Foot in the Door: My Disney Expirience

For my STEP project, I traveled all the way to Orlando, Florida to live in Disney World for nine months. I worked in many different fields of the company and I ended up mainly being placed in the hospitality industry. I worked a full-time job while living on my own, all while experiencing life outside of Ohio. 

I have never had a real experience in the adult world. After high school, I went straight to college. College, though very important, is still a very sheltered place. I was half independent and simply not working a real job. This experience has allowed me to understand what that truly means. I also was able to explore an industry I would never have put myself into and ended up loving it. These are the kinds of experiences that aren’t teachable. You must go into the real world and learn them. Therefore, I’m even more excited to go back to school in the spring with a more solid understanding of what I want in my life. This internship also allowed me to explore things that I don’t want for my life! I found that hating something is just as important as absolutely loving something. 

My very first experience with this internship was outside of my professional life. I immediately moved into a community of college kids just like myself, but they were total strangers. I moved into an apartment that was shockingly similar to a dorm. The internship program is ongoing, so I was surrounded by interns that have been there for months or even nearing the end of their program. Right off the bat, I got to network and make so many new friends. Because of the sheer size of the program, there has never been a lack of unique people to connect with. Disney does a really good job of bringing this community together with fun, community events. This was a perfect opportunity to be able to learn to be my own person while still having a strong support group around me. 

Other than the personal growth that this internship has provided me, there has also been a huge amount of professional growth. Soon after I moved in, I began training. Training at Disney is very different from normal training. I did a full week of learning how to be a true Disney cast member. Topics ranging from how to keep the magic alive, making sure we keep company secrets confidential, and much much more. During this time, I did a special class sequence at Disney University. During this, I learned the ins and outs of being a Disney resort concierge. Unlike most jobs, I did a huge amount of training before I was even allowed to step foot in the workplace. This is very different from most companies, but this allowed me insight into how a large company runs. There are things that make Disney so extremely unique and you would never be able to understand unless you went through it yourself.

Another way this internship helped me transform into the person I am today is career exploration. When I left to start my internship, I had just left the engineering field. I knew I wanted to pursue theatre and psychology, but I was extremely lost. This program helped me find my way. I was able to explore what I like and what I don’t like. This was made possible by the many opportunities the company has for interns. I was able to attend networking sessions, where I met (and got the contact info) for the VP of Hollywood Studios! I also attended many optional sessions that taught us the innards of the different career paths in Disney. This was the first time I was able to talk to people who are doing exactly what I want to do and I didn’t even know it. 

All in all, this internship was way more valuable than I can even put into words. I have been asked if I would recommend this experience to others and my answer is an overwhelming yes. I have met so many incredible people and learned so many life lessons and I have been forever changed for it. I have come out of it knowing what I want to do with my life. I have come out of it with incredible bonds with lifelong friends. Because of this internship, I now have a clear direction of what I want in the future. I was able to explore career paths that I never even knew existed. So if you come down to Disney World in five years, hopefully you’ll be immersed in some of my designs. And don’t forget to come say hi!