Celebrating a Cast Family’s Gold Medal Accomplishment
Originally published at Disney Parks News
Cast are the heart of the magic at Walt Disney World Resort, and we were thrilled to celebrate a longtime cast member family who has shared their love for and dedication to Disney with their daughter, Kaylin, an elite runner who fulfilled her dream of winning Gold and Bronze medals in track and field at the Olympic Games in Tokyo!
Kaylin Whitney and her parents, DuWayne Whitney and Kerrie Dworetsky, were able to celebrate together for the first time since Kaylin arrived home from the games, and they spent the day with extended family and friends celebrating at EPCOT, a special place where Kerrie has worked for the past 15 years. The day was filled with a number of surprises, including a special moment for family and friends to cheer on Kaylin as she “crossed the finish line” to arrive in the France pavilion that morning. With spectators not able to travel to Tokyo this summer, it was a moment that Kaylin’s friends and family had been waiting for.
Joined by Jeff Vahle, President, Walt Disney World Resort, Thomas Mazloum, President, Disney Signature Experiences, Kartika Rodriguez, Vice President, EPCOT, and the 2022-2023 Walt Disney World Disney Ambassadors, the group cheered with excitement as Kaylin rounded the corner into the France pavilion. After snapping many celebratory photos, the family was able to enjoy the parks together, and even got to experience a “squeak peek” of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, opening Oct. 1 in the France pavilion at EPCOT.
Running must “run” in the family, as her dad, DuWayne, a 25-year cast member who works at Disney Vacation Club, ran track in high school and at the University of Arkansas, inspiring Kaylin to run. Now Kaylin is enjoying traveling around the world while doing what she loves—she said it’s the best job in the world!
We may need to challenge her on that because her mom says she loves Disney so much and hopes to celebrate her 50-year anniversary at Walt Disney World one day!
You can certainly “track” Disney in this family as Kaylin’s grandparents both worked at Disney, making it a total of 87 years of family employment at Walt Disney World. Kaylin couldn’t wait to come home to go to Disney, and we were so happy to welcome her and her family for this special celebration.
