A Disneyland job that began as a way to lessen the load on Walt Disney’s speaking engagements while serving as a global emissary of the Anaheim theme park will welcome its 50th team of honorary spokespeople when the newest ambassadors take over on Jan. 1.
Nataly Guzman Garcia and Mark Everett King Jr. will finish their two-year term as Disneyland Ambassadors on Sunday, Dec. 31 and hand over the roles to Jada Young and Raul Aquino Rojas who will begin their two-year term on Monday, Jan. 1.
ALSO SEE: SoCal theme parks ring in New Year’s Eve with rides, music and fireworks
Garcia and King’s ambassadorships started on Jan. 1, 2022 — just eight months after Disneyland and Disney California Adventure emerged from a year-long pandemic closure.
“We know the last few years have been very difficult for everybody around the world,” said Garcia, 34, of Anaheim. “So we didn’t take it lightly that we were coming into a role that exudes nothing but positivity and happiness at a time where people were struggling to find it.”
The first Disneyland Ambassador was selected in late 1964 by Walt Disney from a field of 135 applicants — all of them Disneyland cast members, Disney lingo for employees.
ALSO SEE: Top 10 favorite characters chosen by Disneyland employees on Disney100 name tags
Walt was always receiving requests for media interviews and to attend numerous events — like the 1964 Anaheim Halloween Parade. The six Disneyland Ambassador finalists participated in the parade — freeing Walt to focus on other pressing matters at the theme park and his movie studio.
It turns out Walt had a few things on his plate in 1964.
Walt Disney Imagineering had just built four attractions for the New York World’s Fair that would ultimately make their way back to Disneyland. The Anaheim theme park was preparing for its 10th anniversary celebration in 1965. And Imagineering was working on secret plans known as Project X that would eventually be revealed as…
Read the full article here