Behind the Nametag: Disney Cast Member Reflects on His Ticket to Creating Magic
Originally published at Disney Parks News
A favorite activity of Disney cast members and guests when visiting our parks and resorts is to reminisce on the remarkable advances and changes that have taken place over time. As we look forward to celebrating The Walt Disney Company’s 100th Anniversary this year, Lead Software Engineer Michael Dixon shares his memories as a child visiting Walt Disney World to becoming a cast member in technology.
Michael began his professional Disney journey with a summer job in the mid-1990s. He learned the art of personalization by embroidering guest names onto Mickey’s ears. Even today, he can still remember the movements needed to stitch his name onto one of those coveted ears.
Eventually, Michael moved to a role in Guest Relations, where he got his introduction to Disney ticketing and began an incredible career opening Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. Michael was a crucial part of teams that assisted with ticket auditing, reporting, and technology. But despite playing such a large role in advancing Disney’s ticketing systems, Michael remains a firm supporter of Walt Disney’s belief that people make dreams into reality.
“No matter how technologically advanced we get or how much we can make everything self-sufficient or being able to be done beforehand…It doesn’t replace the people. The people make it magic.”
