Maybe it's just me being a negative Nelly, but I don't really understand the concept of Disneyland. To me, the idea of spending a holiday surrounded by screaming children and adults dressed up in large cartoon character costumes is pure hell. That said, for a lot of people, Disneyland is a dream world full of magic and mystery.
Although I haven't been to Disneyland, or worked there, I can imagine that the staff at the park have a pretty tough job. Being dressed up all day (sometimes in the boiling heat) and having to deal with screaming children is not easy. Yes, they are providing joy, but as anyone who has ever worked with kids can testify - they are little nightmares sometimes.
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As with any hospitality job, the staff at Disney have strict rules that they have to follow while working at the park. Some of them are pretty obvious, such as not swearing in front of guests and making sure that they pick up trash when they see it. But others are, shall we say, a little peculiar.
One rule that all staff at Disney must adhere to, is that they have to point using two fingers, rather than one. If staff need to point to something, they have to use both their index finger and their middle finger, rather than just using the index finger, which is what we are accustomed to in the Western world.
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The reason behind this bizarre pointing technique is that, in some cultures, pointing with one finger is seen as a rude gesture. It's also believed that the "Disney Point" is a throwback to the days when Walt Disney used to parade around the park. The Disney founder was often found with a cigarette between his fingers and would therefore gesture with two fingers, rather than one. Photos of Walt would have the cigarette edited out, meaning that he would often be portrayed as pointing with two fingers.
But the "Disney Point" isn't the only weird rule that staff must adhere to. Workers at the park are never allowed to say "I don't know" when asked a question by a guest. If the staff member is unsure of the answer, they have to call around their colleagues and try and find out for the customer.
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Obviously, the staff at Disney cannot be rude to guests, but this doesn't mean that they don't have ways to get around that. According to a Reddit AMA, workers at the theme park have a "secret code" that they use when dealing with rude guests. If you've ever been to the park yourself, and one of the staff have said: "Have a magical day", then they have basically told you to
"go f**k yourself".
So there you go, next time you go to Disneyland, listen out for "have a magical day" - it's not such a lovely and magical place in the end, is it?
