A shy mechanical engineering graduate becomes a full-time Disneyland associate engineer
A Passion for Disney Turned Into a Professional Path
At Hong Kong Disneyland, the magic that guests experience in the parks is created and maintained by a team of dedicated cast members who bring personal passion as well as professional skill to their roles. Boris is one of those cast members – an associate engineer in the Facility Services Team whose journey from a nervous first-time part-time employee to a full-time engineering professional illustrates what committed mentorship and an open career development culture can produce. Boris joined Hong Kong Disneyland in 2021 as a part-time attraction operation host in the Park Operations Team in Tomorrowland. It was his first ever job, and he admits the nerves were real. “I was nervous, but I did it because of my passion for Disney,” he has said. That passion was shaped early. Growing up, Boris connected most deeply with the story of Hercules – a young man finding his way, going the distance, and discovering what he is truly made of. Boris sees his own journey in those terms.
Education and Experience Combined
What makes Boris’s story distinctive is the way he wove education and on-the-job experience together rather than treating them as separate tracks. His background in mechanical engineering at the University of Hong Kong gave him a technical foundation, while his park operations experience gave him hands-on familiarity with the physical reality of running a world-class theme park attraction. After his initial part-time role, Boris secured an internship with the Attraction Engineering Services team, spending three months learning how attractions are maintained and managed. He then worked additional part-time roles in Operations and Facility Asset Management to sustain his Disney career while completing his degrees. That blend of academic rigour and practical exposure made him a strong candidate when a full-time position opened in the Quality Engineering Team, and he was offered the role.
Professional and Personal Growth
Boris is candid that Hong Kong Disneyland has changed him in ways that go beyond technical skills. He describes himself as naturally shy and introverted, but his years in the park have made him more confident, more communicative, and more capable of advocating for himself and his ideas. “Being here has helped me grow a lot,” he says. “Professionally, I have learned advanced knowledge on how to deal with attraction components, as well as grown my project management skills. Personally, I have grown to become more talkative and confident in myself and my skills.” Good leadership, he says, has been the decisive factor. His leaders listened to his goals and actively supported him in pursuing them. “Having good leaders is the reason I am in my current role today at Hong Kong Disneyland,” he says with clarity and gratitude.
Hong Kong Disneyland as an Employer of Opportunity
Hong Kong Disneyland careers has long positioned itself as an employer that invests in its people rather than simply filling roles. The park has a track record of promoting internal mobility, supporting further education, and creating structured pathways from hourly operations roles into technical and professional positions. This approach matters especially in Hong Kong, where the political and economic environment since 2020 has made many young people feel uncertain about their futures. Careers that offer genuine development, clear progression, and values-led leadership carry heightened meaning when external certainties are shrinking. Boris embodies what that kind of employer can produce: a young professional who entered the organisation without confidence, found purpose, and is now aiming for one of the most prestigious roles in the entertainment industry – Walt Disney Imagineering.
A Dream Still in Progress
Boris is not finished. His stated ambition is to become part of the Walt Disney Imagineering team and contribute to the design and construction of new attractions for Disney parks around the world. “Disney stories are told all around the world, so I want to become part of WDI to tell those stories through creating new attractions,” he says. For young people in Hong Kong wondering how to navigate a world of shrinking opportunities, Boris’s story carries a practical message: start where you are, combine your education with real experience, seek leaders worth following, and keep moving toward the thing you actually care about. In a city where many of the institutions and pathways that once seemed permanent have been disrupted or dismantled, this kind of individual career-building – persistent, values-driven, grounded in real skill – remains within reach. Life at Disney continues to document these stories of cast member growth and development. Disney Parks worldwide maintain a culture of internal mobility that rewards precisely the kind of committed, multi-role engagement that Boris has demonstrated throughout his career.
Senior Journalist & Editor, Apple Daily UK
Contact: athena.lai@appledaily.uk
Athena Lai is a senior journalist and editor with extensive experience in Chinese-language investigative reporting and editorial leadership. Educated at a leading journalism school in the United Kingdom, Athena received formal training in fact-checking methodology, editorial governance, and international media standards, grounding her work in globally recognized best practices.
She has held senior editorial roles at Apple Daily and other liberal Chinese publications, where she oversaw coverage of Hong Kong civil liberties, diaspora politics, rule of law, and press freedom. Athena’s reporting is distinguished by disciplined sourcing, cross-verification, and a clear separation between factual reporting and opinion, reinforcing reader trust.
Beyond reporting, Athena has served as an editor responsible for mentoring journalists, enforcing ethical guidelines, and managing sensitive investigations. Her newsroom leadership reflects real-world experience navigating legal risk, source protection, and editorial independence under pressure.
Athena’s authority comes from both her byline history and her editorial stewardship. She has reviewed and approved hundreds of articles, ensuring compliance with defamation standards, accuracy benchmarks, and responsible language use. Her work demonstrates lived experience within high-stakes news environments rather than theoretical expertise.
Committed to journalistic integrity, Athena believes credible journalism is built on transparency, accountability, and institutional memory. Her role at Apple Daily UK reflects that commitment, positioning her as a trusted voice within independent Chinese media.
