Nearly 70 years ago, Walt Disney made dreams a reality, opening the gates to Disneyland park and inspiring guests and cast members alike to dream, create and inspire. Now, over 36,000 magic makers carry on these traits, infusing Walt’s vision into their roles across Disneyland Resort.
A select few cast members, in fact, less than 1% across the globe, go above and beyond to honor Walt’s legacy. Donning a special blue nametag, these cast members are recipients of The Walt Disney Legacy Award — the highest honor a cast member, Disney Imagineer, crew member or employee can receive. Every individual who is selected to receive The Walt Disney Legacy Award has been nominated by a fellow cast member for their work celebrating Walt’s legacy.
Meet three recipients of The Walt Disney Legacy Award at Disneyland Resort — outstanding cast members that embody Walt’s vision to “keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things.”
Walking in Walt’s footsteps
Senior Duty Manager Mary Cobb smiles by Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland park.
For Senior Duty Manager Mary Cobb, the legacy of Walt Disney is not just something she emulates in her role. She walks in Walt’s footsteps, ensuring the park is in tip-top shape each day for all who enter its gates.
“I’m here to do what Walt would have done in those moments where he had time to walk around his theme park,” Mary said. “He would talk to guests and make sure that they were getting what they expected or more out of their day.”
Walt Disney set the standard for the duty manager role and, every time Mary pins on her blue nametag, she is reminded of his vision. Mary was one of the first cast members to receive The Walt Disney Legacy Award in 2011, while she worked in Attractions at Disney California Adventure park. After being nominated by her fellow cast members, she was surprised with the prestigious award, something she deems as both an honor and a responsibility.
Mary poses with Andrew Du Molt, a fellow Walt Disney Legacy Award recipient, after they received the special honor.
Throughout her 35-year career at Disneyland Resort, Mary has worked in dozens of roles, each varied in responsibilities but unified with the same purpose: to make magic and provide outstanding guest service. As she continues walking in Walt’s legacy, she is excited to leave behind her own unique footprint.
“From 1955 to 2025, we have Walt’s vision that we have continued to gently carry into the future and make it relevant into tomorrow,” Mary said.
Making a forceful impact on guest service
Ben Johnson, a retail cast member in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, smiles while holding a droid in Droid Depot.
“When I put my blue nametag on, I think of how I can uphold the standards that Walt Disney set in the first place,” said Ben Johnson, a retail cast member in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
An avid pin-trading afficionado and Star Wars super-fan, Ben’s Disney career has traversed galaxies — from Frontierland to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, where he now welcomes guests to the planet Batuu.
“A big reason I work for Disney is the fact that Walt Disney wanted to provide immense guest service to everyone to make sure his theme park was set apart,” Ben said. “It doesn’t matter who you are, when you come to Disney, you receive the same magic and service from everyone.”
Every day, Ben makes memorable moments for guests, inviting them to explore the Star Wars universe and embrace the power of The Force. For Ben, attractions and entertainment are not the only things that make Disneyland Resort magical — it’s the cast members too. This sentiment, coupled with his outstanding guest service contributed to his achievement of The Walt Disney Legacy Award in 2018.
Now, donning his blue nametag in a galaxy far, far away, Ben is continuing Walt’s legacy of immersive storytelling, bringing the spirit of Star Wars to guests from near and far.
Taking Walt’s legacy to new heights
Chuck Garcia-Howell, an area manager of Outdoor Vending Food and Beverage, poses in front of an Outdoor Vending frozen treats cart in Disneyland park.
Chuck Garcia-Howell has always experienced a sense of belonging at Disneyland Resort – a feeling he aims to bring to his fellow cast members in his role as area manager of Outdoor Vending Food and Beverage.
Twenty years ago, Chuck began his journey in Disney California Adventure park, where he watched guests soar to new heights on the Jumpin’ Jellyfish attraction. His time in Attractions made him fall in love with Disney, leading him to explore different roles across the resort, everything from Guest Relations to Food and Beverage.
What began as an admiration for theme parks turned into an extensive career of magic making. Chuck received The Walt Disney Legacy Award in 2011 and, every day since, has felt responsible for continuing to uphold the vision set forth by Walt Disney, something he continues to pass on to his cast members.
“The Walt Disney Legacy Award is such a great opportunity to recognize cast members that really believe in the dream that Walt set out for us here. It’s something special and it reminds me every day that I’m lucky to work in a place as magical as Disneyland Resort.”