How Two Cast Members Used Their Unique Heritages to Create Holiday Magic
This holiday season, the talented Holiday Services team has created over 40,000 individual pieces of holiday decor for Walt Disney World.
From Christmas trees to garland, and hand-painted ornaments, Cast Members have decorated over 780 different locations across the resort.
For two Holiday Service Cast Members, Kaawaloa and Gerardo, however, the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll holds a special place in their hearts.
At the Christmas Tree Stroll, Kaawaloa and Gerardo were able to combine their passion for Disney with their Hawaiian and Mexican cultural traditions to create Moana and Coco-themed trees.
Kaawoloa’s Moana Tree
Kaawoloa, who has been with the Holiday Services team for eight years, drew on her Native Hawaiian upbringing when creating the Moana tree.
“It feels like home,” Kaawaloa said. “I love to get together with my family and make ornaments because I have memories of learning traditional techniques growing up, and I get to continue the tradition now with my work!”
To create her Moana tree, Kaawaloa helped select specific types of flowers, shells, and colors that would best represent the Island of Motunu. She also used authentic Hawaiian lei crafting and fabric techniques to represent the ocean water.
“The complexities and scale of our projects make for great learning experiences,” Kaawaloa said. “We work with so many extremely talented Disney cast members; someone is always there to lend a hand to bring décor to life.”
Jerry’s Coco Tree
Gerardo, or Jerry, also took inspiration from his heritage. Leaning on the family traditions and unique decorating techniques that he learned growing up, Jerry created a tree dedicated to the Disney and Pixar film Coco.
“Decorating the ‘Coco ’-themed tree brought me back to when I was little,” he said. “My grandma and great-grandma took care of me, and they owned a flower shop, so I grew up surrounded by art and decoration. When I found out I could do that for a living, I felt like it was a natural move.”
To create the tree, Jerry leaned on his memories of celebrating both Christmas and Dia De Los Muertos (the Dat of the Dead) with his family. According to the artisan, his goal was to make the tree look like a “party in the afterlife”.
Using hand-painted alebrijes and calaveras along with offerings like fruit and shows, and finally, photos of the Rivera Family, Jerry’s tree was transformed into an authentic oferenda.
“When we get close to finishing a project, I always think about standing near the trees and hearing the guests’ comments,” Jerry added, “I feel really good inside knowing that millions of people from all over the globe visit Disney World just to see our décor!”
Visit the Disney Springs Christ Tree Stroll
Both Jerry and Kaawaloa’s trees can be found on the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll presented by AdventHealth.
The path will open on November 10!