A staff member dressed in a character costume collapsed during a parade amid a heatwave at Shanghai Disneyland, raising questions about Disney's internal policy of 'never removing the mask.'
According to a report on the 21st by social media and the recent Daily Mail in the UK, a staff member wearing the 'Tigger' costume from 'Winnie the Pooh' lost consciousness and collapsed during a parade at Shanghai Disneyland earlier this month.
At the time, the temperature was 35 degrees Celsius, and it is estimated that the perceived temperature was much higher due to the thick costume and outfit. The collapsed employee was immediately transported to the hospital via the infirmary for treatment of heatstroke and is reported to currently be in good health.
The incident scene was widely spread on social media. In the video, the employee remained collapsed without being able to remove the mask, while tourists attempted to cool him down with portable fans, but it was insufficient.
Netizens who saw this commented, 'Is it reasonable to have a policy of not removing the mask when lives are at risk?', 'Employee safety is more important than children's innocence', and 'They force employee sacrifice for brand image.'
Disney applies an internal rule across its theme parks and cruise ships that characters must never remove their costumes. An insider familiar with Disney's internal affairs said, 'There are guidelines stating not to remove the mask even in emergency situations such as a ship sinking,' adding, 'Since a headpiece floating in the sea could shock children, it must be locked in storage.'