Mother’s Day is on Sunday. Ahead of this day dedicated to celebrating Mothers, Disney has shared some stories about some moms who not only work at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort, but have started a legacy of their family doing the same. These stories aren’t just about moms who make magic; they are stories of moms who have kids who followed in their footsteps to do the same. The legacies of these moms continue as they help nurture their own family, and their Disney family, in which their kids are a part. Check out these stories below!
Connie Latulippe – Walt Disney World Resort
Connie Latulippe from Kissimmee, Florida, came to work at Walt Disney World Resort when she was 16 years old. As is so often the case, what started as a part-time weekend job grew into something much bigger. In the case of Connie, this weekend job grew into a 35-year career that now sees Connie working behind the scenes to support the 80,000 cast members at Walt Disney World Resort. Through the years, Connie found herself working in multiple different roles throughout the parks and resorts, eventually landing in Workforce Management. While she was seeing her career grow and thrive, she was also working to help her two children grow and thrive at home.
Throughout her career, Disney has become more than a place for Connie. It has become a second home. This is a home that her children, Aiyana and Matthew, have also found. In what has to be an incredibly beautiful thing for Connie as a mother, both of her children now work at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort. Her son is chasing his passion for pastry and culinary arts while working on the food and beverage team and serving those delicious beignets. Meanwhile, her daughter recently began her own Disney journey in recreation while studying business administration, after being inspired by her mom’s career. Both of these have to be children and careers that their mother is incredibly proud of and rewarded by on this Mother’s Day.
“Watching my mom build her career has really inspired me,” Aiyana said. “It pushes me to work hard, keep learning, and believe that one day I can build something just as meaningful.”
In the case of Connie’s kids, both are attending Valencia College thanks to Disney’s Educational Program, Disney Aspire. They are balancing school with real-world experience as they build their careers and work their way through their educational experience. This is one of the benefits of working at Walt Disney World Resort and one of the reasons why so many employees can build long careers. Disney shared that Cast Members have an average tenure of 12 years at Walt Disney World Resort. This helps contribute to Disney’s retention rate of over 80 percent. At this time, attraction is also at a 20-year low at Walt Disney World.
“Growing up, I always saw how much my mom cared about what she did,” Matthew said. “Watching her build a career here at Disney made me want to find something I’m passionate about too, and Disney has given me the chance to do that.”
As can be seen in Connie’s story, Disney magic is made up of individual people with individual human connections with each other. In this case, they are the beautiful connection between a mother and her two kids. These two kids continue the legacy at Disney as they build their careers and make Disney magic happen for others… through more human connections and memorable moments. Each of these connections and moments is part of a bigger picture and legacy that is constantly being nurtured and can only happen through the dedication of Cast Members.
Connie’s proudest moments, she shared, are not the promotions or milestones. Instead, they are the more personal ones as she gets to see her kids discover confidence, purpose, and possibility in the place where she found the same while building her career.
“One of my proudest moments has been seeing my kids find their own paths here,” Connie said. “Disney has supported me through every stage of my life, and now I get to see that same support extended to my children.”
Jenny Sweetman – Disneyland Resort
On the West Coast at the Disneyland Resort, another mother’s journey inspired a legacy that continues to inspire. This legacy began with Jenny Sweetman, who came to the Disneyland Resort in 2983 as a hostess in New Orleans Square. This began a career that, for over four decades, was a journey defined by growth, opportunity, and an unwavering commitment to people. This journey took Jenny to nearly every corner of The Happiest Place on Earth!
As Jenny built her career, she balanced her leadership roles with the important role of being a mother. She modeled what it is to be an amazing leader while also staying grounded in her family. She never directed a path for her kids; instead, she lived her life as an example of how meaningful working at Disney could be. This example was showcased to her three daughters as they saw their mom show up with pride, care, and purpose. This also inspired them to be future magic makers.
“As kids, we didn’t always understand what our mom did,” shared her daughter, Jessica. “We just knew she worked at Disneyland, and that meant something. We saw how much she loved what she did, and how much she cared about the people she worked with.”
Fast forward to today, and Jenny’s three daughters are all part of creating and sharing the magic at the Disneyland Resort. Her legacy continues as Kellie, Andie, and Jessica demonstrate the lessons learned from a mother who was dedicated to her family while helping make magic for millions through the years. Today, Kellie is a leader in Custodial, Andie is a magic maker in the realm of Retail, and Jessica helps tell stories of cast in Communications.
“I just wanted them to know they could do anything,” Jenny said. “Disney gave me the space to grow, and I wanted them to feel that same kind of possibilities for themselves.”
Moms Matter
Connie and Jenny’s stories demonstrate a powerful truth that is known by my moms: There is power in simply showing up as a mom. It shows how moms matter and the possibility of what can happen as they inspire the next generation of magic makers. These stories come as Disney continues to reaffirm its commitment to investing in its Cast Members and helping them with their development, upward mobility, and career growth.
Through the years, Disney has a long legacy of families coming to work to help make magic for others. Daps Magic has known many mothers who have been joined by their families in making magic through the years. These stories demonstrate what can happen when mothers show up and cultivate their families both at home and their found families in Disney Parks and Resorts. As they continue to help cultivate future families and Cast Members, Disney continues to make its cast a priority. On Mother’s Day, we share our gratitude to the moms who help cultivate generations of magic makers at home and at work.
Happy Mother’s Day!
