This is an entry for “plaid” in our Disneyland 101 Glossary: Disneyland Resort definitions in under 101 words, from Mouse Brief. For more insight into guest services at Disneyland Resort, keep reading after the entry.
Guest relations cast members at Disneyland Resort wear plaid vests in a red and blue pattern. If you hear other guests refer to “a plaid” or “a plaid vest,” they might be using the phrase to refer to a person working in guest services, and they are likely referring specifically to a cast member leading a VIP tour or experience.
Thank you for reading this entry about “plaids” or guest relations cast members at Disneyland Resort. For more Disney terms defined in under 101 words, please explore our Disneyland 101 Glossary. For more about guests relations at Disneyland Resort, keep reading.
“Plaids” and Guest Services
See those folks at Disneyland Resort with blue and red plaid vests? These are some seriously knowledgeable Disneyland Resort cast members. So what could you end up talking to them about? Keep reading to find out.
If you see a cast member in a plaid vest leading a group around the parks…
If you see a cast member in a plaid vest leading a group around Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park, that person is most likely leading a tour! The tour might be custom “VIP Tour” or one of the scheduled tours offered at Disneyland Resort. If you have a question, please save it for another cast member. We have information on guest relations locations later in the article. These “plaids” are busy with their tours.
Here are some examples of the kinds of tours led by cast members in plaid at Disneyland Resort:
A Disney History Tour, Like Disneyland Railroad Guided Tour
Some tours delve into the history of the Walt Disney Company and Disneyland or the life and interests of Walt Disney. An example of the this would by the Disneyland Railroad Guided Tour, which connects features in the park to Walt Disney’s films and hobbies.
Many of these tours also give you access to a special part of the park. In the case of the Disneyland Railroad Guided Tour, you get to ride in the Lilly Belle Presidential Rail Car.
A Seasonal Tour, Like Disney’s Happiest Haunts Tour
Some tours focus on special seasonal offerings, like Disney’s Happiest Haunts Tour. Because these tours guide you toward limited-time features at Disneyland Resort, as is the case with Disney’s Happiest Haunts Tour and Halloween decor, they are offered seasonally only. Other tours might be connected to limited-time events that are not annual traditions. An example of this would be A Story of Celebration: 70th Anniversary Guided Tour at Disneyland Resort.
In all cases, these tours are connecting stories to both longtime and limited-time theme park features. Disney is, at its core, a company built on storytelling, and you can see that in the tours and the work the “plaid” guest services cast members do on these tours.
Disneyland Resort VIP Tours
A third kind of tour is a whatever-you-want-it-to-be kind of tour (within reason of course). For Disneyland Resort VIP Tours, you reserve the services of a “plaid” tour guide to take you around the resort. These tours give you “expedited access” to attractions as well as reserved seating for parades and nighttime spectaculars and a guide who can get you from one point to another quickly.
For that reason, folks will book these VIP Tours to avoid crowds and waits. Plus, the tour guides are also Disneyland Resort experts, so you will get the guidance of a very knowledgeable “plaid” cast member.
As you might imagine, these types of tours are very expensive.
Other Places To Find “Plaids” at Disneyland Resort
You can also find Disneyland Resort guest relations cast members in their distinctive plaid vests at guest services locations around Disneyland Resort. Here are the primary locations you will find a “plaid” at the theme parks.
Main Guest Relations Buildings
The main locations for guest relations at the parks are in specific buildings near the parks’ main entrances. For Disneyland Park, this is City Hall on Main Street, U.S.A. and for Disney California Adventure Park, this is the Chamber of Commerce on Buena Vista Street.
Free Guest Buttons
As an aside… we have stopped into these main guest relations locations to get guest buttons to share good news like birthdays, first visits and even engagements. These buttons are free pins illustrated with well known Disney characters, and they are a nice way to share your reason for celebrating with other guests and cast members. Guest buttons also make nice souvenirs. You can pin them onto a bulletin board after your visit or turn them into ornaments!
If you want to get a free guest button, visit either City Hall in Disneyland Park or Chamber of Commerce in Disney California Adventure Park and politely ask. We have also collected these buttons from guest relations inside the Disneyland Resort Hotels, and you can try asking at Disney stores or restaurants as well.
Guest Relations Services
Of course, buttons are not the only reason to speak to a Disneyland Resort cast member in plaid. Talk to a guest relations cast member to pick-up theme park guide maps in a particular language (you can find some of these in the regular map displays as well) or to collect a complimentary translation device. You can visit guest services if you are in need of accessibility information or particular accessibility accommodations. Of course, many guest also visit guest services if they have encountered some kind of problem, perhaps with tickets or Lightning Lanes.
If you are looking for information about things like parade routes or showtimes, you can also visit the two main guest relations locations, but you may find it more convenient to visit another spot in the park. You have several options.
Other Guest Relations and Information Locations in Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Park has guest relations kiosks in Fantasyland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square and Tomorrowland. You can also stop by the Information Board near Plaza Inn on Main Street, U.S.A. The last one is kind of a neat stop, because you can see the estimated wait time for attractions around the park displayed on the board. Most guests check these wait times on mobile devices these days, so it is fun to see this info board still around (though of course it has gone digital).
Disney California Adventure Park also has an Information Station on Buena Vista Street and another guest relations location in Paradise Gardens.
Remember Cast Compliments
Before we wrap this up, we want to remind you that there is a particular way you can thank a helpful cast member at Disneyland Resort. That is by submitting a “Cast Compliment” to Disney, which is easy to do.
Just open the menu in the Disneyland app and scroll down to the “Help & Feedback” section. Here, you should find a selection called “Cast Compliments.” Click here and fill-out the form with information about your interaction.
If you think of it as you are speaking with a cast member, take notice of the information on the cast member’s name tag, specifically the cast member’s name and hometown. It also helps to remember the location of your interaction. Sharing this information in the Cast Compliment form will more easily allow Disney to associate your compliment with a specific cast member.
Thanks for reading this Disneyland 101 Glossary post on “plaid” cast members.
For more Disney terms defined in under 101 words, please explore our Disneyland 101 Glossary. For general help planning your Disneyland trip, we recommend our free and complete Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. Thanks again for reading!