Three weeks after World of Frozen opened at Disneyland Paris, the impact of months of preparation is unmistakable. Long before the gates opened, cast members stepped into the unknown through immersive training — becoming citizens of Arendelle, ready to play their role in the show and welcome guests with confidence, heart, and Disney storytelling from Day One.
Where the Magic Begins
On opening day, cast members welcome the first guests with an ease that makes a brand‑new world feel instantly familiar. That feeling is intentional. As Disneyland Paris ushered in a bold new era with the opening of World of Frozen at the heart of Disney Adventure World, every moment was designed to feel seamless from the start.
You have to rewind to where every great opening truly begins: Day One — when future cast members learn they’re not just opening a land, but stepping fully into its story.
It Takes a Village
Every kingdom needs its people. And before World of Frozen could welcome its first guests, Disneyland Paris set out to assemble the right cast to bring Arendelle to life.
Doing that called for a community as thoughtful and layered as the kingdom itself. Nearly 15 months before opening day, Disneyland Paris launched an ambitious recruitment effort — combining internal mobility, targeted recruitment, and a European casting tour to welcome more than 1,200 cast members into new roles and opportunities.
The search intensified in summer 2025, with thousands of candidates auditioning for roles across the new land. Just 350 were selected to become Arendelle’s future villagers — each chosen to help shape a world built on warmth, story, and a sense of camaraderie.
This effort was part of a much larger moment for the resort. As Disney Adventure World took shape, more than 1,000 cast members joined — reflecting the scale, ambition, and readiness required for a new era at Disneyland Paris.
And once the teams were in place, the focus naturally shifted — from who would open the land… to how they would inhabit it — together.
The Invitation: Becoming a Villager, Not Just a New Hire
One month before Arendelle opened its gates on March 29, 2026, more than 350 cast members were officially welcomed as villagers of Arendelle during a dedicated celebration at Disneyland Paris.
Future cast members received what became known as the “letter from the village.” It wasn’t just a job offer. It was an invitation to something bigger: becoming a villager of Arendelle. The objective was to make cast members feel part of the story and part of the same village, far beyond getting a job.
That distinction mattered — because from the very beginning, the goal was clear: when guests arrive for the first time, Arendelle should already feel like home.
The invitation itself was, as you’d expect, regal, making recipients feel beyond special. Fredrik, royal emissary of Queens Anna and Elsa, greeted the new villagers with: “Dear friends, it is with great joy and emotion… I extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you…”
Cast Member Dorine Hermier, Attractions Operator & Trainer, describes being chosen for the opening guest flow team at World of Frozen as a “heart-stopping surprise.” Adding that she felt “speechless, excited, honored, and already imagining the magic ahead.”
Each new villager also received an official name badge identifying them as Arendellians, creating the emotional foundation to welcome guests with authenticity from their very first step into this storied world.
Watch the moment that transformed cast members into residents of Arendelle.
Disney Traditions
Before a cast member ever welcomes a Guest, helps create a memory, or brings a story to life, their Disney journey begins with Traditions. At Disney Experiences destinations around the world — from theme parks and resorts to ships and adventures — this foundational orientation marks the start of a Disney career. Traditions goes beyond learning roles or tasks; it grounds participants in what matters most: creating exceptional guest experiences through a shared language of excellence and a common purpose — We Create Happiness.
Through powerful storytelling, a celebration of Disney heritage, and an introduction to the Five Keys — Safety, Courtesy, Show, Efficiency, and Inclusion — cast members learn the standards that guide every interaction.
Long described as a blueprint used throughout a Disney career, the Five Keys help align thousands of people around consistent expectations, ensuring that when Guests ask for information or directions — especially during major openings — the experience feels reassuring and unmistakably Disney.
Why is this important for World of Frozen?
Before learning the specifics of Arendelle, cast members first learn why their role matters — how every interaction shapes a guest’s story, especially on opening day, when many guests are experiencing Disney for the very first time. And from Day One, during their Traditions onboarding, cast members learn to create a world where everyone belongs. For a big opening like World of Frozen, this foundation is everything.
Training without the Land
Here’s the unique challenge of preparing for a major opening: you need cast members to understand the story, geography, tone, and guest expectations for a place that — at least for part of the process — may still be behind construction walls. This was the case for Arendelle.
Disneyland Paris leaned into immersive learning moments to bridge that gap. Cast members were immersed into Arendelle’s world — roles included welcoming visitors at Nordic Crowns Tavern, guiding guests on a journey toward the Ice Palace, supporting the Royal Encounter, and creating themed souvenirs. Even the selection and early preparation carried story-driven touches: the focus wasn’t simply on staffing positions, but on preparing cast members to deliver an exceptional guest experience.
Along the way, more than 14 new training programs were developed — focused on storytelling, operations, leadership, and guest experience — so when cast members finally stepped into the land, it already felt familiar.
Stepping Into the Story: Inside the 3‑Day Cast Event
As opening day approached, Disneyland Paris needed a way to immerse cast members in a world still coming to life. The answer was Journey Into Disney Adventure World – A Cast Life Event, a three‑day, expo‑style experience designed to help cast members understand, inhabit, and confidently represent the stories they would soon share with guests.
Hosted at Disney Village Dôme in late November of 2025, the event welcomed more than 5,000 cast members, offering one of their first opportunities to step inside the future of Disney Adventure World. The venue itself became a preview — transformed with towering artwork, themed environments, scale models, and interactive stations that made the new worlds feel tangible.
Storytelling set the tone from the start. A dramatic opening moment, led by Queen Elsa, brought the space to life and signaled that this was more than an overview — it was an invitation to explore.
Throughout the experience, cast members moved through immersive zones that revealed every layer of the new world. Merchandise inspired by Scandinavian design appeared alongside life‑size recreations from future lands, with Disney characters popping in to surprise and welcome participants. Nearby, chefs shared early tastings and development stories from Nordic Crowns Tavern and The Regal View Restaurant & Lounge — underscoring that storytelling extends to flavors and details, too. (In fact, culinary teams tested more than 30 mashed potato recipes before finalizing the Nordic Crowns menu!)
Other stations offered behind‑the‑scenes insight into entertainment and technology. Models, storyboards, and interactive elements previewed upcoming shows, including the nighttime spectacular Disney Cascade of Lights, helping cast members understand not just what guests would see — but how those moments would feel.
One standout moment brought a future attraction directly into the space: a gondola from Raiponce Tangled Spin. Stepping inside, cast members could imagine the Festival of Lanterns overhead — forming an emotional connection to a story they would soon help bring to life.
The first reveal of World of Frozen cast costumes — complete with Nordic patterns and thoughtful details — offered a tangible glimpse of what lay ahead. It was also where future opening‑day teams began meeting one another, realizing they would share the responsibility of welcoming the first guests together.
By design, the Cast Life Event wasn’t about memorizing facts. It was about building familiarity, emotional readiness and pride — so when cast members stepped inside on opening day, it already felt familiar.
When Cast Feel it, Guests Believe It
For an opening of this magnitude, it is important that cast members across the resort feel connected to what’s coming and proud of what’s being built. That’s why the build-up to opening included cast-exclusive previews and moments designed to create excitement and an emotional connection.
Dorine recounts how the months leading to opening became “so much more than preparation” — including an unforgettable cast-exclusive event and opportunities to experience Disney Adventure World before anyone else.
One standout moment she shares was the general rehearsal of “Disney Cascade of Lights,” where cast members were invited to see the show firsthand during an unforgettable evening. Dorine remembers feeling overwhelmed. “I had tears in my eyes,” she recalls, as the show’s first lights and music came alive over Adventure Bay.
That pride matters, because it changes the way cast members speak about the experience: not as a list of facts, but as something they’ve lived — and can’t wait to share with guests.
The Big Opening Moment
On March 29, as World of Frozen officially opened, a shared excitement filled every step into Arendelle. The day carried emotion from the very start. Cast members lined Adventure Way, eager and proud as guests crossed into the village for the very first time, with children from Make‑A‑Wish warmly welcomed at the front of the celebration.
That enthusiasm carried through every moment — from Frozen Ever After to A Celebration in Arendelle, from heartfelt greetings to confident, in‑story storytelling — resulting in an opening day that felt seamless and joyful because it was built from Day One. These cast members don’t just work in Arendelle; they are its residents, genuinely thrilled to bring this extraordinary place to life for everyone who visits.
World of Frozen is a powerful reminder that big opening moments aren’t built only with steel, stone, and snow-dusted rooftops — they’re built with people who embrace the story as if it were their own. And the possibilities ahead are just as exciting.
Cast members don’t just work at Disney — they are a part of our stories.
Kortney Casper’s journey to Batuu marked a defining chapter in her leadership story. During her time as a Guest Show Operations lead at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Kortney helped bring the immersive world of Batuu to life by encouraging cast members to fully step into the story—creating personal backstories and sharing them with Guests each day. “We’re really redefining what it means to play in the land,” Kortney said at the time. “We have the luxury of creating our own backstories within the Star Wars canon.” That creative freedom — made possible through close collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering, Lucasfilm, and park operations — allowed Kortney to lead by example, supporting her fellow cast members and helping ensure every Guest interaction felt authentic, confident, and unmistakably Disney. It’s an experience she continues to carry with her today as a Stage Manager at Disneyland Resort, where she keeps creating magic. 
In a galaxy far, far away, Ben Johnson brings the stories of Batuu to life — blending exceptional guest service with the spirit of the Force. In his role at Droid Depot in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Ben helps Guests assemble and activate their own droids, turning a lifelong passion for the Star Wars universe into real‑world magic each day.
Perhaps no one has more fun getting into character than Jungle Cruise skippers, and Sara is no exception. In fact, she followed her father’s footsteos into this role at Disneyland Resort. In 1985, Sara’s father began his Disney career as a skipper on the attraction, leading guests on adventures for niles and niles. Thirty years later, Sara is continuing her dad’s lively legacy, bringing joy to guests and cherishing the unique history of the attraction. 
At Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, Anthony takes on the role of a Tivan Group employee, guiding guests through the Collector’s Fortress before they’re recruited for a top‑secret rescue mission. With a passion for storytelling, Anthony goes above and beyond to bring the experience to life — creating happiness through his special connections with guests inside the Collector’s ever‑evolving collection.
Every day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Tori helps guests feel welcomed, oriented, and ready to explore.
As a cast member, her role puts her right in the middle of each guest’s journey through the park — answering questions, offering guidance, and creating small moments of connection that shape how the day unfolds. For Tori, those everyday interactions are just as important as the attractions themselves.
“Animal Kingdom is about discovery,” Tori says. “Guests are learning, exploring, and experiencing something new, and we get to be part of that.” Whether she’s helping a family plan their next stop, sharing insight about the park, or simply taking a moment to connect, Tori understands that cast members are part of the story guests take with them. Each interaction helps bring the park’s environments and themes to life. “We’re part of the experience,” she says. “How guests feel here is influenced by every interaction along the way.”
Those moments may be brief, but they add up — turning a day at the park into a lasting memory. And for Tori, knowing she played a role in that is what makes her work meaningful.