Scott Wolf: What were you each doing before you became Ambassador?

Andrae Rivas: I was actually in Guest Relations, I was a tour guide and I also worked with the Disney University as a Resort Orientation Leader and as a Disney University leader, then Disneyland Academy, which was one of our Community Relations programs where we taught business skills to high school students in the Anaheim Union school districts.

Becky Phelps: I was working Entertainment. I had been with the resort for eight years before I became an Ambassador, all within the entertainment department. I think my most recent job before Ambassador was working on the Snow White musical. I was the Company Coordinator for the cast there.

What is the Company Coordinator?

BP: Essentially taking care of all of their specific needs as performers, anything that they needed in terms of relocating from other states, getting them set up with housing, taking care of any of their HR needs, payroll, pretty much anything that came up they came to me so I could help them smooth it out and continue on with the show.

What year were you Ambassadors?

AR: 2005 and 2006 during the 50th anniversary celebration.

Two years?

AR: Yes, we were the first two year Ambassadors.

I didn't know there were any two year Ambassadors.

BP: Surprise! (they laugh)

AR: We didn't either when we were selected!

BP: They actually announced halfway through our first year that they were planning to extend us through to a second year to cover the entire 50th anniversary celebration because they extended it into an eighteen month celebration so they just figured they'd have us continue on.

What big things happened int he resort during those two years?

AR: A whole lot! We had the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters attraction open, we had Monsters, Inc. open, "Parade of Dreams," "Remember... Dreams Come True" the fireworks show, "High School Musical Pep Rally," Jedi Training Academy, Princess Fantasy Faire...

BP: Everything for the "Year Of A Million Dreams" (marketing campaign).

AR: Everything that had to do with the 50th...

BP: Relaunch of Space Mountain. "Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years" was another that we did.

AR: The addition of Captain Jack Sparrow to Pirates of the Caribbean.

My goodness!

BP: It was kind of one thing after the next.

AR: It felt like each month we were opening a new attraction or relaunch of something.

Did at least one of you have to be at every opening?

BP: For the most part. We either attended together or one of us hosted the ceremony.

AR: Oh, the Ward Kimball steam engine.

BP: Yes, oh that was fun. Do you remember that one?

That was the train that Disneyland got that they named in his memory. There's a little Jiminy Cricket on it, right?

AR: Yes, there is.

BP: That was a fun ceremony actually.

Do you have any favorite memories? There must be a lot.

BP: So many. (To Andrae) What's your favorite this week?

AR: This is kind of an ongoing joke with me because it's like, "Oh, I have to pick just one?" This week, since today is July 17th (2008), I would say it was the actual 50th anniversary birthday. For me it started when I got to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in honor of Disneyland's birthday, then I flew back and Becky took part in the Space Mountain relaunch ceremony. Then we had media that evening, so I literally landed and then went straight to do media interviews, which is hysterical.

The next morning I actually met Diane Disney and Ron Miller over at Orange County airport, and picked them up and hosted them for the entire weekend during the 50th anniversary. I got to walk with them in the park, they had not been there for several years so I got to spend the whole weekend with her, we did the Cast Member door dedication, so we did the dedication, there was a door dedicated just for Cast Members on Main Street, USA.

BP: That was a really, really special ceremony. It kind of kicked off the weekend in terms of being in the park that morning on July 17th. We were there with the Cast Members.

AR: It was around 6am, it was before the park opened.

A door ceremony?

BP: A window ceremony (where they dedicate windows on Main Street to individuals who played an important part in the history of Disneyland), but it was a full doorway instead of just a window up on Main Street.

Can you tell that the door is different?

AR: Yeah, if you walk by it's a casting agency.

Oh, I've seen that, and there's a newspaper hanging up next to it?

AR: Yes, and it's like all the ads and the postings, and Walt Disney is the casting agent. It's dedicated to all the Cast Members. Past, present and future Cast Members.

So everything that had to do with the 17th, it was the fireworks that evening, it was just a very special unique element to the park. I don't think there's ever been a feeling like that within the park. Everyone was just in a good mood, everyone was excited, people were crying but it was a happy crying because it was the 50th anniversary.

I was there, it was unique. As a Guest, it was absolutely something very unforgettable.

BP: We had the opportunity to talk with people who were returning for their 500th visit or being there for the very first time and just happened to be on July 17th. It was just so amazing to be a part of all that.

AR: Before the rope drop we were able to kind of walk through the gates. People were lined up for hours and hours and it was fun just to talk to them, like, "How long are you waiting?" "Why are you coming?" It was something special that's hard to describe in words, it was just this wonder, this magic aura that was around the park.

What about you, Becky? Do you have a favorite memory?

BP: There were a couple of really amazing events that I got to be a part of. I would say July 17th was definitely one of the big ones, but I also was fortunate enough to work with a couple of celebrities on some openings of attractions.

On the relaunch of Space Mountain they had Neil Armstrong come out for that, so I got to open the ceremony and do the introductions and talk with him throughout the morning and host him for part of the day so that was really special.

When we did the opening of "Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years" on Main Street, we did the opening ceremony with Donald Duck and... (Steve Martin who hosts the film). It was so amazing to be there with such a big celebrity who started at the park and to hear his whole story and his whole history, and he was just so genuine and kind and fun and engaging. So happy to be there. You could just tell that he had loved working at the park and being a part of the history and being back to help celebrate that. Now when I go back and watch the film I'm like, "I got to be on stage with Steve Martin!" That was so cool.

And you both shared your duties with an honorary Ambassador, right?

AR: We did, it was Julie Andrews, it was for the kickoff of the actual 50th anniversary. It was May 5th, and after she did the ceremony elements we got to go over by the carousel and go meet her, which was very unique because you think of Mary Poppins and you think of the carousel which is still a very special element, especially for Julie Andrews because Jingles is dedicated to Mary Poppins, so it was very unique. We got our picture with her at that site and we got a picture with all three Ambassadors from the 50th.

Jingles is one of the horses on the carousel, right?

AR: Yes, it's the lead horse on the carousel. Just a few months ago it was rededicated to Julie Andrews and thanking her for her contributions as the Ambassador during the 50th anniversary so it has a little 50 on the side of Jingles' saddle, it's very pretty.

What have you both done after being Ambassador?

AR: I actually went into Marketing which is my current role there at the resort, Marketing Strategy. All the fun elements of all of our product launches and deciding who we talk to, so it's a very unique role. It's great. It's a perfect transition from Ambassador because we worked a lot with that team during the 50th anniversary, so I felt that I got really lucky when moving on to my next role.

BP: I was fortunate to work myself back into Entertainment which is where I had come from and we did so many events with the Entertainment team and I ended up working on the Entertainment Events team for special groups that would come in for park events or events over at the hotel and things like that, so I was one of the managers over there putting on the big show, so it was a lot of fun.

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