For Disney Workers, a Hipper Place on Earth

Mickey Mouse is gettin’ funky.

Walt Disney Co. is once again easing its traditionally strict grooming standards, allowing workers at its domestic theme parks to sport cornrows and hoop earrings.

Under new rules, male park workers can wear braids if they are in straight rows, neatly tied close to the scalp and fall above the collar line.

Women in theme park costumes can wear hoop earrings provided they are no larger than a dime and hang from the bottom of the earlobe. And only one ring per ear is allowed.

The new rules -- which will be announced to Disneyland employees next week -- mark the latest changes to the strictures laid down by Walt Disney himself several decades ago. In 2000, Disney permitted theme park employees to sport mustaches. In 1994, female workers got the OK to use eye makeup.

Now, not only will cornrows on men’s heads and hoops in women’s ears be acceptable, but female employees also will be able to walk around in open-toe and open-heel shoes.

Sandals still will be banned. But men who aren’t in costumes on the job will be allowed to wear crewneck, turtleneck, mock turtleneck and three-button collared sweaters, though not polo shirts.

“Every so often, the grooming policy is reevaluated based upon feedback from employees or cast members,” Disneyland spokesman Bob Tucker said.

Some employees welcomed the new policy, first reported by the Orlando Sentinel, but stressed it was important to maintain a proper park image.

One Disneyland worker said Friday that she thought open-toe shoes look unprofessional, but favored other changes: “I think the hoops are fine because I like to wear them.”

Kristin Reeg, a representative for Local 681 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union, added, “To expand the idea of what the Disney look should be is probably a good thing.”

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Times staff writers Denise Bonilla and Kimi Yoshino contributed to this report.