Fan-Favorite ‘Hat Lady’ is New Pianist in Magic Kingdom

Casey’s Corner has hit a grand slam with its newest pianist, Carol Stein! The long-time Walt Disney World fan-favorite “Piano Lady” or “Hat Lady” returns from (partial) retirement, stepping up to the plate at Magic Kingdom, where she continues her remarkable 36-year career as a Cast Member.

For many newer Walt Disney World fans, Casey’s Corner will be their introduction to Carol Stein. But she’s a familiar face, especially for those of us around during the heyday of Pleasure Island or veterans of (mildly) wild nights in World Showcase.

After retiring from performing full-time at Walt Disney World in late 2022, Carol took a sabbatical of sorts (presumably to resume her real world travels), before returning to Disney to perform at various venues on a part-time basis. She now continues her career as the pianist at Casey’s Corner, bringing decades of musical experience and Disney storytelling to the heart of Main Street U.S.A.

“Casey’s Corner is such a joyful, high-energy place, and I’m thrilled to be part of it. At the same time, it feels a little like the first day of school,” explained Carol in a new interview with Disney (all photos in this post also courtesy of Walt Disney World).

“Even after playing piano since I was — four years old, starting something new still comes with excitement and a few nerves. I’ve spent a lot of time preparing for this moment, learning new songs and revisiting favorites I haven’t had the opportunity to play before. I’m excited to bring that music and energy to our guests.”

Long before joining Disney World, Carol was inspired by her family to learn music. She started reading music when she was just two years old. Carol spent many years traveling and living abroad in Europe and Asia, with a home base in Switzerland and Hong Kong.

Earlier in her career, she was a musician at the Montreux Palace in Switzerland, The Oasis in Hong Kong, and Century Court in Tokyo. (Coincidentally, we’ve stayed at the Montreux Palace and been to Century Court; both are incredibly swanky, underscoring Carol’s tremendous talents on the global stage.)

After her prestigious international roles, Carol returned to the United States. She’s since been performing in various shows on Walt Disney World property since 1990. A native to Central Florida, Carol’s Disney story at Comedy Warehouse where she performed as the house musician in the improv troupe, and entertained guests nightly with her craft.

After Pleasure Island closed, she moved to EPCOT where she primarily performed at Rose & Crown Pub and became known as the “Hat Lady” or “Piano Lady.” Rose & Crown is where we first came across Carol almost two decades ago, and where she developed a strong fan-following during the nascent days of social media and fan forums.

She’s performed at several other EPCOT venues, including the gazebo behind the United Kingdom pavilion, World ShowPlace, and inside the American Adventure rotunda, alternating sets with Voices of Liberty.

Carol has also played at venues around Walt Disney World including the Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. She’s also done various special events and other performances.

Carl announced her retirement in September 2022 and returned to Rose & Crown for a farewell in late October and November of that year. At the time, she indicated that she planned to return to work part-time at Walt Disney World starting sometime in the future. We’ve seen her once or twice in the lobby of the Grand Floridian since then.

Carol now adds to her musical resume by playing iconic ragtime classics at Casey’s Corner. When she’s not traveling the world, running into Cast Member friends or playing in the Carol Stein & Friends Jazz Band, she’s performing tunes for guests on Main Street USA, including some from her favorite music from composer Alan Menken, like The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

“I love music with a passion. I’ve been doing it my whole life. Honestly, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t playing the piano. And I love Disney. The positive energy that the Disney brand brings is so powerful. As a musician and entertainer, you sometimes forget the impact you can have on people. Here, through live performance, we get the chance to create those personal connections and touch people’s lives in a really special way.”

More than three decades into her time with Walt Disney World, Carol is still finding new ways to create magical moments for guests, one special song at a time. Connecting with guests is one of the reasons Carol says she feels fortunate to continue growing throughout her Walt Disney World career, Carol shared in that same interview.

“Growing up with Walt Disney World right here in Central Florida and then having the opportunity to become part of it, while sharing what I love most, music, with guests who love Disney, is something I never take for granted.”

From performing a guest’s favorite Disney song to introducing someone to a new musical memory, Carol says her goal has always been to bring joy to others through music. That mission is inspired by one of her favorite Disney characters.

“Tinker Bell has always been my favorite character. She tinkers with things and fixes things that are broken, and I like to do that with my music. If somebody is sad, I want to make them happy. If somebody’s already happy and has a special song they want to hear, I love being able to play it for them. Tinker Bell is sassy; she spreads joy, and pixie dust. That’s what I hope to bring to guests through my music.”

Here she is in the new role performing “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” by the legendary Sherman Brothers:

A familiar @WaltDisneyWorld face has stepped up to the piano at Casey’s Corner Join us in welcoming Carol to Main Street, U.S.A. pic.twitter.com/X4NRwPFiUK

— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) September 16, 2026

Ultimately, we’re really pleased to see a couple of things here. The first is obviously just Carol Stein back in a prominent position with Walt Disney World, and one that will bring her music and infectious energy to thousands more guests than the past roles that made her a fan-favorite at Comedy Warehouse and Rose & Crown.

With our Pleasure Island and EPCOT bar days long in the rearview mirror, we’re also excited to see her perform again, for the first time in a long time, and to introduce our daughter to the tremendously talented performer. It’s awesome that a whole new generation of fans and Walt Disney World guests is going to connect with her in a completely different role.

Finally, it’s great to see Walt Disney World recognize a long-serving Cast Member, giving her the figurative spotlight via the interview and the literal one at Casey’s Corner. We don’t typically cover this type of thing, but this felt like a fun one for a quick hit and it’s hard to resist an opportunity to showcase live entertainment at Walt Disney World, which sometimes feels like an endangered species!

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YOUR THOUGHTS

Are you pleased to see Carol Stein return to a prominent position at Walt Disney World? Looking forward to catching her at Casey’s Corner? Will this be your first time seeing Carol perform, or are you an old school “Piano Lady” or “Hat Lady” fan? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!