The Show Line At Disney

When I was a child, I remember watching the costumed characters walk backstage after signing autographs at Walt Disney World. I would crane my neck and watch them for as long as I could, hoping that I could spy something interesting. Maybe Donald Duck would relax or start walking like a normal person or even take off his head, believing, unwittingly, that he was out of visual range.

Years later, when I took the Keys to the Kingdom tour, I learned that Disney had accounted for nosy kids like me. In the backstage area near the exits, there was a literal line, painted on the ground, that delineated how far a curious Guest could see if they stood at an angle, craned their neck, and tried to look backstage.

So long as they stay behind that line, Cast Members are safe from public view and can drop the act. But once they pass it, they have to be in character—just in case. This is particularly important during the parades, when the massive floats are queued up outside Main Street, and the Cast Members need to know exactly when to start dancing and waving for the crowds.