As a seasoned veteran in the themed and live entertainment industry, Cory has over 30 years’ experience in operations and production. Starting with many different roles at The Walt Disney Company, Cory quickly rose through the ranks to become an Operations Manager at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Theme Park in Florida. Cory was also honored to be one of the longest serving instructors of the Disney Traditions Program, the very backbone of each and every cast member within the Walt Disney World Resort to learn and understand the “Disney way” and the foundations of the Company. As part of a ground-breaking 4-person team, Cory worked to develop multiple training programs designed specifically for visiting college honor students to learn and understand the theme park industry from the “inside.” These training programs evolved into the Disney Youth Education Series (Disney’s YES Programs). With the unparalleled success of the YES Programs within the Disney education program, he was included to be on the founding team for The Disney Fair and DisneyFest. These two different 5-acre productions included a live stage show, exhibits, games, and shops under two large tent structures created to tour the US and Asia. When Cory returned to the United States, Cory elected to relocate to southern California to help produce some of the most unique projects for Disney Consumer Products and work with the Walt Disney Special Events Group for some of Disney’s most memorable movie premieres such as The Rock, Disney’s Hercules and Disney’s Secretariat. Needless to say, The Walt Disney Company provided Cory the grass roots foundation to be a leader in one of the highest level of a customer focused, yet profitable, organization in the world.
The calling to get involved with charities like the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day Walks, Tanqueray AIDS Rides, European AIDS Ride, Out of the Darkness Walks for Suicide Awareness and Prevention, and the Canadian Weekend to End Breast Cancer events came next as Cory was part of the founding production team tasked to design and manage ceremonies and campsites for the staff and participants. After the tragedy of the September 11th attacks, Cory moved on to working with other major clients as a tour manager promoting new products and technology including Volkswagen and Electronic Arts.
Working at Feld Entertainment, the largest live family entertainment company in the world, Cory was given the opportunity to be a tour manager for three different Disney Live! stage show productions and three different Disney On Ice productions. He was the tour manager for the launch of the newest and largest production that Feld Entertainment has created to date, the unique floor production and interactive experience, Jurassic World Live Tour.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, tour and entertainment productions have now paused. That has not deterred Cory from taking the opportunity to fashion other production ideas and develop marketing and promotional projects for new, emerging companies and technologies and look to the next exciting chapter.
Cory is an outgoing person who loves live entertainment and themed experiences. The pleasure to see smiles on the faces of the guests, the respect, trust and friendships he has developed with his co-workers over the years has been unforgettable and amazing. The next challenge is never too close. The next episode is always an inspiration. The passion continues to be as strong as ever.