Riley and Nate, attractions cast members at Disneyland Resort, are sharing what brought them to the job. For Riley, it was curiosity about ride systems. For Nate, it was growing up with family trips to the parks.
Riley didn’t visit often as a child. Instead, the technology behind two attractions sparked her interest in working at the resort. More than three years into the job, she now helps create the guest reactions she enjoys watching.
Ride systems and surprise reactions
Riley works in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and serves as a working lead in Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland. The trackless systems behind Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway fascinated her.
She wanted a closer look at how those environments come together, which led her to pursue an attractions role.
Now, some of her favorite moments happen when guests encounter a surprise. On Runaway Railway, that can mean watching their reactions to the pre-show’s special effects. On Rise of the Resistance, it’s the doors opening to reveal a First Order Star Destroyer.
Those moments have changed her appreciation for the attractions that originally interested her. Riley also recognizes that visiting the park can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some families. Helping make that visit memorable matters to her.
Family visits and the Disneyland nametag
Nate’s connection started with family.
He grew up in Temecula, visiting for birthdays and celebrations with relatives from out of town. He called Disneyland his “home away from home” and dreamed of becoming a cast member.
Moving closer to Orange County made that goal feel within reach. Four years after starting at the resort, Nate works at Disney California Adventure.
He’s a lead at Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! and Radiator Springs Racers. He also spends time at WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure in Avengers Campus.
Nate sees each guest conversation as a chance to create a new story. He hopes children watching him might imagine working at Disneyland themselves, just as he once did.
He also values the close-knit community among cast members with different roles and experiences.
“When I put my nametag on, I feel like I’m part of the magic,” Nate said.
Riley remembers seeing her name alongside Pluto, her favorite character, on her first nametag. It gave her a sense of belonging.
Its meaning has grown since then. She thinks about families teaching children to find a cast member’s nametag when they’re lost or scared.
“When I put on the name tag, I really think it’s an honor to be able to do so.”
Source: Disney Parks Blog
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