This year Donald Duck is celebrating his 90th birthday. Every year, there is a rubber duck race that happens in the waters of it’s a small world at Disneyland. This Disney cast member tradition has expanded around the globe and this year was bigger and better than ever. This included celebrations with rubber ducks at Hong Kong Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and the Disneyland Resort. Below is a look at these different celebrations.
Hong Kong Disneyland
At Hong Kong Disneyland, teams had their own take on the rubber duck celebrations. A duck scavenger hunt and rubber duck fashion contest in honor of Donald’s 90th birthday were held. Cast members were encouraged to search for ducks anywhere and everywhere and then take them home to create their own one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
The winning rubber duck came in the form of a hand-knit Snow White rubber duck created by Hong Kong Disneyland cast member Winnie. She said she was inspired by her love of handmade crafts and knitting. She also loved seeing all the cast members’ creativity come to life throughout the event. She shared, “It was great getting to make new friends through this fun event!”
Another rubber duck was found by Rita Lee in her workplace. She and her family used the duck to create a scene of Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. The scene was made completely of recycled materials. This included using plastic bottle caps for the duck’s hats. “Throughout the project, the precious family time we spent was far more valuable than the outcome…I truly cherished how we all worked together to bring this rubber duck to life,” Rita exclaimed.
Disneyland Resort
At the Disneyland Resort, the annual tradition of the rubber duck races in the waters of it’s a small world continued this year. Rubber ducks were decorated by cast members in this festive competition. There were themes for decorations that included:
- Most Disney Themed
- Most Like Donald Duck
- Your Role in the Show
The decorated and characterized ducks raced through it’s a small world and showed off their fancy feathers as they swam their way to victory.
One cast member went above and beyond in designing two rubber ducks for this year’s competition. Ashley turned her rubber ducks into Violet from The Incredibles and Hei Hei from Moana. Her ducks are a wonderful example of how far cast members go to show off their skills! Ashley shared that she loved getting to participate in this event that connected her with cast members from around the world. “While the parks are so far apart, it’s a unique experience to have an event like the Duck Races to keep us connected on a global scale,” Ashley remarked.
The “most like”Most Like Donald Duck” award was taken home by Teddo. He was inspired by his all-time favorite character, Donald Duck, who he loves.
He shared that he was thrilled to be celebrating Donald Duck with cast members around the world. “For years, I have considered myself to be Donald’s #1 Fan. To see Donald get the recognition he so rightfully deserves from so many of his loving fans made my heart happy,” he revealed.
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris cast members also participated in the fun of celebrating Donald Duck with rubber ducks. A rubber duck decorating event was held there as well. It gave cast members the chance to show off their love of their favorite duck.
One incredible decorated duck came from Quentin Sempol who created a tribute to The Jungle Book Jive street show in Disneyland Paris. Quentin shared about his inspiration for this creation saying, “The Jungle Book Jive” street show in Disneyland Paris. When asked about his inspiration, Quentin said, “When I found out about this year’s theme (Donald Duck’s 90th anniversary), I started thinking about all the costumes Donald had worn at Disneyland Paris and I quickly got the idea of honoring Jungle Book Jive show. It was very inspiring and made an impact on so many people!” This decorated rubber duck brought plenty of smiles as cast members saw it.
The creation of these rubber ducks around the world is something that brings cast members around the world together. It also does more than just create fun memories. Sales from each rubber duck purchased for the competitions at the Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris were donated to nonprofit organizations in local communities.
What do you think of these different rubber duck decorations in honor of Donald Duck? These are just three examples of how cast members come together in community and also impact the communities around them. Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
