When most people retire twice over, Hank Ameen still clocks in at Disneyland. The 92-year-old firefighter just celebrated his 62nd anniversary with Disney—making him the company’s longest-tenured employee worldwide. In October 2024, he received the Walt Disney Legacy Award, a recognition so rare that less than 1% of Disney’s global workforce ever earns it.
In an era where average job tenure hovers around four years, Hank’s commitment feels almost mythical. His story represents something increasingly uncommon: genuine workplace loyalty that spans generations of corporate change and cultural evolution.
From Jungle Cruise to Firehouse
Hank’s Disney journey spans from opening-era skipper to pyrotechnic safety guardian.
Hank’s story began during his 1955 honeymoon, just one month after Disneyland opened. Three years later, Disney hired him as a Jungle Cruise skipper—his bartending background apparently perfect training for entertaining boat loads of tourists.
He later transitioned to the Disneyland Resort Fire Department, where he’s spent decades ensuring guest safety during firework shows and managing pyrotechnic operations. Along the way, he’s lunched with Walt Disney himself, hosted Olympians in 1964, and watched the park evolve from Walt’s original vision into a cultural institution.
The Blue Nametag Brotherhood
Disney’s Legacy Award recognizes cast members who embody the founder’s core values across decades of service.
The Walt Disney Legacy Award isn’t your typical employee recognition program. Recipients earn a distinctive blue nametag and join an exclusive club of colleagues nominated by peers for exemplifying Walt Disney’s principles: Dream, Create, and Inspire.
The award represents more than longevity—it celebrates cast members who’ve shaped Disney’s culture while maintaining the founder’s vision through decades of corporate changes and industry evolution. For Hank, this recognition validates not just his tenure but his ongoing influence on Disney’s workplace community.
Still Showing Up
At 92, Hank has no retirement plans and continues inspiring newer generations of Disney cast members.
When asked about retirement during his recent award ceremony, Hank’s response cuts through any corporate sentimentality: “As long as I can smile and laugh, I’m going to be here.”
His continued presence at Disneyland serves as a living link to the park’s origins, while his daily interactions with fellow cast members demonstrate that workplace dedication isn’t dead—it just looks different than today’s job-hopping culture expects. Hank’s six-decade tenure offers a masterclass in finding purpose through service, community, and unwavering commitment to craft.
