Disney is one of the most famous franchises in the world. With that power of course comes great responsibility, so the Walt Disney Company is not without its stringent rules and regulations. Some of the people hit hardest with the law of the land are those who fall under the Disney umbrella, working to keep the Mouse afloat, and earning some mighty pay checks in the process.
Disney Channel is something that has been around for some time, first launching all the way back in 1983 and making household names out of some of today’s biggest stars. Reckon Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, or Justin Timberlake would have been as successful today if they hadn’t entered the world of Mouseketeering? We wouldn’t like to say, but we imagine their presence on Disney Channel was a huge part of why they’re now so famous across the globe!
Following rules doesn’t seem to be something that’s now in any of their natures, but there was a time they would do everything to remain in Disney’s good graces. That’s what has happened to many more modern stars, such as Miley Cyrus, and Demi Lovato. So, aside from the obvious, what do they exactly have to adhere to, in order to make it work while serving the Disney Mouse?
Here are 25 Rules You Didn’t Know Disney Kids Had To Follow.
25 Playing Dumb
Acting innocent is always something that will be challenged by journalists looking for a meaty story, so Disney Channel stars were briefed by the higher ups to act a little dumb in interviews if they were asked tricky questions. If the taboo topics of substances or private lives were brought up by the hacks, the stars would simply have to flip the interview on its head. Refusing to answer questions would appear rude, so instead they had to be a little silly and play around with the interviewers.
Joe Jonas said he regularly brought up his pet pooch.
Distracting from the topic at hand is a brilliant skill that the stars likely use to this day. A huge chunk of them will always be in the spotlight, so dealing with the media comes part and parcel of the job.
24 Speaking Prim And Proper
There have been a number of stars who have split from Disney and carved out a successful career away from the mouse, but when they first started out, fans wondered why their voices were so different. Aside from the obvious tonal changes that come with puberty and growing up, there have been some really notable switches in voices, and that’s because Disney have the final say on how their stars speak, and in what tone.
Bella Thorne, following her time on Shake It Up admits that she was told to get rid of her husky voice if she was to be a success on the network, instead giving off a higher-pitched accent during her interviews. The vibe Disney were going for? “Good girl”. Creepy, right?
23 Your Name May Become Their Property
Miley Cyrus and her family were more than happy to use the star’s real name when she was offered her own show on Disney Channel. What they didn’t immediately realize however, is that Disney would soak up all of the rights to her name in her agreeing to do the show and have her name in lights.
A great money maker for the company, but not for the Cyrus family.
Fortunately, Miley’s mother Tish Cyrus was savvy enough to hire a lawyer from that point forward, and that’s something Miley is extremely thankful for. Who knows just where her career would be if she hadn’t had legal guidance from her earliest days involved with Disney? She could still be playing Hannah Montana to this very day! Now there’s a thought…
22 Clothes Shopping Is Done For You
When it comes to carving out your own identity, teens are often encouraged by their peers to experiment with what they’re wearing. Unfortunately for Disney Channel stars, they were under the glare of one of the most strict studios in history. This meant that they would not have the same freedoms as “normal” kids their age, instead being told what they could wear, when, and where to.
Dressing up as part of a job is one thing, but being told what to wear in your day-to-day life? That’s something that can play hugely on insecurities and can stunt the emotional and mental growth of a young teen. In fact, this is probably one of the biggest reasons why we see such a switch-up in the identity of Disney stars once they leave the company.
21 No Smoking!
One of the most obvious rules that a Disney kid has to follow is to stay away from tobacco and other things that grown ups would judge them over! Getting involved in that sort of thing is part of the learning process for some youngsters, but Disney didn’t want THEIR kids going down that route.
Despite that, reports suggest a lot went on under Disney’s nose.
As some Disney kids in particular grew up into adults, they began to find that there was a lot of world and things out there they hadn’t yet explored. So, who better to discover those new things with than with one another? Keeping kids away from smoking is of course a positive thing, but sometimes, they’ve got to learn for themselves.
20 You WILL Sing
A huge part of Disney Channel being a success is the constant inclusion of music and singing throughout the majority of their shows. The tunes are infectious and stick in the minds of everybody watching, pretty much as soon as you hear them for the first time. Disney know a good thing, and aren’t afraid to thrust their child stars into the world of music. After all, it can be a major money maker.
Shia LaBeouf is one of the only stars to come from the world of Disney that went against the wishes of his bosses, refusing to chase a career as a musician, and saying that this was one of the only reasons he didn’t become the “male Hilary Duff”. Of course, we now know just how much of a rule-breaker Shia really is…
19 But No Naughty Lyrics
If you do decide to go down the music route, you’ll be encouraged to come up with your own lyrics. They must however be squeaky clean, including not even a hint of suggestive language. This means that Disney Channel stars can never really approach the topic of real love, only really ever allowed to let their minds wander in some fantasy land where relationships are forever kept strictly PG.
For some reason, the audience have always lapped it up.
It may not sound like a big deal, but when you cut out 90% of the genre of “love,” there’s really not a lot left to work with. Still, they were always allowed to croon about some of the experiences their characters were having on screen.
18 You Break It, You Buy It
Disney Channel has been strict with their stars ever since the earliest days. When the original Mickey Mouse Clubhouse was brought to fans, the cast involved were taught to respect and look after their property. That would include their mouse-eared hats, as if any of the talents lost or damaged the headpiece, they would have a chunk of their monthly salary deducted.
Each damaged hat would cost them what was, at the time, a massive $50.
You could say that this is a perfect life lesson for all involved. Learning that you have to look after your belongings is something we all have to come to terms with, but still, the cast were just kids! Surely they should have been allowed a little room to grow up?
17 Please Sir, Can I Tweet?
Disney eventually realized that they would have to put a social media ban in place on their stars to ensure that no key details were released ahead of time. That’s something that many think the company have now taken a huge step further, forcing their stars to run any potential social media posts past the higher ups before they can officially go live.
No tweeting without prior permission.
It’s strange to think that when the stars of Disney’s various shows and films go home, they’re not allowed to fully and completely be themselves. Despite the majority of people leaving their working life at work, that’s not an option for the talent working under this company. Still, some former Disney stars have proven exactly why this clause is in place…
16 Classes On Etiquette
To keep out of the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, Disney stars are given classes on how to behave not just online with social media, but in their real lives. Scandal is something that former Disney talents have been a part of too many times to count, and so the company are looking to keep their current roster of actors and actresses away from the glare of the vicious public and media.
Insiders at Disney have opened up about what the classes include, saying that their stars are offered guidance on “life skills”, but there are plenty of critics who think that this is a step too far. In fact, there are plenty of people who believe that this is just another way for Disney to micromanage every single detail of the lives of their talents.
15 They Were Asked To Keep Covered
Mouseketeers were told under no circumstances that they were to show off their bodies. Annette Funicello for example is unrecognizable as a Disney child star, joining the Mickey Mouse Club when she was just 12. Looking at her then, nobody could have predicted the fame she would go on to win through becoming a beach babe, rocking the latest bikinis and showing off her curves.
Still with Disney after showing off her body, the company decided that they would keep her on board, but used a very peculiar technique to keep her and the other female stars in line. Forced to bind their chests before taping shows, they would give off an innocent, squeaky-clean look. Fortunately in today’s world, we imagine that sort of treatment of stars would lead to some major lawsuits.
14 They Sometimes Can’t Agree To Other Projects
When Disney lock you into a contract, they’re often unafraid to demand you work for their company only. Many stars have signed up to work on a Disney show or movie, only to find out that their undivided attention would be integral to their business relationship with the Mighty Mouse working out.
This is the reason you hardly see Disney stars away from the Disney Channel.
One of the most infamous examples of this actually comes from early classic Snow White, with voice actress Adriana Caselotti lending her vocals to the titular princess. Then forbidden to appear anywhere else at ANY point in the future, so that her voice could remain unique to the original Princess, she was hardly heard from again. She died at a young age, cementing the Snow White voice legacy for all time.
13 Making Money Even After Life
When the late Carrie Fisher passed away, Disney had a huge payout. Taking in $50 million thanks to insurance, it became clear that for the company has all of their bases covered.
As heartless as it may sound, the insurance doesn’t just mean they benefit from the deaths of their talents. It’s instead in place to make sure that any contracts the late actor or actress had with the company, that would be left unfulfilled after their end would allow for Disney to recoup their losses.
We imagine that this sort of thing is in place for all of Disney’s biggest names. If a tragedy did happen, the company has to know that they’ll be able to continue without taking a huge loss in their coffers.
12 Your Opinions Mean NOTHING
Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Suite Life on Deck were without a doubt some of the most popular shows on Disney, so when we heard that one of the leading stars of the show, Dylan Sprouse was never really taken seriously along with his brother behind-the-scenes, it leads to some big questions about how talent is treated by the higher-ups.
Previously speaking to Vulture, Dylan had explained: “We had a really awesome idea for where the show needed to go. We were 18. If that isn’t old enough to know exactly what the show needs, then… well, I would beg to disagree.” In the end, the twins decided to walk away from the channel altogether. “I don’t think [Disney Channel] were willing to work with us, really ever. So we stopped the show,” Dylan concluded. A sad end to a brilliant series.
11 A Tricky Clause In The Contract
When Disney stars sign up to represent the company, they have to agree to some incredibly strict rules. One of them is renowned as being the “morality clause” on each of the talents’ contracts. They pretty much mean that the stars can be dropped at any time if they’re caught up in a scandal that would bring their name, and that of Disney into disrepute.
We can think of a fair few that could cause Disney some trouble.
The studio don’t have to enact the clause if something does come up, however. When Vanessa Hudgens had private photos leaked all over the internet, the company actually decided to keep her around. Weighing up the good and the bad of each outcome, Disney will at times stick by their stars. Still, it’s gotta be hard for the talent to have that constant cloud hanging over them.
10 A Non-Negotiable Salary
We return to the life of Miley Cyrus with this entry, as the star was one of the lowest paid actors to ever come from Disney Channel, despite being one of their biggest names. Putting a number of obstacles in the youngster’s way that would ensure that she didn’t earn a wage that would allow a heavily privileged childhood, Cyrus and her family were tricked into low salaries by those around her.
Still, the star isn’t bitter and in fact seems to put the blame in her own hands, saying she “didn’t know any better” at the time. It’s something that I suppose allowed her to have as close to a “normal” childhood as would have been available to a Disney star, so perhaps in the long run, it was the best thing for everybody involved.
9 Never Break Character
When it comes to kids (and adults) working within Disney’s various theme parks, there are some incredibly strict rules. For example, they’re never allowed to break character. This is obviously a rule that trickled into the management of Disney stars who work on television, as has been proven with some of the points we’ve already run down.
Disney talents are never allowed to fully be themselves.
Instead, they’re portraying a “perfect” version of an actor or actress that the company would be proud to call their own. They’re manufactured in every way, from their hair and makeup down to their voices, and they were under the heavy thumb of a company who demanded they do everything they were asked. Disney stars are exactly that - never themselves, but a product of the entertainment machine.
8 Autrograph Training
When you’re a star, you have to sign a heck of a lot of autographs. Disney are so intent on having their roster perfect in every single way, that they provide autograph training for those who need to work on sharpening their penmanship. Gotta keep the kids happy when they want their favorite Disney DVDs graffitied by the show’s stars!
This is something you can see especially in Disney Parks, but also if you take a look at some former Disney kids autographs during their times on the Disney Channel, compared to how the signatures look now. Miley Cyrus for example has seen quite a drastic change in her autograph, but it would seem there will always be little flicks and curls that were learned whilst working under the mighty Disney Mouse.
7 Nailed It
Body image isn’t something that started and ended with what each actor or actress would wear, and how many times a week they would work out to keep in shape. Disney would even force their female stars in particular to keep their nails plain and short. This means no nail art, no experimenting with different colors to see what shades suit you best, and certainly no swapping tips on nail design with your co-workers whenever you got the chance to have a break.
Sometimes, working under Disney could feel like a prison sentence.
It’s understandable that Disney would want a certain image for their stars when they’re working on their shows, but when they’re out and meeting the fans, and trying to get on with their regular lives, surely they should be allowed some more freedom.
6 You Won’t Escape Your Teen Years
Joe Jonas should have been enjoying life as a college junior when he was forced to play a 16-year-old on his sitcom Jonas on the Disney Channel. Though he was living as a college-aged student, there was a huge portion of the world who thought that he was still the age of somebody in high school because of his role.
Joe admits this is something that took a huge toll on him.
Writing in his now-famous New York Magazine essay, he revealed: “It ended up being some weird slapstick humor that only a 10-year-old would laugh at. They took out the kissing scene that Nick [Jonas] had. I had to shave every day because they wanted me to pretend like I was 16 when I was 20”. Speaking of facial hair…
