Disneyland Jobs & Happiest Employees On Earth: Behind the Magic

ANAHEIM, CA — Next week, Disneyland Resort's longest running employee will hang up his chef's hat. Oscar Martinez began his work at Carnation Restaurant at the Disneyland Resort in 1967. Both he, and many other tenured employees share their journey of life working at Disneyland Resort.

Disneyland is known as the largest employer in Orange County and was recently voted Forbes' No. 2 place to work for employee satisfaction and job longevity. Neither has happened by accident. The employees of Disney and Disneyland Resorts make it their job to ensure the magic inspired by Walt and Roy Disney is shared with every guest, every day.

Visitors to Disneyland Resort often describe the legendary Disney customer service. From stepping onto the Toy Story Bus, to entering Main Street, each visitor is granted that magic by the employees who work there.

Walt Disney stated, “Today, we are a shaper of the world of tomorrow,” and the man who hires those "world shapers" talked with Patch in an exclusive interview.

DJ Norman, the director of professional recruitment for Disney Parks, shared the original mission of Walt and Roy Disney and how it continues to shape magical experiences for a multitude of guests who migrate to Orange County, California.

Making Magic…

Norman recently had two memorable conversations on a plane trip back from Walt Disney World. His bag with the Mickey Mouse emblem was the conversation starter for both.

“I had a conversation with a 5-year-old about working for Disney, about what I do,” he said. “Then, I had the same conversation with someone about 20 years older than me.”

He lives the Disney values at work and outside the main gates. According to Norman, he’s proud of the brand, proud of the Mickey Mouse ears and enjoys the pride in being able to share the brand and its values with his family.

“First and foremost, anyone who works at Disney must have an innate ability to deliver a magical end to end experience for all of our guests,” Norman stated. But that intangible ability is not one that can be quantified in measuring technical training skills.

When a little girl walks down Main Street in her Elsa costume with a “First Time at Disneyland” pin, or if it’s an annual pass holder who comes just to pin trade, everyone who walks through the gates is treated as if it is their first visit to the park.

“That child is expecting to have all of her dreams come true that day, and it is everyone who works in the park’s personal mission to give her a magical guest experience,” Norman said.

From the ticket takers to the ride operators, food handlers to custodians, everyone at the park has that same total immersive magic at heart.

“People are so excited when they arrive at the hotel or come into the park,” he said. “They become immersed in our stories, and we want everyone within the berm of the park to be safe, to look out for each other, and always be aware. All employees you see in the park are ‘onstage,’ and that is where the lights shine brightest."

Being part of the magic...

Have you ever strolled through Disneyland and seen the management wearing lanyards and chatting up guests and cast members? Remember to stop and say hello. It's why they're there.

Norman and his staff often make trips out into the park to pin trade or to visit with guests and remember to view the park and understand the guest experience.

“It’s fun to interact with guests and easy to do, something everyone enjoys,” he said.

Pin trading is one of his favored "walk-through" experiences in the park.

“We kneel down to the kid’s levels, show them our pins and teach them how to pin trade,” he said. “It’s awesome to get to do that.”

Often, they will ask repeat guests questions in order to share an extra bit of magic through the guest’s knowledge of all things Disney.

“People who work at Disneyland Park or Resort wear their name badges with honor,” he said. “We all feel honored to be here and to protect the brand, and make sure everyone who enters the gates every morning gets treated like it’s their first time at the park, even our annual pass holders and folks who live in Orange County.”

Storytellers, who make the impossible possible…

As the largest employer in Orange County, with more than 29,000 employees on record and a company that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there is a job for anyone who has a desire and ability to partake in the magic.

“Many people who start at Disney under one occupation can move up through the ranks,” Norman said. “We promote from within, and once inside the organization you can move up and around the company.”

There are a few external things Disney looks for, including clean-cut in the way of hair, minimal jewelry for women, none for men, and clean-shaven appearance. But that is just externals. On the inside, Disney interview candidates are asked many questions with regard to guest experiences and how they would handle certain problems. Those intangibles are key to maintaining that everyone has an enjoyable experience at the park or hotel.

“We make sure that all guests have a magical experience,” Norman said, “even those who are having a difficult time for one reason or another.”

Guests with issues are helped to “recover” by cast members who work in teams, and never alone.

“I remember to treat all guests like I would treat my grandmother,” he said. “We listen, we try and help them through whatever difficulty they may be experiencing and empower them to recover from the bad experience to a good one.”

The Disney Tradition…

Teamwork, longevity and commitment are all part of the wonderful world of working for Disney.

Disney was recently named by Forbes as a top company Americans want to work for. It was named second-most trustworthy company, with regard to job security and longevity, fourth in companies that care most about employees and No. 53 in best companies to work for worldwide.

This December, Disneyland will celebrate the 60th work anniversary of one of its most famed employees who is not a large mouse, duck or dog.

“Oscar Martinez is a Disneyland Resort cast member at Carnation Café, one of the original restaurants at Disneyland park, located on Main Street, U.S.A.,” according to Melissa Britt of Disney Media Relations. “Oscar is the most senior current cast member at Disneyland Resort in terms of continuous service, having worked at Disneyland since December 29, 1956.”

Martinez began his famed employ at Carnation Café in 1967 and has worked there ever since.

It was at the Carnation Café that his recipe for breakfast potatoes quickly became famous, Britt said.

Starting his work as a busboy, then a grill cook in Fantasyland, Martinez has trained many new cast members and also trained grill cooks for Tokyo Disneyland.

You can still visit him at Carnation and listen to his personal memories of meeting Walt Disney and witnessing how Disneyland has grown and changed over the years.

Another Disney employee, Sharon Harrison, just recently celebrated her 40th work anniversary with Disney. Norman discussed the milestone anniversary celebration for Harrison, a professional recruitment coordinator.

This is how Disney heritage is passed down from one generation of employees to the next.

“It’s more than just reading what Walt said in a book,” Norman said, “but being able to learn from and listen to people who knew him, and interacted with him, and continue that for generations to come.”

Photos courtesy of Disneyland Resort