Managing with a Touch of Magic
April 23, 2014
Every young girl dreams of becoming a Disney princess; however, Rona Kay’s hopes for a similar Disney fairy tale came true with a little twist.
The former Brahma pursued a wide variety of careers before she transitioned into her current job as hotel manager of the Disneyland Hotel. Her love of math, which lead her to major in economics, began at DBHS.
Kay attended Walnut High School for her freshman and sophomore year and was a active student who served as the freshman class president. When Diamond Bar High School opened up in 1982, she, along with many other students from WHS, transferred to the new school. At DBHS, she was involved with student government, as she had already participated in the committee to choose DBHS’s colors and mascot, Key Club, and varsity softball team. Some of her favorite teachers were Howard Alcosser and Terry Roche.
While attending DBHS, she began working at The Factory Pizzeria, and later moved on to the newly opened Round Table Pizza on Grand and Diamond Bar Blvd. as the youngest employee.
Kay graduated from DBHS in 1984, the first graduating class at the newly opened school. She went on to attend the UC Santa Barbara for two years and then transferred to the UCLA for another two years. While in college, she again worked at the Round Table Pizza and later started to make an income through waitressing. She chose to major in economics as math came easy to her in high school.
“I attribute a lot of that [majoring in economics] to Howard Alcosser because in Santa Barbara, I just kept taking math because I really enjoyed it. It was easy to me the way he teaches it, and I just kept taking all these math classes, and next thing I know, I looked at the majors and all I needed was two more [classes,] and I had the economics major,” said Kay.
After graduating from UCLA in 1988, Kay wasn’t sure what career she wanted to pursue. After taking an analytical test to help narrow down professions, she found that her future job would be best suited if she had to work with guests and employees and not at a desk all day; her interests were everything the restaurant business encompassed.
Kay worked at Sizzler for nine years filling various positions from assistant manager to regional training supervisor, but when Sizzler filed bankruptcy in 1996, she met with a job recruiter to discuss the next job she could take, and in 1997, she began her career with Disney.
“It’s really interesting within Disney. I came in as manager of food and beverage in the Toon Town area, and then a few months later, [I] opened up Red Rockett’s Pizza Port,” Kay said.
Kay was offered to join the food concept and product development team to recreate what she did for Red Rockett’s Pizza Port as opening manager for all the restaurants that were to be opened in California Adventure, the unfinished side of Disney that would not open until 2001.
After working on the development team for a few years, she was given the opportunity to interview for the position of operations manager in Attractions, a department she had never worked in before.
“It was actually the first time I was asked to leave food and beverage and take an opportunity somewhere else; it was a little scary. I mean I had never done anything else, and attractions [is] completely different,” Kay said.
After receiving the position of operations manager in Attractions, she later worked in Guest Services and Entertainment as well. When an opening became available for manager of the Disneyland Hotel, she transitioned into her current position with the help of her extensive work background.
Some of Kay’s day to day activities as hotel manager include heading divisions like guests services, parking, and custodial and meeting with her partners in departments such as sales, security, and labor relations.
“There’s always a little bit of everything which makes it fun; there’s never [a] same day,” remarked Kay.
Kay enjoys working at Disney because the job comes with tangible benefits such as discounts, special viewings, and park tickets; however, Kay’s favorite aspect of the job is that she gets to work in an environment where everyone is working toward the same goal.
“Everyone wants to do the most for our guests and our fellow cast members as well. Our mantra is ‘we create happiness’ and so no matter what role you’re in, that’s our goal,” stated Kay.
Kay’s advice for high school students trying to choose a major would simply be to do what makes you happy, and if all fails, there is always something else out there for you.
