Dan Cockerell

Biography

Dan attended Boston University, graduating in 1991, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.  An avid rugby player, he was selected for the 1990 and 1991 USA Collegiate All-American Rugby team, and was Captain for the 1991 team.
Dan’s first experience working for Disney was as a participant in the Walt Disney World College Program in Orlando in the summer of 1989, when he worked as a front desk host at the Contemporary Resort.
Upon graduation from Boston University in 1991, Dan moved to Florida and participated in the Disneyland Paris Management Trainee Program.  In January of 1992, three months before the opening of Disneyland Paris, he was transferred to France, where he remained for five years in various management roles. He and his wife Valerie, who was also with Disneyland Paris, were married in France and spent five years there before moving back to Orlando in 1997.  Since that time they have raised three children – Jullian, Margot and Tristan.
Dan has held various management and executive operations roles at the Walt Disney World Resort, both in the theme parks and resort hotels, and was the sixth executive to hold the position of Vice President, Magic Kingdom since the park opened in 1971.  He earned his MBA in 2001 at the Crummer School of Business at Rollins College.
Dan puts great value on spending time in the operation and frequently spent time in the park, assisting cast members and interacting with guests.  He believes that building relationships is critical for leadership success, and his approachability in the workplace is a testament to his people-first philosophy.

Education

No information available.

Admissions/Licenses

No information available.