To honor veterans, Disney has debuted a new sunrise salute with a special Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony. Here are the details and some photos of the new tradition.
With the early morning sun gilding Cinderella Castle, just down Main Street U.S.A., members of the Disney cast recognized our nation’s heroes with a special Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony in Magic Kingdom Park. Accompanied by a fife and drum, honor guards representing the security team, Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Reedy Creek Fire Department marched in procession to Town Square for the hoisting of our nation‘s colors.
This commemoration held special meaning for Walt Disney World Resort Security Manager Mike Viola, who joined the Disney family five years ago, following a 31-year career in the U.S. Navy. He and his wife Leslie, a 20-year Navy veteran and former WDW Security Investigator cast member, have been coming to the resort since they said “I do” in 1992.
Since that time, the pair deployed seven times between them in 12 years of service, and their love of Disney served as a way to pass the time and keep their family connected. During time apart, Mike and his family would watch Disney DVDs “together” (at their respective locations) and plan a trip to Disney once each deployment was over – making dining reservations to keep everyone focused on reuniting together at Walt Disney World once the mission was complete.
They loved Disney so much, both Mike and Leslie came to work for the company after retiring from the Navy. As Mike puts it, “I work at Disney because of the joy this company has brought to not only my family but tens of thousands of other families who visit every day.”
Disney also shared a special Veterans Day message in the My Disney Experience app this morning.
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