Justin Muchoney, the Seven Fields man who never outgrew all things Disney, has been named Disney's Chief Magical Official.

It was a surreal moment for the Disney junkie. He stood in the rose garden of Cinderella Castle in Disney World in Orlando yesterday morning and received hugs from Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck before being whisked to Disney University for training.

The 28-year-old bested two other male finalists, narrowed down from 1,300 applicants, racking up the most votes from viewers online.

"It is absolutely amazing," he said yesterday during a break in training. "I have been surprised every step of the way. The odds of being one out of three were significantly better than being one out of 1,300, but still I was surprised."

During his one-year gig as CMO that starts May 1, he will be flown to Disney World or Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., four to eight times a year and will serve as a goodwill ambassador during special events or the opening of a new ride. He will receive an hourly wage and have his expenses paid.

Chief Magical Official, who will have to wear a costume that he has not seen yet, doesn't have to pull rabbits out of hats. Instead, he will give out wishes to park visitors during The Year of a Million Dreams celebration. "It is magic in the Disney sense, in terms of creating dreams and magical memories. It is not magic in the Harry Potter sense."

Mr. Muchoney will not quit his day job as director of music and fine arts at Ingomar United Methodist Church in Franklin Park.

His theatrical style helped him create an exuberantly zany video of himself for the CMO competition. His competition videos are still online at www.dreamcmo.com.

Jami Pietrzyk, children's ministry coordinator at the church, said he is a perfect fit for the job.

"He gets to go down there and be a big kid. He can talk to anybody. He has the ability to make people feel like they are the only person who matters. He is the most enthusiastic, energetic and kind person I know."

His wife, Darrah, said her husband always wanted to work for Disney and is fascinated by the company's attention to detail.

Mr. Muchoney and the two other finalists competed last week in games that included towel folding, face painting and Disney trivia, a strong suit of the man who loves the movies "Monsters, Inc." and "Fantasia." Videos of the competition were posted on the Web site and people voted online for their favorite contestant.

But it wasn't a cutthroat reality competition.

"Nobody extinguished my torch or kicked anyone off the island," he said. "It was fun, corny little games."