What's It Like To Be A Princess?

Key Points:

• Katherine Randle spent seven years playing Disney princesses at Walt Disney World, including Ariel, Rapunzel, and Mary Poppins, but left the job due to severe neck pain caused by the heavy Rapunzel braid costume, which led to permanent arthritis.
• Despite multiple medical treatments covered by Disney, including physical therapy and workers’ compensation, Katherine’s pain persisted, and requests to be disapproved from the Rapunzel role were denied by casting, contributing to her decision to quit.
• Katherine’s final days at Disney were emotionally difficult, marked by a painful shift where she had to leave early and a tense encounter with management, ending her tenure with a union grievance and mixed feelings about her departure.
• While she remains nostalgic and fond of her Disney experience, Katherine continues to suffer from chronic neck pain and wears a neck brace, and she has noted that other performers have reported similar costume-related injuries and challenges with management responsiveness.
• Florida law entitles Disney cast members to workers’ compensation for job-related injuries, but Katherine’s case highlights alleged gaps in addressing role-specific safety concerns; some former cast members and industry observers have called for better protections and accommodations.