Holiday Services Cast Members Sprinkle 50th Anniversary Magic this Holiday Season at Walt Disney World
Originally published at Disney Parks News
When you step foot in Walt Disney World Resort, there’s always a feeling of magic in the air — but there’s something extra special about being here during the holidays.
Year after year, Walt Disney World is transformed into a whimsical wonderland with themed décor unparalleled by anything you’ve seen before. It all happens in the blink of an eye, as if by magic, thanks to the cast members on the Holiday Services team, who work behind the scenes year-round to create picture-perfect trees, garlands and wreaths. It’s a legacy 50 years in the making, and the team is proud to be carrying it on together.
Cast members on the Holiday Services team are meticulous in their level of care and attention year-round, pouring love into each and every detail as they prepare for the next cycle of holidays.
Not only are these cast members experts on the ins-and-outs of what it takes to create world-class décor, they also have an unmatched passion for the holidays — the secret ingredient to creating such imaginative and immersive environments.
Their love for their work is visible through their eagerness to dream up new ideas and their attention to detail, on which they never compromise. From planning to building to installing, these incredibly talented cast members oversee their creations from start to finish, ensuring no branch is left unfluffed and no ornament untouched.
Ed Miles, a 43-year cast member and planner at Disney’s Holiday Services, empowers his cast members to bring their ideas to life and let their individual styles shine through their work.
As Walt Disney World prepared for its 50th holiday season, the team found new ways to integrate festive elements from The World’s Most Magical Celebration into their traditional holiday décor.
From coating ornaments in EARidescence to hand-striping giant peppermint sticks with gold foil, each designer thought outside the box to pay homage to the 50th Anniversary celebration in ways big and small.
To honor The World’s Most Magical Celebration, the Holiday Services team added shimmering gold ribbon, ornaments and more to the trees, garlands and wreaths at Walt Disney World.
Perhaps the most impressive details of all are the ones you don’t notice right away. Take a look at each of the towering trees in our Walt Disney World theme parks, for instance, and you will see that each park’s 50th Anniversary color scheme is woven throughout its embellishments. In addition to more noticeable 50th Easter eggs, the team focused on subtle design choices like color themes to further enhance the story and create a truly seamless experience.
Holiday Services cast Members decorate each larger-than-life piece by hand using a collection of more than 45,000 materials, ensuring everything has the same impressive level of detail regardless of its size.
“I’m very proud that we get to help bring the 50th Anniversary celebration to life for our guests,” remarks Ed Miles, a planner and leader at Disney’s Holiday Services, as he reflects on the work he and his team are doing for the 18-month celebration, which began Oct. 1.
“I love going out to the theme parks when we finish installing and watching the guests as they first walk in — what they run to, what they see, what they point at — that never gets old and it never will. Our cast members all feel the same way. That’s their pride, when they see the guests come in and beam at their work and want to take pictures with it. You can just see everyone thinking ‘I am so proud I am part of this.’”
