Alex Stromski.Photo: disney parks
Walt Disney Worldis paying tribute to one of their own.
Ahead of Armed Forces Day this weekend, the park is highlighting cast member Alex Stromski, a U.S. Navy veteran who has worked at Pinocchio’s Village Haus in Magic Kingdom Park since 2013.
“I was a naval aviator and I had a call sign but now that I’m here at Magic Kingdom I have a call sign ‘Geppetto,’ " he added.
Alongside the heartwarming clip, Disney Parks wrote, “we are so honored to have amazing cast members like Alex.”
Stromski enlisted in the Navy at the end of WWII when he was just 17 years old — and was classmates with future NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong during flight school, according to a Disney Parkspress release.
Throughout his career, Stromski traveled around the world before retiring in 1967 as a Lieutenant Commander.
His love for Disney World also goes wayback.
After the park opened in 1971, Stromski became an annual pass holder, frequently making visits with his family over the years.
“I loved how Walt had great respect for the military,” he said in the press release, before opening up about why he decided he wanted to work for the park. “I realized that this was something I wanted to be a part of, so I applied and got a full-time job at Pinocchio’s Village Haus in 2013.”
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The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Stromski, who is one of thousands of veterans who are a part of The Walt Disney Company, also said that his decades of service have helped him at Disney World.
“I love helping create the experiences that families will remember for years,” he said. “I especially enjoy meeting the military families and veterans who visit us.”
Disney Worldreopened in July 2020afterclosing in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This week the park announced that it would beeasing some of the protocolput in place during the pandemic, including reducing social distancing and phasing out temperature checks for guests.
Disneyland in California,just reopened on April 30, amidstrict state health and safety regulations. It’s currently only open to California residents.
source: people.com
