Why I Still Believe in Magic
Fall 2021 | By George A. Kalogridis聽鈥�76
It was the summer of 1971. The traffic of I-4 was a distant聽hum as I stood in a huge, meandering line, wending its way聽toward a temporary building at the far end of a dusty field.
It was hot, the few cabbage palms providing no聽usable shade, and I fanned myself with the interview appointment聽postcard Disney had mailed me. When I鈥檇聽received it, getting a job had seemed like a sure thing. After聽all, thousands of people were needed to run the new resort聽that everyone in Central Florida simply referred to as聽鈥淒isney World.鈥�
But, in making small talk with the people in line, I聽discovered that they were literally rocket scientists who聽had worked on the Apollo space program.
I was 17 years old with a diploma from Winter Haven聽High School. My competition for the job had recently聽sent a man to the moon.]
All of a sudden, that sure thing didn鈥檛 seem nearly聽as certain.
Yet, despite the seemingly plummeting odds, I was hired聽to bus tables at the Contemporary Resort Hotel. I was sure聽my time with Disney would be brief: I needed a job to work聽my way through earning a sociology degree at Florida聽Technological University (soon to become 91吃瓜网).
My assumption was that once I had that degree, I would聽be off to find my place in the world.
Little did I realize I鈥檇 already found my place.
Over the decades, I have held roles on two coasts and聽two continents, serving in a broad variety of capacities聽鈥� from food and beverage, resorts, human resources and聽reservations to theme park and site leadership, boutique聽travel and corporate education. Yet, the only time I have聽ever interviewed with a new company was that long-ago聽summer of 1971.
Since then, in an ever-evolving myriad of forms, Disney聽has been home.聽Of course, there is a reason Walt Disney World is known聽as 鈥淭he Most Magical Place on Earth.鈥� Watch one of the聽resort鈥檚 nighttime spectaculars, journey from country to聽country in EPCOT鈥檚 World Showcase, or stroll through聽the bioluminescent forests of Pandora: The World of聽Avatar, and you cannot help but feel that you have been聽transported to a further realm of imagination.
Early one morning, when we were building Star Wars:聽Galaxy鈥檚 Edge at Disney鈥檚 Hollywood Studios, I was聽observing construction progress when I turned a corner聽and there 鈥� not 100 feet away 鈥� sat the Millennium Falcon.聽It took my breath away in an instant 鈥� it was that sort of聽experience.
Children frequently get their first haircut at Magic聽Kingdom, even say their first words there. People fall in love,聽get engaged and get married there. It鈥檚 the place you visit to聽celebrate a new job. It鈥檚 the place you dream of coming to聽when you retire.
I have letters from some in the military who tell me they聽listen to the music of the parks as they drift off to sleep in聽tents or bunkers overseas. Walt Disney World is their ideal聽image of peace, normalcy and the company of loved ones.
That is the Disney magic that everyone knows.
If you are lucky enough to play a role in it, there are other聽levels of magic that only a 鈥渃ast member鈥� would know.
George Kalogridis poses with Mickey and Minnie Mouse in front of his window on Disney’s Main Street
A few weeks ago, Disney commemorated its 50th聽anniversary in Central Florida, and I too celebrated that聽golden milestone, most of it in and around The Most聽Magical Place on Earth.
Prior to the festivities, Disney leadership awarded me聽a window on Main Street, U.S.A. 鈥� the resort鈥檚 highest聽honor, traditionally conferred only after retirement. But,聽as the company had designated me as the official global聽ambassador for the resort鈥檚 50th anniversary, they wanted聽my name visible to every guest entering Magic Kingdom,聽even though I鈥檓 still quite active in my role.
That was an emotional moment for me that I will never聽forget. Experiencing that honor provided an opportunity for聽me to reflect back on all of the incredible cast members and聽leaders I have had the great fortune of working alongside as聽we hosted millions upon millions of guests for half a century.
They are the reason I still believe in magic after 50聽wonderful years with Disney.
George A. Kalogridis 鈥�76 is the president of Segment聽Development and Enrichment for Disney Parks,聽Experiences and Products. He has served in a wide聽variety of Disney executive roles and is best known as聽a former president of both the Disneyland Resort in聽California and Walt Disney World in Florida.