Last week, cast members across the world made a splash competing in what could be the quackiest Disney cast member tradition in history. To celebrate 90 years of Donald Duck, cast at Disneyland Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris went beak-to-beak reimagining a rubber duck into beloved Disney characters, attractions and more! What started as a race through the iconic Disneyland “it’s a small world” attraction has now migrated across the globe uniting hundreds of cast members.
Teams over in Hong Kong Disneyland took a different approach to the event by creating a duck scavenger hunt and rubber duck fashion contest in honor of Donald’s 90th anniversary. Cast were encouraged to search for ducks and then take them home to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
This hand-knit Snow White rubber duck designed by Winnie Lo is the craftiest of them all! Winnie, a cast member at Hong Kong Disneyland, was inspired by her love of handmade crafts and knitting and loved seeing all the cast members’ creativity come to life at this event. She shared, “It was great getting to make new friends through this fun event!”
Rita Lee also discovered a rubber duck hidden in her workplace! She and her family join in on the fun to create a scene of Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey and Louie! Rita’s creation was made from all recycled materials, even using a plastic bottle cap for the duck’s hats! “Throughout the project, the precious family time we spent was far more valuable than the outcome…I truly cherished how we all worked together to bring this rubber duck to life,” Rita exclaimed.
Across the seas at Disneyland Resort, cast members competed in their own decorative duck competition. Cast were invited to decorate their duck for several categories such as “Most Disney Themed,” “Most Like Donald Duck” and even “Your Role in the Show” where cast got to create a duck inspired by their role. In a time-honored tradition, the characterized ducks raced through the “it’s a small world” attraction to flaunt their feathers to victory!
Ashley from the Disneyland Resort went above and beyond designing two rubber ducks for this year’s competition. Her interpretations of Violet from Pixar Animation Studios’ “The Incredibles” and Hei Hei from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana”show just how far cast members will go to showcase their skills! Ashley loved getting to participate in an event that connected her to cast from across the world! “While the parks are so far apart, it’s a unique experience to have an event like the Duck Races to keep us connected on a global scale,” Ashley remarked.
Teddo took home the prize for the “Most Like Donald Duck” duck at the Disneyland Resort! He was inspired by his love for Donald Duck, his all-time favorite character.
Teddo was thrilled to be celebrating Donald with so many cast members around the world. “For years, I have considered myself to be Donald’s #1 Fan. To see Donald get the recognition he so rightfully deserves from so many of his loving fans made my heart happy,” he revealed.
Migrating to Disneyland Paris, cast members were excited to show off their creative skills in a similar duck decorating contest. These incredible Donald inspired displays showcase how Donald is truly number one!
Quentin Sempol created an exquisite tribute to “The Jungle Book Jive” street show in Disneyland Paris. When asked about his inspiration, Quentin said, “When I found out about this year’s theme (Donald Duck’s 90th anniversary), I started thinking about all the costumes Donald had worn at Disneyland Paris and I quickly got the idea of honoring Jungle Book Jive show. It was very inspiring and made an impact on so many people!” We loved getting to see the surprise and delight that Quentin brought through his duck along with the rest of the cast members around the world.
We hope you enjoyed getting a close-up look at this year’s celebrations! Not only did cast members have a quacking good time, but sales from each rubber duck purchased for this competition at the Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris were donated to nonprofit organizations in the local community.
Want to learn more about exclusive events and happenings that only cast members can experience? Check out Disney Cast Life on the Disney Parks Blog to explore what it’s like to be a cast member at Disney.