You Can Call Me Walt

When Walt Disney was developing and getting ready to open Disneyland in 1955, things were a lot more formal than they are today. Walt broke the mold, however. Instead of being addressed as “Mr. Disney,” he actually preferred to just be called Walt. This down-to-earth element of his personality endeared him to many people, and influenced Disneyland too.

Starting in 1962, Walt changed the company culture a bit. He spread his first name preference to the cast members, requiring all of them to go by their first names. Even today, every cast member at the park has a tag with their first name and hometown printed on it. Before this name idea was implemented, cast members had tags with only an employee number. We think the name idea is much more personable.