The most wonderful time of year is here – a season brimming with tradition and quality time with loved ones. Here at Disneyland Resort, traditions abound during the holiday season, for guests and cast members alike.
In fact, many cast members have formed their own holiday traditions here at the resort, either with their own family members who are fellow cast members, or with found family that they bonded with during their time making magic.
From special entertainment like “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” and the Candlelight Processional, to volunteering for the annual Toys for Tots initiative, there are so many special events during the Holidays at Disneyland Resort that cast members have made beloved traditions with those they hold dear.
Love on Parade: Ken and “Mama” O, Parade Support Drivers
Watching “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” has been a common tradition for many since it debuted 30 years ago, but there’s a twist for Ken and Christine “Mama” Ostaszewski – their tradition is driving floats in the iconic parade every year!
Ken began his journey as a Disney cast member in 1986 when he was hired as a parade float driver. When Christine, who is known lovingly as “Mama” to her coworkers, was hired as a parade float driver in 1991, Ken caught her eye right away. The pair didn’t officially start dating until 1999, but they’ve been together ever since!
Left: Ken and Christine on a date in 1999. Right: Ken and Christine, newly engaged in 2001.
Every year since it premiered, Ken and Christine have both worked on “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” in some capacity. Christine said, “I always joke that you have to pay me to hang out with my husband! But, when we do [get scheduled to drive together], we call it our date night.”
Ken and Christine posing on floats they have driven in “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” this season.
Ken and Christine love to bring their three children and their parents to the park during the holiday season and enjoy watching the parade together. They remark that it has become one of the family’s favorite traditions.
For the Ostaszewski family, “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” is the centerpiece of their holiday celebrations. As Christine said, “it doesn’t feel like Christmas until you work ‘A Christmas Fantasy Parade’ shift and hear the bells chime, even if it feels like summer weather outside.”
Left: Ken and Christine posing before their first “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” shift together this season. Right: Ken and Christine with their children, mothers and aunt during their annual holiday celebration at the resort.
A Floral Family Affair: The Aragaki Girls’ Artistry
The Disneyland Candlelight Processional debuted in 1958, and it has become a revered and meaningful tradition at the resort ever since. Many hands, minds and hearts go into this production, including those of Diane and Mary Aragaki, a mother-daughter duo who help decorate the stage with stunning florals.
Then and now! Left: Mary sports a Minnie Mouse costume while posing with her mom Diane on Halloween, loving Disney from a young age. Right: Mary and Diane posing as fellow cast members at the off-site warehouse.
Diane, a senior production artisan on the Scenic Fabrication team, has been a cast member for over 10 years. She and her daughter Mary have always been close and shared a tradition of visiting Disneyland Resort during the holiday season. In 2024, that tradition became even more special when Mary joined the Art Services team as an entertainment art crew member, allowing them to work together on bringing florals to the Candlelight Processional stage!
“Being a part of this Disneyland holiday tradition is super special because I get to see what my mom does. I get to admire her hard work and her artistic touch that makes the Candlelight Processional stage so beautiful!” says Mary. Diane echoes her daughter’s fondness of working together and said, “Mary is the most important thing in my life, so I love working with her. Seeing the young lady she has grown into makes me so proud of her!”
Diane and Mary working together with the live florals they love so much on the Candlelight Processional stage.
Aside from getting to work together, both Mary and Diane say their favorite part about decorating the Candlelight Processional stage is working with live florals. “Seeing them in the park is magical, and the floral scents really bring out the spirit of Christmas in me,” said Diane.
The two hope that decorating the Candlelight Processional stage will become a long-term family tradition for years to come. “I believe that working together during the holidays strengthens our bond. We’re able to make memories together surrounded by our fellow cast members,” Mary said.
Diane and Mary pose with their teammates, who all worked together to beautifully decorate the Candlelight Processional stage this year.
Gathering for Giving: The Disney Ambassa-family of Disneyland Resort
‘Tis the season of giving, and the Disney Ambassadors of Disneyland Resort of the past, present and future seize the opportunity to gather annually to give back by participating in the Disney Ultimate Toy Drive supporting Toys for Tots.
Over the years, Disney VoluntEARS at Disneyland have donated toys and volunteered their time to bring happiness to children and families in need during the holiday season. In 2024, thousands of cast members participated in the program and collected more than 17,000 toys. This has inspired Oralia Neria Felix and Michele Mary, the new 2026-2027 Disney Ambassadors of Disneyland Resort. “Our cast members are very passionate about Toys for Tots, so they inspire me to do more,” Oralia said.
2026-2027 Disney Ambassadors of Disneyland Resort Michele and Oralia engaging with cast members at a Disney Ultimate Toy Drive for Toys for Tots event.
Michele shared her excitement for the opportunity: “By volunteering with my Ambassador family, I get to bond and understand who they are as people. It’s a special and unique opportunity to come together to make a difference in the community and make our own memories at the same time.”
Former Disneyland Resort Ambassadors Nataly Guzman and Alexa Garcia, together with former Walt Disney World Ambassador Raevon Redding, excitedly add donations to a Toys for Tots bin.
Oralia and Michele’s excitement to join this yearly tradition is in part due to the joy and fulfillment they see it’s given their “Ambassa-family.” The “Ambassa-family”, as they refer to it, is made up of all Disney Ambassadors – past and present. While the Ambassa-family remains a tight-knit group, they see all cast members at Disneyland Resort as family and encourage all to join their yearly act of service. 2024-2025 Disney Ambassador Jada Young shared words of wisdom, “The best way to practice gratitude is to give what you can to others. This allows you to connect with others and create shared moments of joy and mutual care – which is exactly what this holiday season is about.”
The “Ambassa-family” members who attended this year’s Toys for Tots volunteer event, posing with local members of the U.S. Marines.