Opening Team Cast Members Reflect on Career Growth & Creating Happiness at Disneyland Resort | S3E5
ON THIS EPISODE OF LIFE AT DISNEY
We’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of Disney California Adventure, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and the Downtown Disney District, all located at Disneyland Resort in California! Hear from three opening-day cast members who are sharing stories from this extra-magical moment in Disneyland Resort’s history.
MEET OUR GUESTS
Julianna, Senior Learning Facilitator
Julianna began working at Disneyland in 1998. Her passion for working in high-volume environments inspired her to join the opening team at Downtown Disney, where she worked in one of the busiest Disney stores in the world. She spent the first 19 years of her career in the operation, learning multiple lines of business and even spending time working at iconic attractions like Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Today, she helps train and educate cast members as a Senior Learning Facilitator.
“I get asked all the time, ‘What was it like when there was just one park?’” she says, “I love that we have guests and cast who are so curious about where we’ve been, but I hope we continue to be cutting edge, pushing the envelope and creating new experiences, because I enjoy those, too.”
Greg, Project Manager
Greg’s first role at Disneyland was in Custodial and in the early years of his career, he also worked in Guest Relations and Cast Activities. The connections he made through these roles landed him a spot on the opening team of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa as a VIP Coordinator. His career continued to grow from there, and today he’s a Project Manager at Disneyland’s sign shop.
“When we first opened Disney's Grand Californian, we were creating all these new things. It's so exciting now to see the little seeds that we planted have grown into, sometimes, entire departments,” Greg explains.
Richelle, Cast Advocate, Occupational
Richelle’s Disney career started in attractions at Splash Mountain and Indiana Jones Adventure. Soon after, she moved into Guest Relations and was trained in VIP Tours, just in time for the opening of Disney California Adventure. After many years in the operation, her excellent guest service skills led her to leadership roles across both parks and today, she helps cast members as a Case Advocate.
“Having that opportunity to share this new leg of our story with people who thought they knew everything was special,” Richelle remembers, “No matter how long they had been with Disney or Disneyland, or even if they grew up here, I would take them through the new park and hear them say, ‘Oh, I didn't know about this!’”
THE ENERGY OF OPENING DAY
Opening day for any new attraction, hotel or store at Disney is always exciting. But opening a new park, a new hotel and a new shopping district around the same time was a once-in-a-lifetime moment that Julianna, Greg and Richelle will never forget.
“It was go-go-go the whole time,” Richelle recalls, “and when we finally opened, I thought, ‘This is it, forever.’ Opening the park meant continuing this new story.”
A core memory for Julianna was meeting the Disney Imagineers who designed World of Disney and Marceline’s Confectionery. “Every fixture and every color and everything we were selling was meticulously created,” she learned, “It really solidified to me that at Disney, there’s no such thing as an unimportant detail.”
A UNIQUE COMPANY CULTURE
The culture at Disneyland Resort is extra special, and it’s a big reason why cast members like Julianna, Greg and Richelle have careers with the company spanning over 25 years.
“We have a common goal to make the best day for someone,” Julianna explains, “It's a pretty rare culture that we get to be a part of.”
“Everything here takes a team effort,” Richelle adds, “Whatever job you want, this place probably has it. But know that there's a team of people who are not only going to work with you, but also support you along the way.”
“You’re going to have some hard days, but those are few and far between,” Greg says, “At the end of the day, you're not going to remember those as much as you're going to remember the kid that you helped make smile.”
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