For nearly 40 years, The Walt Disney Company has honored artists, creative leaders, executives and visionaries who have made significant contributions to the Disney legacy with the Disney Legends Award. This year, 14 exemplary individuals have been selected from across the company’s history and among those, one cast member has made a lasting impact on Disneyland Resort for more than half a century: Martha Blanding. In many ways, Martha was and remains a staple of Disneyland Resort. From becoming the first full-time Black tour guide at Disneyland park in the early 1970s to most recently retiring as a senior manager of merchandise special events, her 50-year career has been one of dedication, poise and excellence. It’s no wonder she’s joining the elite Disney Legends Class of 2024.
Read on to learn about Martha’s story and her work at Disneyland Resort as we look forward to honoring her at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event at the Disney Legends Award Ceremony on Aug. 11!
Born in Los Angeles, California Martha grew up in the city of Watts, and attended Los Angeles City College before transferring to California State University, Fullerton. In May of 1971, while in her early 20s, she was recruited for a role at Disneyland and was eventually hired as a part-time tour guide. Within her first year, she was made a full-time cast member becoming the first ever Black tour guide at Disneyland with that status.
As a tour guide and eventually a VIP hostess, Martha demonstrated the high level of hospitality and courtesy that Walt Disney envisioned for Disneyland cast members, and she went on to host a variety of prominent guests such as Diana Ross, Elton John and Cher. Martha said, “It was very important to me that every guest experience was special. As cast members, our job is to create happiness and that’s what I strove for every day.” Her welcoming personality was at the core of every tour she led, and she credited her upbringing for giving her the tools she needed to interact with people from all walks of life.
As time went on, Martha was promoted to a position in merchandise management and became the first-ever Black woman in this role at Disneyland and one of the first Black cast members in management across the company as a whole. Here, she was able to secure high-quality merchandise to delight guests and continued paving the way for other Black cast members to aspire to management positions.
Her hardworking spirit allowed her to move up and become a Senior Manager of Disneyland Resort merchandise special events. She had the opportunity to work with celebrities, world-renowned artisans and assorted Disney Legends. Carmen Smith, SVP Creative Development – Content and Inclusive Strategies for Disney Experiences, said, “It was a pleasure working with Martha for many years on a variety of projects. She is fantastic and has set a stellar example of collaboration and leadership. Her Disney Legends Award is so well-deserved.”
Of Martha’s many achievements, she had the opportunity to be among the founding producers of the Official Disneyana Convention which featured sales of Disney memorabilia, convention logo merchandise and special limited-edition collectibles, along with speakers and gala entertainment events. This event served as a predecessor to what we now know as D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
She also cared deeply about her fellow cast members, leading her to co-found PULSE (which stands for “People United to Lead, Serve and Excel”), a business employee resource group for cast members of African and Caribbean descent and backgrounds, as well as allies, where she served as a mentor and resource to her colleagues.
Despite her retirement in 2022, Martha continues to inspire. She is now the first Black Disney Parks employee to be honored as a Disney Legend, and on Oct. 1, her memoir, “Groundbreaking Magic: A Black Woman’s Journey Through The Happiest Place on Earth,” is set to release from Disney Editions, commemorating her incredible story.
We’re so proud of everything Martha has accomplished and are looking forward to honoring her at this year’s Disney Legends Ceremony on Aug. 11 as part of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
Check out the Disney Parks Blog and @disneyparks on social for all updates from the weekend including can’t-miss details about all-new and highly anticipated projects coming to Disney Experiences coming out of “Horizons: Disney Experiences Live” on Aug. 10.