While we’re all inside and staying safe, practicing social distancing and trying to stem the spread of the virus, traveling is happening in our minds and via memories. I’ve been watching some old movies on Disney+ and it got me thinking back to when I was a Disney Cast Member. So many good times, so many memories, and I thought it would be fun to tell you all about my favorite memories as a Disney Cast Member.
As a Cast Member, I had access to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure (DCA) before and after closing. I had exciting opportunities that regular Guests didn’t have access to and some aspects of my job were unique. And our Cast Member activities were exciting enough to get me out of bed pre-sunrise.
I worked for Disney right after graduating from college in 2006 until I moved to Salt Lake City in late 2009. I worked in Custodial Guest Services in DCA and Downtown Disney as a trainer and supervisor. I was one of those people walking around wearing all white, carrying a pan and broom.
(My coworkers and I used to joke about how we were Disney’s human napkins. Seriously, the fact that we wore all white and were in charge of keeping Disneyland and DCA clean was like we were tempting fate. Some of the things that I had to clean up would make you blush.)
Since we were tasked with keeping the Parks clean, we had the freedom to move about more than most other Cast Members. As such, we got to see more of the property than most others.
Now before you get too excited, take note that this isn’t one of those BuzzFeed articles where a “disgruntled former cast member reveals ALL THE SECRETS” or some garbage like that.
Instead, I’d like to take you on a virtual tour through my favorite memories as a Disney Cast Member that still bring a smile to my face. I’ve done my best to explain the situations as much as I could so you can understand why these moments made the list. Get ready, this is a long one!
But before you read any further, do yourself a favor and turn on some Disney music. Put on a movie in the background. Set the scene and take a virtual vacation through my memories with me.
And while the years spent working at Disney are enough to fill a book, I’ve narrowed them down to my top 9 favorite memories as a Disney Cast Member. Enjoy!
TESTING MIDWAY MANIA
Whenever a new attraction is built and fully operational from a mechanical standpoint, it has to undergo hours and hours of testing. The Cast Members that work the attractions need to practice operating the rides from start to finish. They need experience powering the ride up and down, reacting to the unexpected, and become familiar with the various jobs in the rotation.
For obvious legal reasons, the general public is not able to assist in the testing process.
Instead, why not use Cast Members that can’t sue the company?
Genius, right?
When the Toy Story Midway Mania attraction was in the testing phase, my coworkers and I would take our lunches and 15 minute breaks going round and round on the ride. Imagine being able to constantly ride a super fun, super new attraction in the middle of a slow shift.
Sounds like a dream, right?
It was!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Midway Mania, let me clue you in. As you can see in the picture above, you’re seated in pairs, back to back. Wearing 3D glasses, you pull a toggle on your very own laser gun to shoot at moving targets as you twist and turn around different scenes, based on the Toy Story characters.
(And if you’d like to get a little seasick, I’m sure you can look on YouTube for videos people have taken while on the ride!)
My coworkers and I figured out (through dozens and dozens of test rides) the optimal hand placement for the toggle.
Tip: keeping your hand open, palm towards your body, place the toggle between your 3rd and 4th fingers. Without too much movement, rapidly pull your 3rd and 4th fingers towards you.
By the time Toy Story Midway Mania opened mid-2008, I had found multiple Easter eggs within the ride and managed to out-score most of my coworkers. How can that NOT be one of my favorite memories as a Disney Cast Member?
CANOE RACING
When you think about it, many big companies have activities and sports leagues for their employees. Disney is no different, although activities are certainly unique.
During my first full year as a Disney Cast Member, I heard about canoe races along the Waters of America, the lake in the middle of Disneyland.
As a regular visitor, you can ride/paddle the canoes around Tom Sawyer’s Island with Cast Members guiding you around. Trust me, it’s not easy, even with them helping.
In the summer, Cast Members can form teams and participate in canoe racing before Disneyland opens. Waking up before the sunrise, walking into a quiet and empty Disneyland isn’t something that is easy to describe.
I didn’t know anyone at the time, so I joined a random team and became one of the steerers in the back of the canoe. At first, I thought it was going to be an easy job since I wasn’t going to have to paddle constantly.
But I later learned that I was getting the best workout of all. I was in charge of making sure that our canoe didn’t crash into Tom Sawyer’s Island, any random animals in the water, or the other boats docked.
Although I don’t list it on my resume, I can hold my head up high, knowing that I became a fully-qualified rudder at Disneyland!
THE TOWER OF TERROR
Although it has been renamed after Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, it will always be known as the Tower of Terror to me.
Tucked away in the corner of the Hollywood Backlot in DCA, the imposing tower attraction looms over the rest of the section of the Park.
When I had a shift as a supervisor in any of the areas of DCA, I made a point of reaching out to the other supervisors: foods, attractions, security, and characters. Just as you would in any other profession, making friends and collaborating with other departments is a great practice to have. Not only does it make working a little better when you have friends, but it’s easier to ask for help and/or favors in the future.
The usual evening supervisor at the Tower of Terror and I would often chat, share “war” stories of crazy Guest interactions, and help each other prank our respective Cast Members.
On one such occasion, I asked a new Cast Member of mine to sweep through the Tower of Terror at the end of the night, after it had been cleared of Guests. Unbeknownst to him, I was in the control room with my supervisor friend, watching him on the monitors.
The sound effects and mood lighting hadn’t been turned off yet, so you can imagine how on-edge my Cast Member was. Every now and then, the sound effects would explode with banging pipes and dimmed lighting. We were giggling like little kids, watching him jump and cautiously peer into the dark corners.
As my Cast Member walked into the darkest corner towards the loading area, my friend grabbed the microphone and yelled, “YOU MISSED A SPOT!”
…
Have you ever seen those videos of cats jumping when they realize a cucumber is set right behind them? Yep, that happened.
And to celebrate our dirty trick, my friend took me to the roof of the Tower. We laughed as we looked out over the entire Disneyland Resort. The view was unbelievable.
PLAYING BASKETBALL IN THE MATTERHORN
Yes, the rumors are true. There IS a basketball hoop in the Matterhorn Mountain.
Well, there was in 2008. I’m not sure if it’s still there after renovations.
I was on a special tour of Fantasyland and was taken into the Matterhorn, one of my favorite rides.
Close to Tinkerbell’s dressing room is a basketball hoop. There isn’t a full court, or even a half-court, but enough room to work on your free throws.
It was one of those serendipitous moments when one of the Disney rumors are proven true, and not just an urban legend.
I’m happy to announce that I made my free throw.
JACK SPARROW VS. DARTH VADER
Something that is engrained in every Cast Member’s mind is the importance of Show. Meaning: everything in Disney has its own place and needs to be perfect.
You will never see a character out of place. Minnie Mouse never walks through Tomorrowland. Cinderella doesn’t visit Critter Country. Merlin doesn’t cruise into New Orleans Square.
It just doesn’t happen. Cast Members know this. They take care to preserve the Show and keep the Magic alive for the Guests.
Every Christmas season, Disneyland closes early for a few nights so Cast Members can celebrate and have the Park to themselves.
One year, my friends and I were watching the Star Wars show in Tomorrowland. Darth Vader had just made his appearance, when…
…Jack Sparrow wandered on stage…
…fully in character, weaving about, curiously approaching Darth Vader…
…who then brandished his light saber and scared Jack Sparrow away.
The crowd LOST IT.
Since we were all Cast Members, we fully appreciated the hilarity of the situation and applauded the fact that Jack Sparrow, Darth Vader, and the Storm Troopers on stage stayed in character.
GRIZZLY MOUNTAIN
The big water ride in Disney’s California Adventure is called Grizzly River Run, located around the corner from the entrance to the Grand Californian Hotel.
One of my favorite memories as a Disney Cast Member is being able to walk around the empty Park at night.
As a hopeless romantic at heart, I loved those moments after Security called the all-clear, alerting us that the Park was free of Guests.
Walking around the Grizzly River Run was my favorite nighttime haunt.
Picture the dark sky, highlighted by the moon and a few stars.
Rushing water as the soundtrack, accentuated by soft banjo melodies.
Mist swirling around you, faintly glowing from the low, yellow lights that illuminate the wooden pathways.
I cherished the nights that I could walk around the attraction, lost in another time.
MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,
Disneyland proudly presents
Our spectacular festival pageant
Of nighttime magic and imagination
In thousands of sparkling lights
And electro-syntho-magnetic musical sounds,
The Main Street Electrical Parade!“
You recite those words to any true Disney fan, and they’ll describe the chills running down their backs.
The opening notes to the parade theme will play in their head, as they close their eyes and watch Goofy driving out the steam train, carrying Minnie and Mickey Mouse, followed by colorful floats, dancers, and Disney characters.
I grew up with an annual Disneyland Pass, so those sights and sounds tug at my heartstrings.
So imagine my excitement when I learned that part of my job was going to be following the parade every night during my shift!
Standing by the gate leading backstage, I watched the characters and dancers get ready as their floats ignighted.
The air, thick with excitement.
Barely audible above the electro-sytho-magnetic musical sounds, kids and adults cheering and screaming for their favorite characters and floats.
Every parade shift I had left a smile on my face.
CONFETTI PRACTICE
One of the benefits of being a Disney Cast Member is witnessing random events that you wouldn’t even think about.
Late one night while I was nearing the end of a supervisor shift in Downtown Disney, I got a call over the radio from a friend within Disneyland.
(Again – making friends with people in other departments/divisions has more benefits that most people realize!)
Disneyland was getting decked out for a new parade and fireworks show, and they were testing out the confetti cannons.
Now, just imagine the last Disney show you saw.
Lights.
Music.
Thousands of people crowded all around you.
Now, imagine being on Main Street with only a handful of other people, listening to the sweeping music.
The lights throwing a kaleidoscope of colors on the buildings.
And then all of a sudden, golden Mickey Mouse confetti falling from the sky like snowflakes.
Every few seconds, the lights catching the confetti just right and making them dance.
Pure. Disney. Magic.
ROLLERBLADING
Now, if you’ve made it this far, you get to be rewarded with my absolute FAVORITE memory as a Disney Cast Member.
And it’s something that only a handful of people have ever been able to experience.
I was a certified Disney ROLLERBLADER!
During certain shifts, I got to strap on my blades, more padding than I usually wore, and my helmet.
I grew up rollerblading, so when I learned that there was a chance to become a certified rollerblader in Disney’s California Adventure, it was a no-brainer.
The tryout shift to become certified was a piece of cake for me: an obstacle course with people jumping out, dropping things in front of me, weaving in and out of cones, and finally demonstrating my stopping-on-a-dime ability.
Actually, it was quite fun.
The thing is, as a rollerblader within DCA, I had to be able to do everything within my power to NOT run into a Guest.
There were times where I had to hook my arm around a light pole to avoid a kid that ran in front of me.
I’ll never forget the time I had to jump into the bushes to avoid a runaway stroller.
Every shift left a smile on my face, which was a good thing. As a rollerblader, I was something of a novelty. Guests would approach me every shift to ask for pictures both with me and of me.
When I had a rollerblading shift, I was living in a dream come true.
Which was perfect given I was working at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Well there you have it! Some of my favorite memories as a Disney Cast Member.
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