Disney really does make dreams come true–and not just in the classic Disney films, as a beloved actor found out recently.
Before 2013, the world knew nothing about Sven the Reindeer, Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, or Kristoff the Ice Harvester. But late that year, fans, young and old, were introduced to these characters and to the storyline of Disney’s Frozen. Not only were the characters and the story engaging, but the actors and actresses behind those iconic characters became household names, especially Idina Menzel (voice of Elsa), Kristen Bell (voice of Anna), and Josh Gad (voice of Olaf the Snowman).
The second installment of the Frozen franchise debuted in November 2019, and fans were once again smitten by the storyline, the lyrics to the music, and the characters.
In September 2022, four of the franchise’s characters were named Disney Legends at the D23 Expo held in Anaheim, California. Each of the stars was honored individually–Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, and Jonathan Groff.
When Josh Gad took to the stage at the D23 Expo, he shared a story of being rejected by Disney when he was much younger. It had been his dream to work as a Jungle Cruise skipper at the iconic classic Disney attraction, but he didn’t make the cut. But recently, Disney made Gad’s dream come true, and he finally got his wish–to work as a skipper at the Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland.
(And his Cast Member tag even shows that he’s from Arendelle.)
The Frozen star referred to himself as the “moderately famous” Josh Gad as he served as skipper on the Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland. He hosted a boat full of Guests who were visibly excited to have the famous voice of Olaf as their skipper, and–truth be told–no skipper has ever introduced the “backside of water” with more excitement than Josh Gad. He even warned Guests aboard the boat that since he was the skipper, it would be good for them to call their loved ones and say goodbye.
You can see the entire hilarious spectacle of Gad “skippering” at the Jungle Cruise ride here:
