George Montano and Louie Montero pinned their Disneyland Resort nametags to their shirts for the first time in 1968. It was the year they both began working at the resort, each starting what would become a 55-year career at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Over more than half a century, George (above right, with Mickey Mouse) and Louie (left) watched the resort transform in more ways than one. Each has contributed to an array of projects with the plaster shop team, ranging from Disneyland park’s Fantasyland expansion in the early 1980s to assisting Walt Disney World in the creation of their own elephant animatronic for the Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom Park.
George and Louie are among 9 Disneyland Resort cast members being honored for reaching their 50 and 55-year milestone service anniversaries in 2023. At a special celebration this week inside the Golden Horseshoe, the honorees were presented with personalized bronze statues commemorating their career anniversaries. Following the celebration, the honorees participated in a special cavalcade down Main Street, U.S.A., with their fellow cast members cheering them on.
The 50 and 55-year honorees with Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock (center)
Alongside George and Louis, the cast members recognized for 50 years of service this year (pictured above) include George Stecher, Enrique Lugo, Jimmie Payton, Liane Teubner, Billy Morton, Michael Boettger and Alfredo Salas.
“I remember visiting Disneyland at the age of 10 years old in July of 1955, and now I have the opportunity to witness and be a part of what a spectacular theme park Disneyland has evolved into today,” said George.
George and his family gather around his 55-year service statue
Since becoming a cast member, George’s robust plaster knowledge, combined with his passion for Disney parks, has taken him all around the world. Walt Disney Imagineering specifically requested that George travel to Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland to oversee many theme park plastering projects.
Like George, Louie has been part of the evolution of the Disneyland Resort. He’s worked on attractions including the Country Bear Jamboree, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and his personal favorite, “it’s a small world.”
“I really like all the attractions, but probably one of the attractions I like the most is ‘it’s a small world’,” said Louie. “I got involved when working on the ‘it’s a small world’ figures. I also worked on the birds in Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. That one I really enjoyed. It’s very relaxing.”
Louie is applauded by his fellow cast members en route to a special cavalcade
Louie’s leaders have credited him with playing an instrumental role in creating a workshop environment where any work needed on ride vehicles could be performed. Louie’s leaders describe him as an innovator who enjoys doing research and development on new materials as the parks continue to find ways to expand.
Both George and Louie consider Disney as a big part of their families’ lives. Both George’s father and older brother worked for Disney in the late 1960s and assisted on the new construction of “it’s a small world.” Today, Louie works alongside his two sons, Joel Montero and Mike Montero, resulting in a combined total of 130 years of service his family has contributed to the Disneyland Resort.
“In April of 1968, I visited Disneyland with my wife and 4-month-old daughter,” said George. “I was extremely proud to visit Disneyland with my family and to this day, I am still proud to visit with all my family members.”
Congratulations to all the honorees celebrating in 2023! Thank you for your dedicated service to the resort, and for being an integral part of the Disney story.
