Two new Walt Disney World ambassadors have been announced this morning following a ceremony. The new ambassadors will serve for the 2026-2027 season. In this article, we’ll get introduced to the new ambassadors and take a look at the ambassador program and its history.
New Walt Disney World Ambassadors
The new Walt Disney World Ambassadors are Kylee Withers and Phelicia Blake. Prior to being selected, Kylee worked in Merchandise Finance. Phelicia was a Guest Experience Manager at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.
“Becoming a Walt Disney World Ambassador is a dream come true,” Kylee said. “It feels so surreal that we’re going to represent our cast with all the growth ahead at Walt Disney World, and I’m so excited for the incredible moments that are ahead of us.”
“What I’m looking forward to most as a Disney Ambassador is celebrating our 80,000 cast members here at Walt Disney World,” Phelicia said. “I love that at Disney, we create happiness for each other and our guests every day, and I can’t wait to continue doing that with Kylee these next two years.”
Kylee Withers and Phelicia Blake will start training over the coming weeks, learning from current Walt Disney World Ambassadors, Serena Arvizu and Shannon-Smith Conrad.
The Disney Ambassador program can be traced back to the 10th Anniversary of Disneyland, when Walt Disney appointed Julie Reihm Casaletto as the first-ever Disney Ambassador in 1965. As the story goes, Walt was looking for someone to represent the resort and attend “Tencennial” events on his behalf.
So, what does a Disney Ambassador do now? The one-of-a-kind team supports and represents cast members at Disney parks, resorts, and experiences around the world, serving as the ultimate cheerleaders and storytellers.
Disney Ambassadors lead and celebrate Disney cast, crew, Imagineers, and employees through major milestones of new openings and anniversaries, while also being there to recognize the magic made every day. They act as official spokespersons for their sites and are responsible for championing Disney’s commitment to their local communities around the world.
Disney Ambassadors truly embody the dedication to displaying the Disney difference in everything they do, both inside the parks and beyond.
This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the Disney Ambassador program. Since 1965, nearly 250 Disney cast members have had the honor of serving as Disney Ambassadors at destinations around the world, but it all began at The Happiest Place on Earth.
Each of the Disney Parks sites around the world has a team of Disney Ambassadors representing Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disney Resort, as well as Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa.
It is a worldwide family and global network meant to foster collaboration, celebrate cast members from different locations, and bring joy to fans everywhere in a way only Disney can.
Every other year, a team of Disney Ambassadors are selected from an exceptional pool of candidates to serve a two-year term, which begins in January. At most parks, teams of two Ambassadors work in harmony, while Aulani has a dedicated solo Ambassador.
These “goodwill emissaries” travel to different destinations and connect with others near and far to inspire communities, celebrate the hard work of our cast members, and sprinkle some pixie dust wherever they go.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
