DISNEYLAND RESORT AND MAKE-A-WISH JOIN FORCES TO

WHAT’S

INSIDE

Disney Cast Life

Did You Know?

Spot the Differences

Sunday, December 19, 2021

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hat if you had the

ability to make any

wish come true? For

a child, a wish has

the power to touch

their heart and change their life. Make-

A-Wish, combined with some Disney

magic, turns these dreams into reality for

many children who are in need of some

pixie dust along their journey.

This month, the Disneyland Resort

and Make-A-Wish Orange County & the

Inland Empire and Make-A-Wish Greater

Los Angeles joined forces to host a Gal-

axy of Wishes fundraising event in Star

Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to give even more

opportunities for children to have their

wishes come true. The first-of-its-kind

event on the planet of Batuu provided

the perfect backdrop to have their own

wishes of being immersed in the Star

Wars universe fulfilled while raising

more than $2.5 million.

2022–2023 Disney Ambassadors Mark

Everett King Jr. and Nataly Guzman

were on hand with Disneyland Resort

President Ken Potrock to celebrate the

longstanding relationship with partners

and friends from Make-A-Wish.

“Tonight is very special. It is all about

helping kids and giving hope to children

and their families when they need it

most. A wish brings joy and happiness

to children with critical illness, helping

them forget about hospitals, doctors and

treatments so they can just be a kid …

bringing magic to children and families

is part of our Disney DNA,” Ken shared.

For more than 40 years, Disney has

celebrated a wonderful global partner-

ship with Make-A-Wish, granting more

than 145,000 wishes to children with

critical illnesses. In fact, Disneyland was

part of the first wish granted by Make-A-

Daniel “Duke” Brown spent years work-

ing in culinary arts, but he dreamed of

going back to school and advancing

his career. Today, thanks to the Disney

Aspire program and Daniel’s hard work,

he is making that dream come true.

Daniel had already worked in fine

dining restaurant kitchens when he

joined the Disneyland Resort as an

order cook at Storytellers Café in 2016.

He worked in various departments at

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

before joining the culinary team at Napa

Rose. After briefly leaving the company

to help a friend open a restaurant, he

heard in 2018 about the launch of Disney

Aspire, which pays full tuition up front

and reimburses fees for eligible hourly

cast members.

“When I heard about the program, I

rushed right back to Disney,” he shared.

“I attended one of the job fairs, came

back and went straight back into Napa

Rose — starting the Aspire program three

months later. I’d always wanted to go

back to college.”

Daniel’s current pursuit of a bache-

lor’s degree in human resources man-

agement through Wilmington University,

one of the more than 10 in-network

schools, is already helping him in his

career journey. Soon after returning

to the resort, he transferred to Carthay

Circle Restaurant, where he worked until

the pandemic closed the parks. When he

returned to the resort last May, Daniel

was even more focused on finding a

leadership position.

“I reached out to Golden Vine Winery,

who were looking for leads, and talked

to the chefs. I let them know about my

aspirations to be a park chef, and they let

me know about ideal next steps for me to

take,” Daniel said. During his first month

there as a lead order cook, a chef posi-

tion opened, and he was on his way. He

recently moved into a role as a chef for

Paradise Garden/Pixar Pier, serving vari-

ous locations including Paradise Garden

Grill, Bayside Brews and more. He credits

the knowledge he’s gained on the job

and in his classes with the advancement

in his career.

“An HR class that I took had a lot to

do with interviews and resumes, and

that helped me a lot through the inter-

view process,” he said. “One of the chefs

actually came to me and told me that my

insights and answers made him rethink

about the position, how people do things

and how they can better put those into

their roles.”

Along with his dreams of culinary

management, Daniel hopes to use his

degree to connect with Human Re-

sources leaders at the resort while also

advocating for the Food and Beverage

department. In fact, he recently joined

Thrive, a new mentorship program for

members of our Business Employee

Resource Groups (BERGs), pairing with

a mentor in Human Resources at the

resort.

Daniel hopes that the work he’s put

into earning his degree and advancing

his career inspires his three children —

and his fellow cast members. “The one

thing I tell everyone is to just talk to the

people behind the [Aspire] program and

ask them about the possibilities for them;

the options are almost limitless.”

GALAXY OF WISHES: DISNEYLAND

RESORT AND MAKEAWISH JOIN

FORCES TO CREATE MORE MAGIC

COMMUNITY

DISNEY CAST LIFE

DISNEY AMBASSADORS NATALY AND MARK SNAP A PHOTO WITH STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE CAST MEMBERS AT THE EVENT, INCLUDING (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) BAYLEE MIER, CRYSTAL HERNANDEZ, DANNY

SALAS, SENNECCA ULLOA AND ANGELICA GUEVARRA.

By Dani Decena

By Krystal Rhaburn

Aspiring Stories

Chef Follows Dream of Continuing Education, Grows his Career

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DISNEY CAST LIFE

When flooding shut down “it’s a small

world” Holiday at Disneyland park —

just hours before it was set to return as

part of the Holidays at the Disneyland

Resort — there was some doubt whether

the necessary repairs could be complet-

ed in time to allow the beloved attraction

to open at all this holiday season. But

a mighty team of cast members across

multiple lines of business rallied to

repair and replace damaged machinery

in record time, allowing the attraction

to reopen to excited guests on Monday,

Dec. 6.

“This attraction means Christmas

to the resort, so it gave us something to

shoot for,” said Jason Tomlin, manager of

Ride Control Engineering at the Dis-

neyland Resort. His team of engineers

jumped into action with dozens of other

cast members as soon as it was discov-

ered that the underground maintenance

room of the attraction’s loading station

— called “the pit” — flooded Nov. 10 as

the attraction was being refilled. By the

time the mishap was noticed, the area

that houses nearly all of the ride control

machinery and electrical equipment was

submerged under at least 7 feet of water.

“When I first heard about it, I thought,

‘That can’t be right.’ You had to see it

to believe it,” said Joelle Medina, senior

project manager for Facilities Asset Man-

agement, who coordinated the recovery

effort among nearly 20 different teams

(many of their members pictured right).

The day after the flood “we assembled

a recovery team with representation

across all key lines of business,” said

Engineering Services Director Jason

Lovelace. “I asked the group to work to-

ward reopening within four weeks. At the

time I knew that was unlikely due to the

extent of the work ahead, but the team

never blinked.”

The first step was to pump out more

than 200,000 gallons of water from the

57-year-old attraction and deem the area

safe before the damage could even be

evaluated.

With the kickoff of the holidays just

hours away, “I don’t think you could

have planned this to happen at a worse

time,” Jason said. In fact, as celebrities

were taping their segments for the “The

Wonderful World of Disney: Magical

Holiday Celebration” TV special in the

glow of the thousands of lights from

the attraction, a giant dehumidifier had

just been lowered via crane to dry out

the area. Teams then began inspect-

ing equipment to determine what parts

could be cleaned and salvaged and what

needed to be replaced, a task compli-

cated by global supply chain challenges.

Since many spare parts kept in the pit

were also ruined, the team reached out

to its “small world” of partners at Disney

theme parks around the world, among

other sources, to find essential parts.

“It truly was a team effort with every-

one focusing on the same goal,” Joelle

said. As a result, work that was initially

expected to take several months was

completed in less than four weeks. “It’s

such an iconic piece for the holidays, and

not having it would have been heart-

breaking, especially after the last year

we’ve had,” she said, adding that it’s a

favorite for the holidays with her own

children, ages 6 and 3.

Meanwhile, cast members stationed

outside the attraction worked for weeks

to alleviate guests’ disappointment by

offering to take their photos against the

iconic façade, pin trading and even creat-

ing a sea of bubbles for children to play

in. “When I shared with a group of cast

members that we can now tell guests that

the attraction [is reopening], they all lit

up in excitement,” said Tyler Carter, pro-

duction manager of Fantasyland Attrac-

tions. “Nobody thought this was possible,

so it really is a Christmas miracle.”

A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: NO SMALL FEAT TO

OPEN ‘IT’S A SMALL WORLD’ FOR THE HOLIDAYS

By Lisa Greathouse

1. The Main Street Electrical

Parade will not be returning to the

Disneyland Resort.

FALSE

The Main Street Electrical Parade in

all its Baroque Hoedown glory will be

returning to Disneyland park next year,

alongside nighttime spectaculars “Fan-

tasmic!” and “World of Color”!

2. “it’s a small world” Holiday is

open to guests at Disneyland park.

TRUE

Thanks to a rallying effort by cast mem-

bers and ride engineers, the attraction

is sailing once again. Get ready to sing

“Jingle Bells” around the world!

3. In-person volunteering is back,

and Disney VoluntEARS hosted two

successful recent events to help feed

the community.

TRUE

Disney VoluntEARS harvested cabbage

for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Or-

ange County and assembled boxes with

over 3,000 pounds of food for distribu-

tion at Orange County Food Bank.

4. 2022–2023 Disney Ambassadors

Mark and Nataly gave uniquely

crafted gifts to Ambassador Alumni.

TRUE

Mark and Nataly presented Ambassa-

dor Alumni of Disneyland Resort with

special nametags as a way to honor their

enduring legacy. Once an Ambassador,

always an Ambassador.

5. Disney and Make-A-Wish recently

celebrated their 40-year partnership,

having granted 120,000 wishes!

FALSE

Disney has actually granted more than

145,000 wishes over the years in part-

nership with Make-A-Wish and re-

cently hosted a fundraiser gala, Galaxy of

Wishes, in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

6. The Disneyland Resort was

recently nominated for an award

through the Orange County Business

Journal.

TRUE

The Disneyland Resort was nominated

for the “Companies that Care” award for

its outstanding service to the community

during the pandemic, the Disney Volun-

tEARS program, workforce development

program and over $20 million in dona-

tions to local charitable organizations.

7. The Disneyland Resort also

received a “Best of the Southland”

Award in the Los Angeles Times.

TRUE

Disneyland Park was recognized as

“Best” in the “Entertainment & Living:

Family-Friendly Attraction” category.

8. The Candlelight Processional

that takes place in December is

a celebration of the story of the

Christmas Nativity. Each year, the

processional includes a mass choir

that is entirely comprised of guest

performing groups from throughout

Southern California.

FALSE

Cast members also have the opportunity

to sing each year in the cast choir and

volunteer their time and musical talents

to bring the living Christmas tree to life!

9. The Disney Ultimate Toy Drive

is ending its donation period on

Dec. 14.

FALSE

You can still donate online until Dec. 24

by visiting Disney.com/ToyDrive.

10. Disney VoluntEARS spread

holiday cheer at CHOC Children’s.

TRUE

Playing the part of Christmas elves, Vol-

untEARS decked the halls of CHOC and

stuffed nearly 500 gift bags with donated

toys, crafts and other goodies for patients

to receive throughout the holiday season.

11. Disneyland Resort guests get help

planning out their best Disney day at

the touch of their fingertips.

TRUE

The complimentary Disney Genie

service on the Disneyland app creates

your best Disney day inspired by your

top interests. It also “grants” you new

planning features, including a personal-

ized itinerary creator. You’ve never had a

friend like this!

DID YOU

KNOW?

3 4

Sunday, December 19, 2021 Disneyland.com

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MARK AND NATALY STOP BY TO VISIT WITH CAST

MEMBERS WORKING AT PLAZA DE LA FAMILIA IN

DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK.

DISNEY CAST LIFE

Meet the next team of Disney Ambas-

sadors, Mark Everett King Jr. and Nataly

Guzman, who officially begin their term

on Jan. 1, 2022. Mark and Nataly have

shadowed and learned from Justin and

Rafa over the last several weeks and are

now ready to take on the next two years

as Disney Ambassadors.

Get to know the new team:

Why do you love being a Disney cast

member?

Mark: I love being a Disney cast mem-

ber because I can contribute to the

memories that our guests get to take

back home with them.

Nataly: We get to make people happy

through small moments of kindness and

fun every day!

Which Disney character most

embodies your personality?

Mark: Mushu because I am funny, sassy

and can be dramatic at times.

Nataly: Belle. I love adventuring into

“great wide somewheres” and discover-

ing the stories of this world! I am driven

by curiosity and inspired by knowledge,

and seek to understand people deeper

than what’s on the outside.

What are you most looking forward

to in the next two years as Disney

Ambassadors?

Mark: I am looking forward to rebuild-

ing our cast experience and getting

to know more of our cast, locally and

globally.

Nataly: I look forward to proudly rep-

resenting our cast members and help

in rebuilding a strong cast experience.

We’re excited to be their voice and tell

the stories of the talented, inspiring and

passionate individuals who bring the

Disneyland Resort to life every day.

What have been your biggest

takeaways during the last few

months of training?

Mark: I’ve learned that grace allows us

to make mistakes and learn from them.

Being authentically ourselves is how we

can create a connection with our cast on

a larger scale by working together.

Nataly: My biggest takeaway has been

optimism. With hardships endured by

everyone worldwide over the last two

years, it’s been incredible to see a strong

desire to keep wonder and magic alive.

What do you hope to work on in the

next two years and improve upon

personally?

Mark: I hope to help define and advocate

for inclusion, while also finding ways to

continuously improve our cast experi-

ence! Personally, I would love to continue

to grow in different aspects to help make

me a better person, leader, advocate and

ally.

Nataly: I can’t wait to grow personally

and professionally in so many ways. I

hope to grow in my confidence to ask

questions all of the time, to be unafraid

of my creativity and to learn how to be

a strong team player with everyone that

will help make our Ambassador term a

memorable and successful one.

When Justin Rapp and Rafa Barron were

selected as 2019-2020 Disney Ambas-

sadors for the Disneyland Resort, they

knew they were about to start the ride

of a lifetime, but they had no idea all

that their two-year term — which was

extended to three years due to the pan-

demic — would entail.

As Disney Ambassadors, Justin and

Rafa served as representatives of the

resort and its cast, engaging internal

and external audiences, including the

community, in Disney magic — through

service, storytelling and by inspiring the

next generation.

When asked what it means to be a

Disney Ambassador, Justin shared, “It

means being a servant-leader, putting

the cast and all those around you above

yourself. It’s representing all that makes

Disney, Disney.”

“It also means upholding the ideals,

dreams and innovation of Walt Disney,”

Rafa added. “It’s an honor to have the

opportunity to carry on the legacy of this

role.”

As they say: Once an Ambassador,

always an Ambassador. While Justin

and Rafa transition into new roles as

employee advocacy communications

manager and senior retail stage manager,

respectively, they will continue to uphold

the Ambassador legacy. As Ambassador

Alumni, they wear a special gold nam-

etag and join a long line of Ambassadors

who served before them.

From opening

Star Wars: Galaxy’s

Edge to reopening the Disneyland Resort

after a historic closure, the pair share

a look back on some of their favorite

memories during their time as Disney

Ambassadors.

Onto the Next Chapter: Disney Ambassadors

Justin and Rafa Become Ambassador Alumni

Welcome, Mark & Nataly!

2022–2023 Disney Ambassadors Are Ready for Their Turn

“

One of my favorite things I did during my time

as Ambassador was the cast costume reveal for

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. It was truly an honor to

be able to host this event; it was full of excitement

and energy. The cast were so excited to be the

first ones to see the costumes for the new land. I

will never forget the faces of happiness when they

saw their fellow cast members walking on the

runway in the brand new costumes.

”

- Rafa

“

One of my favorite memories had to be the

summer of 2019 when Rafa and I led our own

Ambassador canoe team for the cast member canoe

races. We hit the river every morning at 6 a.m. with

our team for weeks and then had the chance to race

Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences

and Products (who at the time was president of

Disneyland Resort). It was special to take cast

members from across the resort who didn’t know

each other and bring them all together.

”

- Justin

“

We love to shadow different roles

across the resort, but the role shadow

with the housekeeping team at

Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel was one

of my all-time favorites. Those cast

members work so hard every day to

make sure our guests are having a

truly magical visit at our resort.

”

– Rafa

“

This photo is from the day that

Rafa and I were selected and

introduced as the next Disney

Ambassadors. We were so ready to

take on everything that would come

our way, and we sure did!

”

- Justin

“

This moment means a lot to me

because we were getting ready to

reopen the resort after more than

a year of being closed. We were all

looking forward to welcoming back

our cast members and guests to the

Happiest Place on Earth!

”

– Rafa

ROCKING THE RUNWAY

RACING ON THE RIVER

ROLE SHADOWS

A BIG DAY!

BRINGING BACK

THE MAGIC

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Sunday, December 19, 2021

SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT THE FIVE

DIFFERENCES IN THESE TWO PICTURES

1. Scarf changed color to green. 2. Removed light post on the left. 3. Stack of toys in the center of sandcrawler is higher.

4. Toy box on far left stack (outside of the sandcrawler) is bigger. 5. Blue light saber missing from its box.

ANSWERS:

Downtown Disney District welcomed a real-life sandcrawler-inspired vehicle from the Star Wars galaxy, loaded up

with Star Wars toys, to be donated to the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program as part of the Disney Ultimate Toy

Drive. You can still donate a toy to a child in need by visiting shopDisney.com/ultimatetoydrive by Dec. 24, 2021.

Wish in 1980, when 7-year-old leukemia

patient Frank “Bopsy” Salazar visited the

park. Since then, the company has con-

tinued the tradition of making dreams

come true for these deserving families,

whether it is a visit to our theme parks,

a hotel stay or a special meet and greet

with a beloved character or role model.

Let’s take a look back at some of the

magic that we have been able to create

together in recent years:

In 2013, 3-year-old Violet received her

wish to meet Mickey Mouse at Disney-

land park after undergoing treatments

for a rare eye cancer. Now 10 years old,

Violet continues to be active within the

Make-A-Wish organization and still loves

coming to the Disneyland Resort with

her family.

In 2019, 6-year-old Linden Bradley’s

wish was granted to open the gates

of Disneyland park after receiving his

cancer-free diagnosis. He and his fam-

ily traveled all the way from Canada to

watch Linden as he was given a special

key to the kingdom!

These wishes have also come full

circle for cast member Lexi, who was a

former Make-A-Wish recipient herself

when she was a young girl, and now

works at the resort as an entertainment

host. She gets to orchestrate meaning-

ful interactions with characters for wish

families. Lexi shared, “Depending on the

situation, I will tell the families I was a

wish child. Working here and still being

able to be involved with wishes is the

best of both worlds. It means so much to

me to give these families the hope and

strength they need to get through what-

ever hardship they’re going through.”

Lexi is not the only cast member

who has been touched by the magic of

granting wishes. Danny Salas, gatherer

at Savi’s Workshop in Disneyland park,

loves giving back to the community and

used his artistic abilities to create his own

fundraiser for Make-A-Wish. When asked

how he felt about Disney’s partnership

with Make-A-Wish, Danny said, “It’s a

win-win. Not only is Make-A-Wish one of

my favorite organizations, but knowing

that the company I work for also sup-

ports them, it’s a huge win! So, I take way

more pride in being a cast member.”

Funds raised from the event will help

make even more life-changing wishes

come true. To learn more about how

Disney and Make-A-Wish together grant

magical wishes, visit wish.org/Disney.

+ MAKEAWISH STORY CONTINUED FROM P.1

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DISNEY CAST LIFE

Honoring Longtime Cast Members

True magic is represented by the cast members who make the Disneyland Resort the incredible place it is. Six Disneyland Resort cast members were recently joined by

friends, family, their leaders — and none other than Mickey Mouse — aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat to celebrate an incredible milestone — five decades of service!

Share in the special celebration by meeting the honorees below.

By Jordyn Crowley Watts

Martha Blanding Dean Yamada

Started: May 1971, as a Disneyland park Tour Guide

Current role: Senior Manager, Disneyland Resort

Merchandise Special Events

One of the first Black women in resort history to be a full-time VIP Tour Guide,

as well as the first Black female buyer and first Black female manager

Hosted celebrities including Rock Hudson, Cary Grant, Diana Ross, Elton John,

Magic Johnson, the Jonas Brothers and Julie Andrews

Co-founded PULSE, a Business Employee Resource Group (BERG) for Black cast

members and employees

“It’s not like going to work. I enjoy everything about what I do — the good and the

bad. I just choose to always smile and laugh through it.”

- Martha

Started: June 1971, at Refreshment Corner

Current role: Theme Park Duty Manager, Disneyland park

Helped open Tokyo Disneyland in 1982

Planned and opened the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure, the largest parking

structure on the West Coast at opening

He has served as a theme park duty manager for over 17 years and has been

part of grand openings and countless special events

Patti OltmanSue Clements

Started: June 1971, as a waitress

Current role: Retail Allocator

Held 13 roles across 50 years, including helping open Indiana Jones Adventure,

Mickey’s Toontown and Critter Country

Helped with the opening of Tokyo Disneyland, including managing food,

equipment and staffing of a corporate event for more than 5,000 guests

Creator of multiple cast resources including the Disney Loss Prevention guideline

“I’ve always had someone to lift me up here. From birthday parties to baby

showers … everything we’ve celebrated and endured has helped us form a deep

camaraderie and friendship.”

- Patti

Started: July 1971, as a Wardrobe Attendant

Recently retired after serving as Manager,

Disney Look and Cosmetology

Officially began on Disneyland park’s 16th anniversary,

spending 47 of her 50 years in Costuming

Additionally served three years as operations manager of

Show and Parades for Disney California Adventure park

Dave Brizic Vic Polwektow

Started: July 1965, in Security

Has served his entire Disney career in Security, beginning the year before Walt

Disney passed away — and even saw Walt walking Disneyland park frequently

Worked in Fantasyland the day Walt dedicated the opening of “it’s a small

world” in 1966

Met his future wife, a fellow cast member, in 1967 — and married her in 1968

Drafted and served in Vietnam in 1968, returning to Disneyland park in 1970

“The friendships I developed with people I worked with kept me coming back. I

became part of a group of 12 Disneyland Resort Security Officers … we met weekly

for years and still meet up occasionally today.”

- Dave

Started: 1966, at Plaza Inn

Was able to interact with Walt on many occasions while dining at Plaza

Inn, as it was his favorite restaurant

Has worked in Costume Issue since 1978 — 43 years!

Married a fellow cast member, Gail

Successfully learned every cast member’s name who came into Costuming

“The thing I love most about working at Disneyland is all the

friendships I’ve made over the years.”

- Vic

Incredible Cast Members & Inclusive Communities

Cares

©Disney

One-half million pounds of food donated to local food banks last year,

providing more than 400,000 meals to people in need