
It’s no secret that Cast Members make a Walt Disney World vacation a truly magical experience. From keeping the Parks sparkling clean to feeding hungry Guests, operating attractions, and more, Cast Members are the heart of Disney. In addition to the Cast Members that keep the theme parks running, there are hundreds of Cast Members who interact with Guests on a more personal level. Those Cast Members play characters in the Parks and restaurants that Guests have fun interactions with, as well as Cast Members who create memorable performances daily that get Guests up and dancing.

One of those Cast Members is Stephan Mikes. Stephan works at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Stephan is a musician who plays the Sitar almost daily in the Anandapur area of Animal Kingdom. A sitar is a stringed instrument that was created in India and remains popular in the country. It is also one of the primary instruments played in Pakistan and Bangladesh. According to Stephan’s biography, he spent more than 20 years training under one of India’s most renowned sitar players.
Recently, Stephan was performing his routine at Animal Kingdom. He wasn’t feeling well, and was unable to complete his day. Stephan went home, hoping rest would make him feel better. Just one week later, Stephan found himself in the hospital, having to undergo a quintuple bypass. That means that he had five severely blocked arteries that helped his heart function. Surgery was necessary in order for Stephan to survive.
Here’s more on what happened to Stephan after a long day of work at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, courtesy of his GoFundMe page.
My husband, Stephan Mikes, was once called “the man who can do anything.” And you can see just how true this is by exploring the Stephan Mikes Channel on YouTube — his video offerings range from classical Indian ragas and meditation/chill music to rock and reggae classics — and of course, his original compositions including the body of work composed specifically for his live performances at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
On Friday, March 3rd, Stephan left for the day feeling slightly under the weather, and performed all but the second half of his last set before being rushed to the hospital. A week later, he had quintuple bypass surgery (aka “five cabbages”).Following 18 days in the hospital, 14 of them in ICU, Stephan has begun the process of healing. His recovery time will depend on how long it takes for his sternum bone to knit — something that cannot be rushed — an estimated 6-8 weeks. We are optimistic that his strength and his healing music will bring him to a complete state of renewal.One thing that this “man who can do anything” CAN’T do — play a magic chord and instantaneously cover lost income, medical expenses and copays during his recovery time.Many of you have sent healing prayers (they work!) and have graciously offered to help — here is an easy, expedient way in which you can do so. We deeply appreciate any and all donations.