One Day at Disney

Stephanie Carroll: Ranch Hand

8min - Fulfilling her lifelong dream of working with horses, Stephanie Carroll has served as a Ranch Hand at Walt Disney World Resort’s Tri-Circle-D Ranch for over 8 years. From caring for the majestic Cinderella Ponies to driving the Main Street Trolley, Stephanie creates magical moments for guests by bringing fantasies to life through her love of horses. Through stunning natural visuals and intimate animal interactions, Stephanie radiates the love and care that she brings to work every day.

Ed Fritz: Imagineering Ride Engineer

6min - Ride Project Engineering Executive Ed Fritz brings new attractions like Avatar Flight of Passage to life through cutting edge immersive and interactive technology. From the initial sketch to the grand opening, Ed is one of the many talented cast members behind Disney’s favorite attractions. There’s never a dull moment as Ed spends his day uncovering and inventing new and unique ways to continue advancing the Disney Park’s guest experience.

Jerome Ranft: Pixar Sculptor

5min - Pixar sculptor Jerome Ranft spends his days creating characters the old-fashioned way. Through the use of clay, Ranft is responsible for helping imagine Pixar characters in a tangible way that modern technology has yet to replicate. Molding, sculpting and carving all come into play as Jerome employs his elegant – and yet occasionally messy – craft through his work on Pixar films including Monsters, Inc. and Cars.

George Montano: Plasterer

6min - Disneyland Resort Plasterer George Montano provides a first-hand historical look into the construction of Disney Park’s top attractions. Having spent over 50 years at Disney, George continues his father’s legacy of creating and preserving a magical experience for guests of all ages. Each part of the process is detailed, from modeling to applying finishing touches, and George takes personal pride in continuing the tradition of excellence established by Disney’s esteemed Plasterers.

Scot Drake: Imagineering Creative Executive

6min - Scot Drake, Creative Executive of the Marvel Global Portfolio for Walt Disney Imagineering, helps create immersive Super Hero experiences in Disney parks and resorts around the world. From state-of-the-art attractions to groundbreaking character interactions, Scot strives to create once in a lifetime moments for parkgoers that allow these stories to reach audiences in new and thrilling ways. Whether it’s traveling the globe for new projects or meeting with his team, Scot spends each day with an eye towards creating the next big idea.

Candice Valdez: Radio Disney Host

7min - Radio Disney host Candice Valdez fulfills her lifelong dream of being an on-air personality, broadcasting live on the radio every day. In addition to interviewing some of today’s most popular musicians, she also has the unique opportunity to help some of music's next stars launch their careers. From Miley Cyrus to Ariana Grande, Candice spends her day playing today’s hottest tracks, interacting with listeners and always striving to bring a little positivity to the airwaves.

Tony Salvaggio: Park Decorator

6min - Tony Salvaggio, Park Decorator at Disneyland Resort, recreates history through intricate window designs and prop placement on Main Street, U.S.A. In preparation for the summer season, Tony goes through the prop warehouse to source and design the perfect patriotic displays that continue to delight park guests year after year. This Disneyland Resort veteran has been working at the Park for close to 50 years, and is still excited and inspired by the magic he creates for guests each season.

Zama Magudulela: The Lion King, Madrid, Spain

6min - Zama Magudulela brings The Lion King to life through her role as ‘Rafiki’ for Madrid theatre-goers every day. Magudulela considers it an honor to bring her African heritage to life for people abroad, and loves to share in the joy and excitement the audience feels during each and every performance. By connecting with the audience as well as her past, Zama is able to transform herself into one of Disney’s favorite characters and share her talent night after night.

Zama Magudulela: Lejonkungen, Madrid, Spanien

Marc Smith: Story Artist

7min - Marc Smith, Director of Story, Frozen 2 at Walt Disney Animation Studios, shows how a drawing can become the key to a moving, emotional story. As he sketches characters, Smith emotionally engages with his work to create a bond between himself and the character. Marc blurs the line between fiction and reality, resulting in a lifelike portrayal on the screen. For Marc, the magic of animation is truly achieved when viewers are utterly immersed in the world he and his colleagues have created.

Mike Davie: Imagineering Project Manager

5min - As Principal Project Manager for Walt Disney Imagineering, Mike Davie sees his projects grow out of the ground and into magical experiences for Park guests. From drawing sketches on the back of a napkin to overseeing construction, Mike approaches each project, including Epcot World Showcase's new Ratatouille attraction, with determination and passion. Attention to detail is crucial to the execution of both construction and design, but that’s what it takes to create an environment that transports guests from everyday life into an immersive and all-consuming experience.

Chris Cristi: Helicopter Reporter

6min - KABC – TV LA’s Chris Cristi covers breaking news from 1,500 feet aboard his news chopper. As a Helicopter Reporter, Cristi delivers up-to-the-minute reports on news events, both big and small, keeping Los Angeles apprised of the latest local stories. A self-proclaimed news nerd since age 9, Chris is fulfilling his lifelong dream of reporting the news every day. From the O.J. Saga to the Miracle on the Hudson, Cristi chronicles his journey from the early days as a Disneyland Resort Monorail Pilot to LA’s favorite reporter in the sky.

Laura Cabo: Imagineering Portfolio Creative Executive

6min - As Portfolio Creative Executive, Laura leads a diverse group of Imagineers from around the globe in the creation of Disney’s expanding fleet of cruise ships. Laura provides a look into what it takes to design the interior of a Disney Cruise Line ship, from the paint colors to the fabrics to the overall layout. For Laura, a Disney Cruise Line ship not only invites guests to journey to unique ports of call, but provides a portal into the fantastic worlds of Disney's unique stories and themes. She creates a visual aesthetic that is seamlessly woven together through unique interior décor while complementing the activities and characters aboard the ship in an intimate and personalized way. Enhancing the guest experience is kept top-of-mind as Laura and her team ideate around the newest additions to Disney’s ever-growing fleet.

Ryan Meinerding: Marvel Studios Creative Director

7min - Creative Director Ryan Meinerding brings Marvel characters to life through innovative design every day. There’s never a dull moment as Ryan creates the first looks of characters for Marvel Studios films including Iron Man, Spider-Man, Captain America and more. From initial sketches to special effects, Ryan oversees the process of bringing the next iteration of renowned characters to the screen. As an artist, Ryan is excited by the opportunity to fine-tune his skills on a daily basis through the visual development of Marvel's iconic characters.

Pavan Komkai: Broadcast Engineer

5min - Manager of Broadcast Engineering at Disney Streaming Services, Pavan “Billy” Komkai explains the unique process of broadcasting live sports on ESPN+ for fans around the world. No matter the time of day or the location of the event, Disney’s Streaming Services team provides viewers with high quality coverage of diverse sporting events every day. Whether it is streamed from a TV, desktop or smartphone, Billy is in charge of ensuring audiences always have direct and unmatched access to the world’s most sought after sporting events.

Heather Bartleson: Holiday Services

4min - As Senior Facilities Coordinator for Holiday Services, Heather Bartleson helps bring the holiday spirt to Disney through the acquisition of holiday décor for Halloween, Fourth of July and Christmas. From parks, resorts, cruise lines and more, Bartleson works year-round to ensure the Holiday Services Team has everything they need to create holiday-themed environments that immerse guests and create magical holiday moments.

Eric Baker: Imagineering Creative Director

5min - Step into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with Walt Disney Imagineer & Creative Director Eric Baker as he helps create this new, exciting land. As a Star Wars fan from a young age, Eric is truly living his childhood dream by bringing this new story in the Star Wars franchise to life. From traveling the globe in search of props to overseeing larger-than-life installations, Eric is constantly reimagining how to elevate the park guest experience so they are in awe each time they step into new lands and attractions.

Alice Taylor: StudioLAB

7min - Alice Taylor experiments with new storytelling mediums through Disney’s StudioLAB. Through drones, augmented reality and more, Taylor uses innovation and emerging technologies to continue pushing the boundaries by which content can be created and shared with people around the world. Alice’s team works across The Walt Disney Studios seeking out opportunities to blend classic filmmaking practices with the latest technology to create something truly extraordinary.

Amanda Lauder: Chef Chocolatier

6min - Fulfilling a childhood dream, Amanda Lauder is the Chef Chocolatier for The Ganachery at Disney Springs. For Amanda, it’s a daily goal to create a delicious dessert that is both a tasty treat and a memorable experience for each guest. S'mores, ganache squares and chocolate lollipops are all on the menu as Amanda takes us into The Ganachery’s bustling kitchen where every day is a new and exciting world of chocolate making.

Dr. Natalie Mylniczenko: Veterinarian

7min - Discover Walt Disney World Resort Veterinarian Dr. Natalie Mylniczenko’s creative approach to animal care. From performing rhinoceros check-ups at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park to traveling abroad for environmental work with endangered gorillas, this animal lover is dedicated to ensuring the survival of our world’s most vulnerable species. With each day bringing new and exciting challenges, Dr. Mylniczenko is often tasked with creating new methods and solutions to help ensure all the animals in her care continue to thrive and flourish for years to come.

Ashley Girdich: R&D Imagineer Manager

4min - Project manager Ashley Girdich oversees dynamic assignments for Walt Disney Imagineering’s Research and Development group. From managing teams to keeping projects and plans on track, Ashley is constantly pushing boundaries to ensure the next generation of Imagineers continue to create industry-leading, interactive experiences for park guests. As one of Imagineering’s Research & Development Project Managers, it’s Ashley’s mission to deliver new and exciting magical moments in the parks by combining cutting edge technology and narrative storytelling.

Pablo Tufino: Ride Show Technician

5min - Pablo Tufino, Computer Ride Show Technician at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, provides a glimpse into the twilight transformation of Pandora – The World of Avatar. Pablo’s mission is to maintain the vast land to ensure the mesmerizing change from day to night is always seamless. Pablo helps bring the Pandoran world to life through the illumination of custom lighting and automations. Through the magic of this technology, each area of the land is given a unique look and feel that continues to amaze guests…and Pablo!

Gabriela Clark: Creative Print Marketing

5min - Discover the intricacies of creating a Disney print marketing campaign with Gabriela Clark. From overseeing photoshoots to coordinating massive studio print campaigns, Gabriela and team are responsible for creating some of the first images fans are able to see of new Disney films. The creative print team strives to excite fans with images through these marketing campaigns.

Alfredo Ayala: Forknings och utvecklings- Imagineer

Alfredo Ayala: R&D Imagineer

7min - As part of Disney’s Imagineering team, Alfredo Ayala helps bring Audio-Animatronics® figures to life. From determining how figures can emote to creating state-of-the-art synthetic skin simulation technology, Alfredo utilizes cutting edge technology, like machine learning and optimization, to bring dynamic character experiences to Disney parks. Through the combination of art and technology, Imagineers like Alfredo are reimaging the capabilities of Audio-Animatronics® figures to tell stories like never before.

Jason Benetti: Play-By-Play Commentator

7min - Sports enthusiast Jason Benetti offers a glimpse into his life as an ESPN play-by-play commentator. Feeding off of the energy of the players, excitement of the crowd, and his passion for sports, Benetti never fails to bring his lively personality to the table on game day. Whether it’s a pre-interview with coaches or shooting hoops with co-commentator Robbie Hummel before the game, Benetti never forgets that he is able to live his childhood dream.

Dana Amendola: Disney Productions

6min - Dana Amendola, VP of Operations at Disney Theatrical Group, restores and preserves history every day at The New Amsterdam Theatre, the oldest building Disney operates. Once run down after years of neglect, Disney brought the theatre back to life restoring it to its original glory. Explore what it takes to maintain the 100 year old theatre, home to Broadway’s The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Aladdin. Infused with life and new stories every day, the experience of walking into the theatre is as exciting as the Broadway productions it houses.

Leslie Evans: Senior R&D Imagineer

6min - Leslie Evans creatively applies cutting-edge technology to bring Disney theme park stories to life. A Florida native and life-long Walt Disney World fan, Leslie has always been fascinated by the intersection between creativity and engineering. Today, she uses her diverse background in both Industrial Design and Materials Science Engineering to create everything from playful interactive characters to lifelike advanced robotics. Leslie and her teams are combining design and science to invent new and innovative guest experiences for Disney parks all around the globe.

Mark Gonzales: Steam Train Engineer

6min - A train lover all his life, Steam Train Engineer Mark Gonzales fulfills his dream of working at Disneyland Resort. To Mark, it’s more than just a train ride, and he strives to create memorable moments for guests as he transports them around the parks on one of Walt’s favorite attractions. From the Railroad Roundhouse to Main Street Station, climb aboard for an exclusive look into the life of a Steam Train Engineer.

Season Finale

7min - Revisit One Day at Disney’s compelling and inspiring cast members in the Season Finale. From the heart of the Disney parks to the streets of Madrid, take a look back at the memorable moments and the people who make them possible as we go behind-the-scenes to experience Disney magic like never before. Whether it’s animators, Imagineers, journalists, or candy makers, Disney is comprised of a diverse group of individuals all working to imagine new and exciting ways for people of all ages to come together to create new and heartwarming Disney memories for years to come.