With a towering castle for an office and princesses for coworkers, it’s hard for Debbi Sacleux not to feel like royalty each day.
As general manager, or “proprietor,” of Cinderella’s Royal Table—a fine dining experience at Cinderella Castle inside Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom—Sacleux is in charge of creating an unforgettable fairy tale world for each guest.
“I greet all my cast each day, and I get to walk into a castle and see little girls dressed like their favorite princesses and little boys making goo-goo eyes when they look at Cinderella,” she said. “It’s a tough job but someone (has got) to do it.”
Whether young or old, everyone walks wide-eyed into the otherworldly castle. Sacleux said most stand transfixed by the Renaissance-themed décor and stained-glass windows. And it’s her job to ensure guests’ expectations are beyond fulfilled.
She said it’s not uncommon during her workday for her to share in strangers’ memorable moments. In fact, she couldn’t stop gushing over the emotional proposal she recently watched—a woman shedding happy tears next to her real-life prince charming. Dressed in a tux, in traditional manner he dropped to his knee and popped the age-old question, his betrothed not realizing just a table away sat another surprise—her entire family, Sacleux said.
The youngest of 10 children, Sacleux grew up near Knightsville and graduated from Summerville High School—the pride for her alma mater still strong.
“Go, Green Wave!” she shouted.
Visits to her hometown remain common. Sacleux even returned earlier this month to participate in the Cooper River Bridge Run and enjoy the Flowertown Festival.
“It’s always those warm fuzzies when you get home,” Sacleux said.
She credited her mom Dorothy Lemon—a grandmother now to 53 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren—for being her biggest influence.
“She’s made me the person who I am,” she said.
Sacleux said Lemon gave her the support she needed to achieve her life dreams and instigate her inner "foodie." It wasn't uncommon for the Lemon family to spend time together in the kitchen, often whipping up batches of homemade strawberry ice cream, Sacleux said.
But she didn't always plan on entering the food service industry. She moved from the Summerville area in 1983 and attended the University of South Carolina, majoring in psychology. While her first food and beverage experience was a fast food job at 17, working for Marriott Corporation during college further piqued her interest.
“I was going to change the world, but I ended up in food and beverage and fell in love,” Sacleux said.
Her first position with Disney wasn’t stateside. She moved to France in 1991 and got hired on two years later with Euro-Disney—now called Disneyland-Paris.
“It was my dream come true,” Sacleux said.
She started out as a guest services manager then transitioned to manager of “It’s a Small World” attraction.
But despite years of high school and college French courses, the language proved a barrier.
“You’re exposed to all different cultures there,” she said.
Sacleux soon applied for U.S. restaurant jobs.
Today, she boasts 35 years in the food and beverage industry. Having worked for every Disney park, her love for the multi-million dollar company is as fresh and real as it was at the start of her career.
She said it’s her non-stop energy—likening herself to the bouncy Pooh Bear sidekick, Tigger, her favorite Disney character—and knack for engaging with people that’s made her successful.
“Working in the food service industry gives me that opportunity to meet new cherished friends who will come back and dine again, not only because the food was great—it was also because how they were made to feel,” Sacleux stated in her resume.
And people do return, because she said she’s frequently run into various generations of the same families over the years.
With multiple accolades to her name, Sacleux has achieved success and proven her unique skills set. She’s received her level-one diploma for the Court of Master Sommeliers, completed Disney’s honorable Spirits Diploma Program, and earned the coveted Legacy Award—handed out only to top employees who’ve fulfilled the “dream, create and inspire” mantra.
“I hope that I’m able to do that every day for my team and cast,” Sacleux said.
Usually a talkative person, she had no words in that moment she heard her name called for the honor.
“I was blown away,” she said. “I was actually speechless; that’s what we do on a daily basis...we create magical. ...I proudly wear this name tag, and I hold this standard high for making dreams come true.”
While most experience Disney’s imaginative realm at a young age in life, it wasn’t so for Sacleux. Her first visit occurred during her adult years with her children.
“It truly is magical. I know that sounds corny...but it is,” Sacleux said. “Everything is so beautiful and so perfect. ...It’s like, ‘Oh, this is why I work here.’”
Cinderella's castle
