The hiring manager figured he could tell a joke, and he was right. Hank quickly mastered the art of making guests laugh. “I picked it up, and then lo and behold, people were clapping, and they liked my spiel,” says Hank while chuckling. “I felt pretty good about that.”
After a few seasons, Ameen wanted to try something new and joined the Garden Grove Fire Department, fulfilling a 35-year career as a city firefighter.
But he missed Disneyland.
He ended up working as a Disneyland Resort firefighter on his days off, monitoring the pyrotechnic safety for the firework spectaculars.
When cast members think of Hank, they think of a man who relishes every opportunity that life offers. He certainly has, from hosting Olympians at Disneyland in 1964, to watching iconic attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean be built right before his eyes, to enjoying cast picnics with Walt Disney and his family, to winning the bronze, silver and gold medal in the Disneyland 10k Marathons, he has embraced life wholeheartedly.
Last August, the Disneyland Resort firefighters de-throned the years-long reign of the Davy Crockett team, winning the fastest time in the cast member Canoe Races. For years, the firefighters vowed they would win one for Hank, which they finally did. The team honored Hank by having him join their triumphant victory lap while the cast cheered uproariously.
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