Disney Ambassador Program Marks 60th Anniversary. Why It’s Still Vital For Disney

If you were able to flashback to Disneyland in 1965, you’d be celebrating the park’s 10th anniversary, but it was also a busy time for Walt Disney. Not only was he enhancing his current park in Anaheim, California, but he was also secretly buying land in Florida for what would become Walt Disney World, working on new feature films, and more. His time was spread thin. This very moment sparked an idea in Jack Lindquist, director of marketing for Disneyland at the time, to have a Cast Member (what The Walt Disney Company calls employees) represent Disney around the world, showcasing Disneyland and its 10th anniversary.

This was the start of what’s now known as the Disney Ambassador program, where selected Cast Members from each of Disney’s theme parks around the world, plus its resort in Hawaii, Aulani, embark on a two-year temporary role at their corresponding theme park to highlight the work of Cast Members, talk to media, and make official appearances as representatives for Disney Parks.

According to Steven Miller, former Disney Ambassador from 2001 to 2002, and current lead of the Walt Disney World Ambassador Program, “A lot of times the ambassador program grew out of the VIP, like tour guides or the Guest Relations team.” And in 1964, the very first rounds of interviews of Disneyland’s first ambassador took place with six final candidates. In the end, Julie Reihm Casaletto became the first Ambassador of Disneyland in 1965.

“The world is introduced to Julie as Miss Disneyland tencennial on a broadcast for Disneyland’s tencennial celebration,” explains Miller. “Julie ends up spending a year, you know, going around, traveling and telling the world about all the exciting things that are going on at Disneyland. And in essence, she was representing Walt in many of those capacities.”

After Casaletto’s successful stint as Miss Disneyland, the program continued, though with the title of Ambassador. For years, the role was filled by a single person, but today each Ambassador team has two Cast Members, except for Aulani, which has a single Ambassador each season.

Stories from a former Disneyland Ambassador

Andrea Gill, director of event planning, operations and strategy at the Disneyland Resort, is a former Disneyland Ambassador during the 50th anniversary of the resort. Gill first became a Cast Member in 2000, working in food and beverage, and took on the Ambassador role from 2004 to 2006, noting it was a highlight of her Disney career. “To be able to represent not only our cast members and put a voice for them, but also go on to community events, the business events, all of that, and be the official representative, which is, again, something completely unbelievable,” she explains.

Gill recalls getting selected during a ceremony at the train station at Disneyland Park. “I remember that day, so it’s a big moment, Mickey and the characters all come out, and it was almost like a Miss America moment, where all the candidates are up on stage, and then our president comes out, the current ambassador, they invite all the former ambassadors to come out, and then on stage, it’s revealed.”

Meeting people and learning about all the facets of the company was a highlight for Gill. Her Ambassador role also opened new career doors for her, and she feels like being an Ambassador even helps her with her current job in event planning. “We do a lot of events company-wide, and I feel I know a lot of how the company operates because of my experience as an Ambassador.”

One of Gill’s lasting legacies as Disneyland Ambassador was creating a program called Ambassador 101, a training program for Cast Members interested in becoming an Ambassador. It still runs 20 years later. “It’s a five-week program where Cast Members can come in and learn how to build a resume, do mock interviews with recruiters to get comfortable with the interviewing process, and meet with show directors to teach them about poise and how to speak in front of people,” she explains.

Disney Ambassadors today

Today, Disney Ambassadors talk to media, fan sites, and bloggers, represent the company at events around the country, take to social media to highlight the work of individual Cast Members, and take what’s known as “Walt Walks,” where they walk the park to observe and talk to guests and Cast Members about the day.

Each Ambassador role is a two-year position. “I think it works out great, because that first year they’re just figuring out what’s going on, trying to get their feet, and then by the second year, they’re really making some significant impact with our cast and our company,” explains Miller.

The program encourages all types of Cast Members to apply. The only limitations are that you must be at least 18 years old and have worked for Disney for at least two years in a part-time or full-time role. There’s also no limit to how many times someone can apply to be an Ambassador until they are picked.

For Miller, along with his current role as the lead for the Walt Disney Ambassador Program, he’s also on the corporate social responsibility team. He can see that his Ambassadorship from 2001 to 2002 was a foundation for elevating his career. “I can trace back to the foundation of the ambassador program, being able to deliver on key messages in a succinct manner, being able to write, being able to have the confidence to just pick up the phone and call somebody you know, and and having a big picture view of all the different pieces and parts of how Disney works.”

Even after 60 years of the Disney Ambassador program, the role is just as important today as it was in 1965. “Your job is to shine the light on everybody else, [to] recognize and celebrate our Cast Members, bring that Disney magic into our community, and to create happiness for people who need it,” Miller says.