Walt Disney World is over 50 years old and has divisions from engineering to entertainment, transportation to lodging, food & beverage to marketing & sales. With 80,000+ Cast Members (employees) at this point, it is no surprise that family units would migrate to the Most Magical Place on Earth for a full time job. I was able to speak with three groups of Cast Members who are helping making The Walt Disney Company a family business once again.
While the Walt Disney Company is a publicly owned corporation and has been for a long time, that doesn’t mean it can’t also form a family-style business aesthetic. As Walt Disney World is Central Florida’s largest employer and has been around since the 1970’s, the company has a lengthy history with this area and generations of families have come to work for “The Mouse.”
One Cast Member dad, Brian Orosco, fell in love with Disney on his honeymoon. He got a job, he held a career and now his kids, Giovanni and Gianna, also work at @WaltDisneyWorld. pic.twitter.com/MnFZrM8p78
— Everything You Need To Know (@EYNTKinfo) June 19, 2026
The Orosco Family | Father, Son & Daughter
One honeymoon became a lifetime career when Brian Orosco visited Walt Disney and knew he had to work for the theme park destination. Now, years later, both of his kids are also working for the company. All have had numerous roles in the company and have made memories on and off the clock.
Giovanni, Brian’s son, now supports events at ESPN Wide World of Sports. His is daughter, Gianna, works at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and just recently got her Master’s Degree through Disney Aspire, Walt Disney World’s education investment program. Dad was proud to mention his daughter’s recent educational success and mentioned both of his kids’ aspiration to continue being magic makers. Brian has spent 25 years working at Walt Disney World and says, “I love my role. I take care of the power and lighting at Magic Kingdom. It’s the number one park in the world, how could you want to do anything else?
“I am trying to work my way up to leadership at some point…I wanna help develop Cast Members and make sure everyone feels supported,” shared Gianna Orosco.
Bob mentioned how his backstage work creates onstage magic when asked, "What is something you would want people to know about your role?" pic.twitter.com/Vxchmi3OMY
— Everything You Need To Know (@EYNTKinfo) June 19, 2026
The Archer Brothers
Mike and Bob Archer have both worked at Walt Disney World for more than a decade. Each brother has also jumped around in roles, learning from the leadership and discovering which specific positions work best for them. During my personal experience working at Walt Disney World I was told, “You can be anything at Disney except a dentist.” These two brothers agreed, sharing that their Disney Journey has taken them to jobs they didn’t initially expect. Even a job denial has brought Bob to a place where he now feels he can grow into leadership.
Mike Archer said, “I think there is a shoe for every foot, and my foot fits in my shoe right where I am at!”
You can thank a wife, a father-in-law and these two brothers for their work keeping some iconic attractions in operation. Interesting to note, two of the attractions listed were:
• Dinosaur
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Which have seen (or will soon seen) radical changes. pic.twitter.com/cPvQzNSBwa— Everything You Need To Know (@EYNTKinfo) June 19, 2026
In fact, numerous members of the Archer family have worked at Walt Disney World throughout the years. Mike’s wife and father-in-law were both foremen on attractions that have recently taken the spotlight at the parks, DINOSAUR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Between all four of these family members, we have a lot of thanks to give around for the daily maintenance and backstage work needed to keep the parks running.
The Kelley Family | Father & Daughter
Faron Kelley and his daughter Callie both currently work for the Walt Disney Company and both began on the Disney College Program. Faron showcased how you can climb the ladder with Disney from the DCP (Disney College Program) to SVP (Senior Vice President with Disney Experiences). Callie felt inspired to follow a similar path, joining the Disney College Program, going back to complete school and now working in merchandise sales at Magic Kingdom.
Faron mentioned a full-circle moment, from making Disney memories to Callie’s current role in West Side Merchandise, “We’d do Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and without fail we would leave with a new Christmas ornament. Ironically, now, Callie, part of her role is she works in the Christmas Shop in Liberty Square, so it’s this kind of interesting full-circle moment. So I think our Christmas tree is definitely going to continue to fill with Disney ornaments.”
“Since it is something I grew up with, I definitely wanted to at least be a part of that magic,” shared Callie.
Family is more than the hiring team’s buzzword
The Orosco, Archer and Kelley families are not the only family members to share experiences at Walt Disney World, but they were the lucky groups chosen to represent their 80,000+ Cast Members. All seven Cast Members mentioned their desire to stay with the Walt Disney Company, either in their existing role or continuing into new positions such as the leadership programs.
We have Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, Sibling’s Day and so many more to celebrate those in our families. Disney, in a way, has their own special Cast Member version of a holiday. That is called the Disney Cast Member Service Celebration. Once a year Disney closes down Magic Kingdom Park early to bring in seasoned Cast Members and their guests to celebrate the magic makers.
@stephbuffamonte Magic Kingdom is closed for one night a year and it is for a very special reason… to celebrate cast members! I was thankful to cover the Walt Disney World Cast Member Service Celebration where more than 6,000 cast members celebrated milestones. Thank you, cast members, for creating magic every day 🤩 #disney #orlando #wdw #castmember ♬ original sound – Stephanie Buffamonte
