Walt Disney World Cast Members Get the Red-Carpet Treatment at Magic Kingdom Park with Annual Service Celebration

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Dec. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Walt Disney World Resort celebrated and honored thousands of cast members this week at the annual Service Celebration at Magic Kingdom Park with an exclusive after-hours event that included classic attractions, unique food stations, specialty beverages and featured entertainment. This year's celebration honored approximately 4,200 Cast Members, Crew Members and Imagineers for their years of service working for the Walt Disney Company across a wide variety of roles and fields of work.

Disney Parks, Experiences and Products has a long-standing tradition of recognizing Cast Members, Crew Members and Imagineers for the talent and hard work, stemming from the earliest days at the animation studio and continuing into the launch of Disneyland and beyond. The Service Celebration dates back to an event that Walt Disney hosted for his theme park staff back in 1965 and has been held every year since. During this year's Walt Disney World Resort event alone, nearly 200 Cast Members were celebrating impressive milestones of 40 years or more.

"Our resort has provided unforgettable experiences for nearly five decades because of the passion our Cast and Imagineers have for the Disney brand," said Josh D'Amaro, president Walt Disney World Resort. "They create magic for our guests and it's incredibly heartwarming to celebrate all that they do for our company by watching them enjoy an exclusive night in Magic Kingdom making all new memories alongside their family and old friends."

The evening began with honorees and their guests being welcomed as they walked down a red carpet on Main Street U.S.A. leading directly up to Cinderella's Castle Courtyard and those celebrating 40 years or more receiving a toast in their honor before dining inside the castle at Cinderella's Royal Table. Throughout the course of the evening, all honorees were given exclusive access to classic attractions such as "it's a small world," Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and more. Additional event offerings included character meet and greets, complimentary service award photos and an event-exclusive firework show, "Celebration in the Sky."

Milestone anniversaries with the Walt Disney Company are celebrated every five years beginning with the 10^th year of service. On the West Coast, Disneyland Resort's Celebration took place on Nov. 21 at Disney California Adventure Park and the Burbank and Glendale event took place on Oct. 17 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

ABOUT DISNEY PARKS, EXPERIENCES AND PRODUCTS

Disney Parks, Experiences and Products brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company's powerful brands and franchises—including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, 20th Century Fox and National Geographic—into the daily lives of families and fans around the world to create magical memories that last a lifetime.

When Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 1955, he created a unique destination built around storytelling and immersive experiences, ushering in a new era of family entertainment. More than 60 years later, Disney has grown into one of the world's leading providers of family travel and leisure experiences, with iconic businesses including six resort destinations with 12 theme parks and 52 resorts in the United States, Europe and Asia with approximately 160,000 cast members; a top-rated cruise line with four ships and plans for three more to be completed in 2021, 2022 and 2023; a luxurious family beach resort in Hawai'i; a popular vacation ownership program; and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Disney's global consumer products operations include the world's leading licensing business; one of the world's largest children's publishing brands; one of the world's largest licensors of games across platforms; more than 300 Disney store locations around the world; and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.

These experiences are created by Disney Imagineers, the creative force behind experiences found in Disney theme parks, resort hotels, cruise ships and consumer products—including books, games and merchandise.

SOURCE Walt Disney World Resort