There’s no better place to learn the importance of communication, other than the master itself, The Walt Disney Company.
In Spring 2019 I decided to follow my dreams and apply for the Disney College Program. It was a journey I will never forget, and there are many things I have taken away from it, including many new lifelong friends. I worked at the Mama Melrose Restaurant in Hollywood Studios. We were the first place people saw right after watching the Muppets. I can still here Kermit the frog sometimes in my ear haha.
From both professional and personal skills, I learned how to problem solve, have patience, and remain positive in any given situation. During this program, I have had many experiences where a conflict had to be resolved quickly and appropriately. For example, two guests came in one day with a buzz lightyear toy and they accidentally got it stuck on top of our air conditioning vent. I saw it happen so I called the leaders, who called maintenance, but they did not have a tall enough ladder to reach the toy. The kid cried and the family had to leave to catch a fast pass. So we did what is called a “no strings attached” and told the family to come back after the fast pass to pick it up. They were extremely grateful, and the child was grinning ear to ear. It was in moments like these, that I looked forward to getting up at 5 am for work everyday.
I have also gained a lot of insider tips from my leaders and coordinators about future jobs for Disney. I am thinking about doing a professional internship with Disney possibly after graduation, or maybe attending another college program character audition and doing a second program after graduation. There are many possibilities with the Disney company, and I am excited to see where I will end up in a few years.
I am extremely proud of myself for taking the leap and pushing myself to move across the country by myself. I could not have imagined my life if I went the other direction and had not taken this opportunity.
Kayla. Wow. That’s dream to millions of people having worked at the Disney World. Cheers.