It’s often overlooked how Walt Disney helped create modern television. His Disneyland show (which later became The Wonderful World of Disney) was a huge hit that helped his studios become more successful. The Disney Channel built upon that by crafting a legion of hit TV shows and movies for kids and teens to enjoy. The list of future stars who passed through the Disney gates is legion, everyone from mega-singing stars to even some Oscar winners. A few have sadly become tabloid jokes but the successes outweigh the failures.

Many stars talk warmly of Disney, comparing it to a “big high school” and enjoyed their time there. However, even those who liked Disney had to acknowledge the rather harsh rules the company laid down on them. It’s one thing to keep actors in line but another to have rules that control their lives, even outside the shows. Many of them actually contribute to how some actors turn into messes. Here are 20 things The Disney Channel has to stop doing to its stars, because these rules cross the line in how controlling they are.

20 Owning The Rights To Their Names

This is an issue that a few Disney stars didn’t expect. Miley Cyrus had thought Hannah Montana would be great and boost her to stardom, which it did. What she didn’t know was that by using her real first name for her character, that meant Disney now legally owned it. She had to fight a legal battle to settle that and she’s not the only case of an actor being told Disney has “rights” to their name. That’s stretching control way too far.

19 Making Them Date Other Disney Stars

“Keeping it in the family” is a line that can be disturbing on a few levels. Disney tries to push that as they enjoy the idea of stars dating each other across shows. Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez were both encouraged to go out with some of the Jonas Brothers. Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens were pushed to make their High School Musical romance real as well. Trying to “matchmake” their actors like they’re fictional characters is pretty creepy.

18 Making Them Play Dumb

Disney always wants their stars to be at their best for public TV shows. This includes what’s become a standard procedure whenever a talk show host tries to ask questions on their personal lives or how Disney itself operates, the answer is the same: Play dumb. Avoid the questions as much as one can and talk about simple things from their dog to some funny story. Never discuss the inner workings of the company or some controversy as Disney prefers their stars not show too many opinions they don’t like.

17 Pitting Them Against Each Other

In Shake It Up, Bella Thorne and Zendaya played best friends on screen. There were rumors the two didn’t get along well on set but Thorne told Seventeen Magazine that was all manufactured. According to her, they were “put in a very unfortunate position where we were kind of forced to compete against each other, which made the whole first season of the show just very awkward for us.” They’re not the only case as Disney has an odd habit of trying to create tensions on set to spark up a show.

16 Ignoring Their Personal Problems

The sadly long history of child stars who turn into adult train wrecks shows how fame has a high cost. Disney pushes so many rules on their stars but ignores how this creates issues. Demi Lovato was crushed under the pressure of her own show and a signing tour which drove her to various addictions and eventually rehab. Disney not only didn’t help Lovato at this time but canceled her TV show. While other stars haven’t suffered as badly, it’s obvious Disney turns a blind eye to their personal issues until it affects the company image.

15 Not Allowing Them To Take On More Mature Projects

Adriana Caselotti is famous for having been the voice of Snow White. However, in one of his darker moves, Walt Disney prevented Caselotti from having any other role in Hollywood so she wouldn’t somehow mar her iconic part. This has continued to this day (thankfully, not as extreme) as Disney will come down hard on starlets who want to take roles they might deem inappropriate. It was only after leaving Disney that Vanessa Hudgens, Bella Thorne, and others took on far more risque parts the Mouse would not allow them to do before.

14 Pushing Them Into Singing Careers

While it had been around for a while, it was Hannah Montana that pushed Disney to make their actors singing stars as well. Many are good for it like Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez and Dove Cameron. However, not everyone has it in them to be a music star. Shai LaBeouf was upfront on how he refused to take part, citing his bad singing voice but also not wanting to put up with the pressures of such touring and being a “perfect” singing star. Demi Lovato confirmed that those pressures drove her to her personal problems as Disney forcing their stars into singing careers hurts them.

13 Controlling Their Social Media

To be fair, this is understandable. One foolish selfie or post can bring a ton of bad publicity onto an actor and damage the show. Yet Disney takes it to a new level. While some stars have more autonomy than others, it’s very common for Disney having a strict manager who okays every social media post by a star. Ironically, a post showing off skin is less offensive than one slamming the company or an unpopular viewpoint as Disney ensures only the “proper” posts are made.

12 Not Letting Them Pick Their Own Clothes

It’s one thing to want their stars to have a good image in public. It’s something else when Disney literally does the shopping for stars and not letting them pick their own clothing. Female stars get this more as Disney ensures they’re always dressed conservatively and not in outfits that show off a lot of skin. There’s also how Disney will insist they wear certain brands and ban them using others. It’s disturbing how Disney can dictate what someone’s wardrobe is every day.

11 Telling Them How To Talk

Bella Thorne has been upfront on how much she’s changed her image since leaving the Disney Channel. Not only has she been far more risque with her social media posts but has altered her look a lot. Thorne has also revealed that when she started doing interviews for Shake It Up, she was told to alter her voice from its husky rasp to high-pitched so she came off more “innocent.” She’s not the first star who’s had to alter their very speech to fit Disney rules.

10 Forcing Them To Stay In Character 24/7

The plot of Hannah Montana is how Miley has to pose as Hannah so much in public rather than be herself. Several Disney actors can relate to that big time. In public, many of them are encouraged to act as much as their characters as possible. That means being very nice or, if they’re playing a more arrogant character, be stand-offish to fans. Several actors have complained about how Disney pushes them to keep their acts going 24/7 rather than just be themselves.

9 Banning Beards

This is a major deal, even for adults. Disney has a major issue with their actors having any facial hair at all. Rider Strong got away with it when he starred on Girl Meets World but that was a serious exception. Disney is very strict on their male stars being clean-shaven not just on camera but off it as well. They’ve been known to reprimand or even fine a male star who’s seen with a mustache of any sort as the Jonas Brothers learned. Any male Disney star had better be stocking up majorly on shaving cream.

8 Not Letting Them Be Kids

This is an issue that’s come up majorly when one sees the scores of Disney Channel stars who act up. When Kelli Berglund was busted for having a fake ID at Coachella, she told TV Guide how “I think people, too, forget that we're human and we all grow up. But to people, to the world, I'm still 16."That attitude has been echoed by other Disney Channel stars who acknowledge how they spent their young teens on sets and other actions rather than actually be kids. While working for Disney had its benefits, it also robbed the stars of a normal life experience.

7 Banning Them From Being at Other Parks

This isn’t as well known as other rules but it’s still there. Disney and Universal have a major feud going in the theme park world with both sides wanting dominance. While not an outright ban, it’s indicated that Disney “suggests” it’s better for their stars not to be seen at Universal parks. A few will break that but it’s rare to see a Disney Channel star bragging about being on the Harry Potter ride as Disney doesn’t like their people giving publicity for the competition.

6 Shilling the Parks

One benefit of being a Disney star that the actors never complain about is how they get free passes for the Disney parks. It’s great how, anytime they want, a Disney Channel actor can hit Disneyland or Disney World and get the VIP treatment. There is a downside to this as the company will push its actors to shill the parks a lot on social media and make “random” visits right when a big new attraction opens. It seems that shilling the parks is the price to pay for the free passes.

5 Cutting Them Off At a Moment’s Notice

At the end of the day, Disney is a corporation and can make some harsh moves with its employees. Mitchel Musso was a star for Hannah Montana and Pair of Kings and a dependable guy for the company. In 2011, he was arrested for a DUI and Disney cut ties with him on the spot, firing him from both shows and a ban from the company. He’s not the only case of someone Disney can drop fast as the company can be brutal about leaving actors high and dry without warning.

4 Brutal Shooting Hours

True, many TV shows have some hard shooting hours but Disney goes another length with them. Several shows film an entire season before they ever premiere and Disney wants to get as much done as possible. This means the standard shooting schedule is increased to sometimes shooting two episodes a week. That requires endless hours of rehearsal that can keep actors working up to 14 hours a day. That’s an exhausting ordeal for anyone, let along kids.

3 Paying Them A Flatrate

Studios being harsh on payments is a story as old as Hollywood. Yet it sometimes seems that Disney takes it to a different level. They leave very little leeway for salary negotiation in their contracts, no matter how big a hit a show is. Hannah Montana made the company millions yet Miley Cyrus was still paid a flat rate for most of its run and not allowed a cut of the profits until a lawsuit broke that. For a company that’s so rich, Disney can be major cheapskates with actor salaries.

2 Not Listening To Them

Sometimes, if a star is big enough, they can have more influence on their show. Miley Cyrus proved that as Hannah Montana was a monster hit. Yet quite often, actors are basically told to shut up and don’t make waves. The Jonas Brothers tried to bring some creative ideas for their show and were informed their input wasn’t needed. It continues on other programs as despite how creative they may be, the stars are the last people the writers listen to regarding how the shows go.

1 Making Them Pay For Broken Property

This goes back to the old days of the Mousketeers. Back then, the actors on the Mickey Mouse Club had to constantly wear the famous mouse ears hats in public. Disney clarified that if they broke those hats, they would have to pay for them themselves. This has continued as they often warn actors about damaging something on set or their studio-approved outfits as it comes out of their paychecks. It may make them more careful but it also is a bit disturbing.

Sources: Buzzfeed.com, variety.com, seventeen.com, eonline.com

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