Giving a Disney cast member a tip might seem like a kind thing to do when you’re visiting the parks.
But an ex-Disney princess has urged visitors not to tip the characters – and told them what they should do instead.
Tiktok user Sarah Daniels shared a video on the social media platform to explain to her 164,000 followers why tipping Disney characters is a bad move.
She said: “When you try to tip a Disney character you are putting them in a horrible position.”
“Either you do it in front of guests and you hand someone some money and then they have to figure out a way to get out of that situation in front of a bunch of guests and ruin the magic.”
“Or you tip them in a muffin or a seashell or you hand them a water bottle that has a $20 in it – all of it is bad.”
“If someone else sees it and the person keeps it, they get fired. If no one sees it and they keep it, they’re going to think about it for the rest of their life. This is not a tipped position.”
“Yes they don’t make enough money, yes they also understand they’re not making enough money, but they’re there making magic for kids, they’re doing it willingly, they’ve accepted the job, they’re showing up and they’re doing their job.”
The video has been watched 14,000 times, and viewers asked Sarah how they can show their appreciation for Disney characters without tipping.
She explained: “Head to guest relations with the time and place you saw a character. You can leave a guest comment.
“You can give small gifts that aren’t money. Kids love to give drawings/small toys etc, but money is a huge no.”
Other cast members commented revealing their experiences when someone tried to tip them.
One person wrote: “I used to be a cast member and it gave me so much anxiety when people would try to trick me into taking a tip. Risking my job is not worth your $5.”
This story originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced here with permission.