We recently told you about a new KaBOOM! playground at Edison Park in Anaheim that Disney VoluntEARS, our partners and local community were setting out to build. I’m happy to report after three days, with the help of 320 volunteers, three tractor trailers of mulch, 483 bags of cement, a few blisters and eventually a bunch of very happy children, the project is now complete!

I couldn’t be more proud of the work we accomplished. This KaBOOM! playground build reflects our strong beliefs at the Disneyland Resort – the importance of community, partnerships, family interaction and promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for our children. It’s rewarding to know more than 1,200 Anaheim children now have a safe place to play, be active and enjoy time with their families.

The build not only included a playground designed and voted on by the kids, but five fitness stations and a learning garden at nearby Thomas Edison Elementary School, providing students an opportunity to stay active and eat healthy. Disney Parks Chairman Tom Staggs and his executive team joined in the fun, helping to paint a mural and revamping an afterschool program building for local Boys and Girls Club children.

Thank you to all of the neighborhood families who helped build a better environment for their children. To the city of Anaheim, Thomas Edison Elementary School, the Anaheim Family YMCA and KaBOOM!, thank you for your extraordinary partnerships and efforts. Anaheim is a better place because of all of you.

Here is a video that shows just how this project came to life – check it out!

Tagged: DLR, Video, VoluntEARS

Filed: Community Outreach, Disneyland Resort

In just a few days, many Disneyland Resort cast members, guests and members of the community will take the steps to make a difference by walking in one of our most heartwarming and popular events — the 20th annual CHOC Walk in the Park.

This event, which takes place on the morning of Sunday, October 17 and benefits Children’s Hospital of Orange County, holds a special place in my heart — not only was it the first event I experienced last year as president of Disneyland Resort, but I am now privileged to sit on the board of CHOC Children’s just as Walt Disney did so many years ago.

It truly is an honor to continue Walt’s legacy, and to give back to the families and children in our community through our partnership with CHOC. For the past nine years, Disneyland Resort has hosted the walk that has paved the way to making dreams come true for thousands of families. Walt recognized the importance of giving, and the power behind a supported community, and I’m happy to say that compassion and support is still alive and well in our parks today.

I want to thank all of those who have walked, donated and volunteered in the past, and encourage everyone to take these steps to making a difference. Unlike the CHOC Walk, the ability to make a difference has no finish line.

For more information on the CHOC Walk, and how to get involved, visit www.chocwalk.org.

I hope to see you all out there on October 17!

Tagged: DLR

Filed: Community Outreach, Disneyland Resort

As we celebrate 55 years today, I look back on my nearly 40 years with The Walt Disney Company and countless memories, and I feel privileged to be back in Anaheim – where it all began.

When I was a little boy, I remember watching “The Wonderful World of Disney” and especially a show entitled “Disneyland After Dark.” I loved seeing the Mark Twain Riverboat come around the bend on the Rivers of America, with all of its lights and a jazz band playing on the deck, and I used to imagine how wonderful it would be to experience something so magical. Now I have the privilege of leading the place where the Mark Twain Riverboat still travels the Rivers of America.

I want to take a moment today to thank all of you – our guests and fans – for the support and loyalty you’ve shown Disneyland park for the last 55 years. I also want to thank and recognize the 20,000 cast members who work hard every day to make the Disneyland Resort a place of “joy and inspiration for all the world.” You truly create happiness, and I am proud of the work you do.

I will be celebrating the day surrounded by guests and cast members, including some of the original cast members from 1955 who worked with Walt Disney as he created Disneyland park. I look forward to hearing their stories and adding to my memory bank today. I hope that you are also able to look back on great memories of your visits to Disneyland park and know that your memories are cherished pieces of our history.

Here’s to the next 55!

Tagged: Celebrating 55, DLR

Filed: Disney History, Disneyland Resort