Disneyland Resort Shares Four Stories of Cast Members Finding Their Calling

November was National Career Development Month. As part of the celebration of this month, Disneyland Resort shared four stories of cast members who have found their calling while working at The Happiest Place on Earth! Below are the inspirational stories of Krista, Jason, Neydy, and Danny. They show how determination in the pursuit of passion can really lead to career dreams coming true.

Cast member Krista poses in Mickey’s Toontown.

A full circle moment

Krista, currently a senior recruiter in Casting Services, began her Disneyland Resort career when she joined the Disney College Program in January 2012, working in Entertainment Costuming.

And now, 13 years later in a full circle moment, Krista is supporting the hiring and transferring of all hourly cast members at Disneyland Resort, including Entertainment Costuming, where she first started.

Krista performs in a cast talent showcase.

For Krista, that milestone moment came when she participated in a cast talent showcase, performing alongside cast members from around the resort. “This created an organic way for me to network and make connections with people all over the company,” said Krista.

Through this networking opportunity, Krista learned about many roles at the resort, ones she didn’t even know existed before, including roles in Disney Imagination Campus, previously known as Disney Youth Education Series..

“I realized these were my dream roles as it aligned perfectly with my degree,” said Krista. In the span of almost two years, Krista was able to join the Disney Imagination Campus team, which propelled her into her career supporting hiring cast members who are also passionate about the company.

Jason poses inside Pixar Place Hotel.

A trip across the world

Jason had the unique opportunity to work not only at one international resort, but two in his Disney career.

Currently a hotel operations senior manager, Jason’s 28-year career has led him from Anaheim to Shanghai to Tokyo and then back to the Disneyland Resort.

In 2015, Jason had the opportunity to join the Shanghai Disney Resort Task Force to help open the resort, where he coordinated Disneytown operating participants. And as soon as Jason returned to Anaheim, he shortly had the opportunity to head back out, this time to Tokyo Disney Resort as the director of operations.

Jason leans into trying new things and learning from each of his experiences. “This mindset of pushing boundaries and being comfortable with the uncomfortable has become how I carry myself,” said Jason. “I had never visited Asia, yet alone Shanghai, prior to joining the task force, but I embraced every moment where I was exposed to something new, and I looked at every mistake I made as a moment to grow and be a better person and a better leader.”

Jason with his fellow operations team members at Disneyland Hotel.

Now Jason supports the operations at the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort and encourages his fellow cast members to do the same. “I work with my leaders and cast members to give them opportunities to step out of their comfort zones and try something new, while helping them give themselves grace when needed,” said Jason.

Neydy poses in front of the holiday decorated Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland park.

Uncovering a superpower

Neydy wasn’t looking for a long-term career when she first joined the resort. At just 17 years old, looking for a summer job, Neydy started working in Food & Beverage in Tomorrowland, and now 35 years later, she is an internal mobility manager with Professional Recruitment and supports salaried cast members in navigating their own careers.

Early in her career, Neydy worked in various roles in the Food & Beverage space, and worked her way up as a manager, where she continued to build her networks and relationships, but was always searching for her passion.

She soon discovered it when she volunteered at a job fair, interviewing Spanish-speaking candidates, when something clicked. “I fell in love with recruitment,” said Neydy. “It was an opportunity to really change someone’s life.”

For Neydy, the magic wasn’t only when she was able to offer a candidate a role, but it was also when she was able to share with them how they could improve for next time they interviewed.

“I felt like I had a superpower,” said Neydy. “I loved being able to provide really honest, sincere feedback to help the candidates if they were to ever come back and interview with us or somewhere else.”

It was at that moment that Neydy realized this is what she wanted to do for her career, help others achieve their dream roles. “All of those things, I can see myself doing for the rest of my life,” said Neydy. “I knew casting and recruitment was where I wanted to be someday.”

Neydy continued working toward recruitment and is now celebrating her 35^thanniversary with the company, in her dream role helping others achieve their passions. “I find it an honor that I don’t take lightly to make people’s dreams come true working at Disneyland Resort,” said Neydy.

Danny stands in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland park.

For Danny, a turning point in his career came in August 2022, when he was offered an internal role with the Operations Training team, which supports equipping leaders with the tools and resources to better guide their cast members in the operations.

“This was a significant opportunity for my personal development and allowed me to learn about other areas of Disneyland Resort Operations,” said Danny. “Working with Operations Training renewed my motivation for growth, allowed me to network with cast members all over the resort and prepared me for the work I am doing today.”

Lean into the uncomfortable

Danny stands with his former Entertainment cast member colleagues.

Before this opportunity, Danny held various roles in Entertainment and Retail, so transitioning to a new space was an exciting challenge for him. He is constantly fueled by his passion for learning and continues to look for ways to challenge himself in his career. “I try to remain self-aware and recognize when I’m a little too comfortable,” said Danny.

Now in Danny’s role, he supports cast members in the operations around the resort, and his career path may be inspiring to others. Danny often encourages others around him to recognize feelings of complacency and challenge it. “If I’m too comfortable, I’m probably not learning enough, and that motivates me to start thinking about what comes next,” said Danny. “I encourage others to recognize this feeling and respond to it.”

While these four cast members each have their own unique career journeys, they all have one thing in common: determination to find a career that aligned with their passions. And now, years later, Krista, Jason, Neydy and Danny help others either through their roles or just by sharing their experiences.