Pam Flint, an opening day Cast Member who is still working at Walt Disney World, has shared what the past 50 years have been like in a new interview with People.
Opening Day Cast Member Looks Back on 50 Years at Walt Disney World
Flint, 72, began her tenure as an opening day Cast Member in the role of a can-can dancer at The Diamond Horseshoe in Magic Kingdom and was there for the park’s first day of operations on October 1, 1971. “My actual hire date is Sept. 15, 1971, and we had two weeks of rehearsals before Oct. 1,” she says. Flint recalls that very first day with fondness. “Everyone was so excited on day one,” she shares. “We only had 15 people show up to our first show, but it didn’t matter — it was a great show, and we all had a great time.”
Throughout her years, Flint has held many positions at Walt Disney World, including as Miss Claire in the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, buying manager, costumer (including for the re-imagining of Fantasyland), project manager, designer, and procurer of costumes for the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder for Disney Cruise Line.
A few years ago, she thought it was time to retire, but Flint was only gone for nine months before she was pulled back in.
I got a call […] and they asked me to come back part-time, so I did to help cover holidays and things. And one thing led to another, and they offered me my old job back, and I said, “Okay.” And I’ve been here ever since.
Pam Flint
These days, she works as a proprietor of operations costuming at EPCOT, where she oversees the animatronics, and the Walt Disney World Resort hotels.
Flint, who officially hit the 50-year milestone in 2023, was honored alongside other long-time Cast Members at the 2024 Disney Service Celebration, an annual event for Cast Members hitting major milestones in their Walt Disney World careers. She last attended the celebration for her 45th anniversary.
As far as her future at Walt Disney World, Flint hopes to remain as long as she can continue to make a difference. “As long as I’m doing that — making a difference, moving my division forward — I would love to stay.”
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