It’s the people who make the magic happen and celebrating these magic makers has been a time-honored tradition at The Walt Disney Company. It’s quite a special year as cast members at Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort are set to receive all-new service awards modeled after the castles at their respective parks.
Now the question is, how do you take castles that tower over 150 feet each and turn them into 8.5-inch tall, bronze statues representing 15 years of memories created for each cast member being awarded? To answer this, we need to go back to 60 years ago when Walt and Roy O. Disney held the first-ever service celebration!
On January 3rd, 1965, Walt and Roy celebrated cast members who had been working for Disneyland Park since its opening. This is where Walt presented the very first service awards to cast members and it has been a tradition ever since.
Walt famously said, “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world…but it requires people to make the dream a reality,” and these service awards were one way to thank those who had made his vision come to life just a decade earlier.
(Photographs courtesy of the Walt Disney Archives)
Flash forward to now, cast members look forward to their service awards as a milestone to reach within their careers. Rick Henson, a Cast Activities Engagement Manager who works closely with the awards shared, “The service awards are a unique cast member award. Being able to create these awards is something that I’ve found to be just as rewarding as receiving them. The statues represent our cast members’ stories and the magic they spread to others. My hope is that these tokens of appreciation for their years of service, will be a way for them to remember fondly what they accomplished.”
Each award represents beloved characters ranging from Steamboat Willie, as seen in the first Walt Disney Animation Studios short, all the way to Snow White from Disney Animation’s first-ever full-length feature film. For the 15-year service award, our Disney Experiences cast members based on business segment and location receive a park icon in the form of a castle statue, with the choice between Cinderella Castle from Walt Disney World Resort or Sleeping Beauty Castle from Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris.
As cast members approached this big milestone at Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, it was time to design statues representing these parks. Tommy Mendoza, a Project Manager on the Disney Service Awards Team, shared, “Over the past few years we have really taken a look at the program and found ways that we can improve it. While we had castles representing Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and Disneyland Paris, Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort cast members were given castles from other parks. With Hong Kong Disneyland re-designing its castle in 2020, each park now had its own distinct castle, and we wanted to celebrate that by creating these new castles for each park.”
The process wasn’t a quick one, requiring 18 months of collaboration between the Disney Service Awards team and Walt Disney Imagineering to ensure each castle was represented accurately, down to the tiniest of details. They first started by creating a 3D computer rendering, which they turned into 3D printed models that helped every detail shine through. Finally, a finished model was molded and hand-painted to reflect the signature look and legacy of the service awards.
Now as you can imagine, after so much love, care, and attention goes into something like this, there is much anticipation from the teams who helped make it happen to get these awards to cast members. Recently, that sense of excitement and expectation was realized as cast members at both Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort were ecstatic to receive these new statues!
“I am honored and lucky to be one of the first cast members to receive the new Enchanted Storybook Castle statue to celebrate my 15 years of service at Disney. Shanghai Disney Resort really opened a fairy tale chapter for me, and I’m looking forward to my 20th and 30th service anniversaries here,” shared Celine Li from the Procurement team at Shanghai Disney Resort.
Cast members William So, a Guest Service Manager and Sun Chiu, a Demi Chef also were among the first to receive their awards at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
Sun Chiu explained, “I never thought I would be staying with one company for such a long period. What keeps me here, and what I treasure most, is the friendship with my fellow co-workers. I’ve received the 5th and 10th service anniversary awards before, but this time, receiving the 15th service anniversary award, which is made exclusively for Hong Kong Disneyland Resort cast members, is extra special and meaningful! It’s so unique and beautiful.”
It was a heartfelt moment for William So who shared, “I transferred from Hotel Operations to Park Operations during the castle transformation. Receiving this brand-new service award featuring the Castle of Magical Dreams holds special meaning for me, as it connects to my experience witnessing the launch of this significant milestone.”
“I truly value the friendships and partnerships I’ve built with various teams throughout my Disney journey. And I’m proud to be part of many important moments, including the opening of Disney Explorers Lodge and the launch of the ‘Momentous’ Nighttime Spectacular,” So continued.
As this memorable opportunity of creating these beautiful statues comes to a close, the impact will live on for both the cast members receiving the award in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and the team who spent countless hours on the project. Kristen Riker, a Senior Work Life Analyst from the Disney Service Awards Team noted, “It’s incredibly special to be a part of a team that is helping to create memories and recognize the invaluable contributions of our cast members. These awards are pieces of Disney history that highlight the commitment and passion of each person and unite our global workforce.”
It’s so special to create a memory and celebrate our cast members in such a commemorative way!