Jim Omohundro

Did you learn a musical instrument as a child? How long have you been playing it? Did you eventually get bored and retire your instrument to the closet/attic? Odds are good that you're not a professional musician or even a hobbyist who occasionally plays to this date. If you are, that's incredible! But you'll still be wowed by the story of Jim Omohundro.

In 1983, a 29-year-old piano player received an invite from The Walt Disney Company. They wanted him to play for them at one of their theme parks, Magic Kingdom. His start date was November 27th, and his end date is yet to be determined. Yes, fans of Casey’s Corner know the man well.

Image: DisneyHis name is Jim Omoundro, and he has serenaded guests with delightful, peppy renditions of many thematically appropriate songs such as (obviously) Take Me Out to the Ballgame. In 2013, the Disney Parks Blog celebrated 30 years of piano performances from the musician, and he’s still with the company today. Yes, that’s more than 35 years of Take Me Out to the Ballgame, which sounds like a Twilight Zone punishment to some people.

Somehow, Omoundro soldiers on. Here’s a recent 2019 performance. Yes, he’s been a part of your Magic Kingdom visits going all the way back to the pre-hair rock era. And you never even knew his name, just his barbershop quartet-styled outfit!

Yehaa Bob Jackson

Omoundro isn’t the only beloved musician at Walt Disney World. Yehaa Bob Jackson has been a staple at Disney’s Port Orleans – Riverside for many years now. The River Roost Lounge here is home to the most novel of shows at Walt Disney World.

Performer Yehaa Bob Jackson demonstrates his unique brand of showmanship. Jackson's show occurs twice an evening on Wednesdays through Saturdays, and it's tough to describe. It's a comedy routine, a music concert, and a group singalong. Oddly, even though it takes place at a lounge, it's family-friendly, too. And its popularity speaks for itself. 

Image: DisneyTheme park tourists love Yehaa Bob so much that his shows regularly sell out an hour in advance. Part of the explanation is that Jackson takes a particular interest in his crowds. He'll learn their names and details about them, which he'll recite later in the show…or sometimes years down the line. He personalizes the Disney experience in a rare and profound way. Some theme park tourists always stay at one of the Port Orleans resorts specifically to be close to the River Roost Lounge.

Joe Rohde

Image: DisneyTo the casual Disney fan, only one current Imagineer has true name recognition. As tragic as it sounds, the era of Marty Sklar, X Atencio, and Tony Baxter is gone. The overwhelming majority of Imagineers rarely get their names out there.

The exception is Joe Rohde. You know him as the guy with the giant earrings. Even if you don't, you could easily pick him out of the crowd. Decades of wearing giant earrings have caused one of his earlobes to sag in a kind of grotesque way. Don't let the visual distract you, though. You're in the presence of one of the greatest Disney employees ever.

Rohde likes to say that he owes his career to a willingness to talk at group meetings. He wanted his opinions out there, and theme park tourists are in his debt for the behavior. Rohde’s had a hand in the construction of the Mexico Pavilion, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, and Pandora – The World of Avatar.