Emmy Award Winning

(Circa 2013 and 2015)

When you get to partner with ABC and the Disney Parks broadcast team to provide the annual Disney Christmas Day Special, that has dated back to the late 80’s, you get to work alongside so much talent.

The takeaway for all the hard work put into one of those productions is seeing your name in the credits. I started with the Christmas Day specials supporting the production back in 2008 when I became an entertainment manager—it was all hands on deck. Year after year, as I gained experience, I accepted more responsibility and eventually managed the castle stage performances for several years.

It was always a fun time working on large scale productions. I crossed paths with stars such as Ariana Grande to Neil Patrick Harris, who have performed on the castle stage and main street. I worked with production assistants who made sure that talent got to where they needed to be and folks in roles you never knew existed. There is never a dull moment working with a large variety of individuals on a broadcast filming.

On Christmas morning, my family and I just finished watching the 2013 Disney Christmas Day Special with host Neil Patrick Harris on ABC. What I didn’t notice until this year was my name listed in the end credits. I received a text from my peer asking if I had seen it. I had to rewind the DVR to review the end credits. It was a great moment to say the least. Months later, it was time for the Daytime Emmy Awards. The 2013 Disney Christmas Day Special won best Technical Operations. Following that win, it was discovered that those credited, including the Magic Kingdom Entertainment Team, were eligible to obtain plaques commemorating the achievement. Two years later, in 2015, we won again. It’s a time we look forward to every year. Bringing something to life that touches so many on Christmas Day around the world is incredibly rewarding.

"Expect the unexpected. Life is full of wonderful things waiting to surprise you."

- Juan