A quiet wardrobe shift at Magic Kingdom Park has given a small group of Walt Disney World Resort employees something most cast members don't have: the freedom to choose what they wear to work.
What Changed For Disney Cast Members At Uptown Jewelers
As of May 11, cast members working at Uptown Jewelers, the Pandora retail location on Main Street, U.S.A., are no longer required to wear the turn-of-the-century-themed costumes that previously defined the store's aesthetic. WDWNT first reported the change, noting that employees are now selecting their own workwear within Walt Disney World Resort's existing appearance guidelines for the location.
The new approach leans toward a business-casual palette: think olive green, white, khaki, cream, and similarly neutral tones. The look still reads as polished and era-appropriate, given the Victorian elegance of Uptown Jewelers, but it gives Disney cast members considerably more room to personalize. Accessories like jewelry and belts, which would have been out of place or restricted under the old costuming system, are now part of the equation.
Walt Disney World Resort made no public announcement about the policy change.
Not a Sweeping Policy Shift
The change applies specifically to Uptown Jewelers and does not affect the broader cast member costuming requirements across Magic Kingdom Park or any other Walt Disney World Resort destination. The new arrangement, however, mirrors the flexibility that area leaders and other management-level employees have long enjoyed. Those roles have historically allowed for personal clothing choices within Disney Look guidelines rather than assigned costumes.
How Disney's Dress Code Has Evolved
The Uptown Jewelers change is the latest in a series of gradual shifts to how Walt Disney World Resort approaches cast member appearance. The most significant overhaul came in 2021, when both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort undertook the most sweeping update to the Disney Look policy in its history.
The revisions — which govern clothing, grooming, and accessories across the company — opened the door to visible tattoos, colorful nail polish, and gender-inclusive hairstyles and facial hair. Disney cast members were also allowed to wear costumes that align with their gender identity rather than the gender assigned at birth.
Have you noticed any other changes around Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, or Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Share your experience with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
Disney service and quality has gone down hill while prices have gone sky high. Its polices like this that are taking away the magic. When I worked there it was a great company now it’s a joke.
Ever since the change in 2021, the employees look awful. The tattoos, hairstyles, earrings, costumes that don’t fit properly, etc., have taken away the magic. I can go to Six Flags or Walmart to see that. I canceled my annual pass. Disgusted!