that we're all working hard to spread the magic. One common occurrence that I have experienced at Animal Kingdom has been during closing time. Most of the other CM's leave before my Main Entrance Merchandise crew and as I am walking back and forth between Outpost and Strollers I see many of them heading home. Without fail, almost every person that passes will happily say, "Goodnight!", sometimes throwing my name in there as well.

Yes, sometimes this happens

More important than these backstage reasons for the name tags are the interactions with the Guests. Just the fact that we have our names on display for all to see helps to make us more approachable in the Guests' eyes. Many of my interactions start with the Guest approaching me and saying, "Patrick..." followed by a question. If I am working a cart and saying goodbye to the flow of people shuffling out of the park, I am often responded to with a "Goodnight, Patrick!" or "Thank you, Patrick!". It was definitely odd getting used to hearing my name get thrown around like this, but I have grown accustomed to it and am happy the Guests feel comfortable enough to use it. There are also many times where the "UNIV OF CENTRAL FLORIDA" sparks some great conversation (usually about our epic football season last year!).


Every morning, I dress in my brightly colored costume, from the shirt down to the hiking boots. But, I never feel completely like a CM until I pin that name tag on.

See ya,

P.W.