Life and career
Dominguez's maternal grandparents moved to Orange County in 1884, where his mother Laura was born in Anaheim in 1898. Ron Dominguez was born in a house at the family's orange grove in Anaheim in 1935. According to Dominguez, the house was located approximately at the present-day location of Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. Dominguez attended Anaheim High School and University of Arizona.
In 1954, Walt Disney purchased the family's Anaheim orange grove, along with land owned by 17 other families, to make way for Disneyland. Instead of being demolished, the Dominguez family's former home was moved behind Main Street, U.S.A. from its original location in what is now present-day New Orleans Square to be used as the park's administrative offices. Dominguez was hired as a cast member on July 13, 1955, four days prior to the opening of the park. By 1957, Dominguez became the assistant supervisor of Frontierland, and between 1957 and 1962, was the supervisor of Frontierland, supervisor of Adventureland, and supervisor of Tomorrowland. In 1962, Dominguez was named the general supervisor, and later, manager, of Disneyland's west side.
In 1970, Dominguez was again promoted to director of operations. In 1974, he was promoted to vice president of Disneyland and chairman of the operating committee. Sixteen years later, in 1990, Dominguez became the executive vice president of Walt Disney Attractions, West Coast. In his final years with the company, Dominguez worked to bring about what would eventually become Disney California Adventure. He retired in August 1994.
