Life at Disney

Meet Gabbie and Abby, two current Disney College Program participants! Hear about what inspired them to apply for their programs, what arrival week is like and how they feel the program is positively impacting their professional development. Welcome to season four of our miniseries, where we’ll discuss all things about life on the Disney College Program! For more than 40 years, this unique internship experience has brought magic makers to Walt Disney World® Resort from across the country and many participants go on to have lasting careers with The Walt Disney Company. Gabbie works in merchandise around the World Showcase in EPCOT but loves picking up shifts all around Walt Disney World Resort. Abby works in custodial at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort and loves the freedom and guest interaction her role brings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Disney College Program participants get access to exclusive learning offerings designed for professional and personal development. We’re talking to Zac and John, two participants on the road to 100 learning hours, to discover what makes these unique offerings special. Welcome to season four of our miniseries, where we’ll discuss all things about life on the Disney College Program! For more than 40 years, this unique internship experience has brought magic makers to Walt Disney World® Resort from across the country and many participants go on to have lasting careers with The Walt Disney Company. John works at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn as a concierge host, where he helps guests in the Innkeeper’s Club Lounge. Zac is often the first cast member guests encounter when they go to Magic Kingdom. He works in parking and can often be found telling jokes on the back of the trams. Both John and Zac have taken advantage of the many learning offerings and are breaking down the types of offerings, certificates and how learning has made a positive impact on their future Disney careers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you make friends on the Disney College Program? What about professional connections? We’re sitting down with Carson and Brandon, two current participants, to find out! Welcome to season four of our miniseries, where we’ll discuss all things about life on the Disney College Program! For more than 40 years, this unique internship experience has brought magic makers to Walt Disney World® Resort from across the country and many participants go on to have lasting careers with The Walt Disney Company. Carson works in attractions and can be found driving boats and telling jokes on the world-famous Jungle Cruise. Brandon works in custodial and helps keep EPCOT clean while helping guests all over the park. In this episode, they’re telling stories about the friends they’ve made, the professional connections who have helped them and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From shipboard to shoreside, in this episode of the Life at Disney podcast, we’re taking you on an in-depth look behind the scenes of our Disney Cruise Line operations. In this special bonus episode of the Life at Disney podcast, our host Natalie sits down with Caroline, Manager, Guest Services and Dave, Manager, Nautical Operations, shoreside. In her role aboard the Disney Wish, Caroline ensures a seamless guest and crew experience, handling tasks from facilitating port clearances to creating magical moments worldwide. In Dave’s role shoreside in Celebration, FL, he oversees the daily operations of our fleet of ships as a shore contact for the teams onboard, triple-checking ship routes and itineraries, answering any questions and ensuring each ship is set up for success.

Our host Natalie sits down with Deborah, Senior Vice President, General Manager Media Networks and Advertising EMEA and UK and Ireland Country Manager and Hans, Senior Vice President, General Manager Media, and Country Manager of the Nordics & Baltics to learn more about what they do in their roles as Country Managers for The Walt Disney Company. In her role, Deborah is responsible for the day-to-day management of the networks and directly oversees advertising sales and partnerships, marketing, communications and research for the media networks business across the UK and Ireland. In his role, Hans has direct responsibility for the local media business, serving as a driving force behind new, groundbreaking partnerships in the Nordics and Baltics region, as well as leading the rollout of projects such as FOX+ and National Geographic+.

From educating guests in our theme parks and resorts to evolving The Walt Disney Company’s nature strategy, our guests for this episode of the Life at Disney podcast inspire action to protect the planet through conservation. Join Stephen as he sits down with Leslie, Program Manager with Nature Strategy & Integration and Dario, Education Manager with Guest Animal Experiences to learn more about conservation at Disney. In her role, Leslie helps manage the various Disney Conservation Fund philanthropic programs that help nonprofit organizations and communities save wildlife and more. For Dario, he partners with several education, operations, and animal care teams to provide an exceptional guest experience in our theme parks and resorts.

Join our host Cassie in this week's episode as she chats with Brian and Kelsey from Disney Consumer Products to learn more about how our teams make our stories immersive experiences in the gaming world. Brian is an Associate Product Development Manager for Marvel Games and has spearheaded efforts to collaborate with developers to make the gaming experience more accessible for players. Kelsey, a Producer III at Disney/Pixar Games, has worked on games such as Disney Illusion Island and Disney Dreamlight Valley, ensuring a smooth process from start to finish.

In this episode, join Cassie for a conversation with Tiffany, Human Resources Business Partner, and Pauline, VP, Creative - Asia Pacific, and learn more about their roles, career journeys and Disney in the Asia-Pacific region. As a Human Resources Business Partner, Tiffany regularly acts as an employee advocate while partnering with leaders across the company to provide Human Resources support, achieving business and organizational goals. Pauline’s VP, Creative role allows her to lead the charge of creative development for various global Disney brands, ranging from Marvel to National Geographic. She is also responsible for developing creative needs across licensing owned and operated businesses.

Discover how Amy, a Disney Photo Imaging (DPI) Product Design Specialist, and Grace, Manager, Product Management work behind the screens to innovate with next generation technology. In her role, Amy supports Disney Experiences across Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line using graphic design to create immersive enhancements to guest photos such as magic shots with Disney PhotoPass and AR lenses for Genie+. Grace leads a talented team in her role, one that is redefining programmatic advertising and cementing Disney’s pivotal role in this dynamic space. Join LaJoy as she discovers a little bit more about the tech behind our magic.

Have you ever wondered how The Walt Disney Company brings once-in-a-lifetime experiences to life for our guests and cast members around the world? Meet our guests for this episode, Alex, VP, International Live Entertainment and Wai Quen, VP, Human Resources, who help make it all happen at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort! As VP, International Live Entertainment, Alex is responsible for bringing to life stage shows, character greetings, and many other performances across our parks in Asia and Europe. For Wai Quen, her position in Human Resources entails managing and supporting the many operations that ensure employee success. Tune in to learn more about their roles, career journeys, and all things Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

Join our host Stephen for a conversation with Saroya, Casting Director; Ray, Manager, Talent Casting Operations; and Jason, Producer to talk about how we bring entertainment to life at our Parks & Resorts! With over 20 years of casting experience, Saroya works cross-functionally with performers, show directors and other parties to bring a project from the initial audition to the debut performance. Having a 30+ year career with Disney, Ray’s current role as Manager of Talent Casting Operations allows him to build and lead a team of dedicated casting professionals for Disney Cruise Line. Together, Ray and Saroya pull the curtain back for an inside look at Disney Auditions. Our last guest, Jason, works as a Producer of Production Management Events and puts objectives, schedules, and budgets together to bring numerous events to life at Walt Disney World Resort.

This season on the Life at Disney Podcast, we've gone global. We're speaking to cast members and employees in our offices around the world. In this week’s episode, we’re headed to Latin America to meet with Eliana and Jacque on the Business Intelligence & Analytics team! Eliana, Senior Manager, Data Science, leads efforts to improve day-to-day productivity for Disney’s multiple lines of business within the Latin American market (streaming, theatrical, consumer products and more) by analyzing and reporting data. Jacque, Manager, Partner Analytics, contributes strategic insights and recommendations for key stakeholders such as offering add-on products for Disney+. Join Steven as he speaks with Eliana and Jacque to learn more about how they turn data into business solutions for The Walt Disney Company Latin America.

Kate and Laura from The Walt Disney Studios are here on the Life at Disney Podcast to share their stories and experiences on bringing to life the music and movies we know and love today. Kate is a Character Technical Director with Walt Disney Animation Studios who started her career with Disney in 2013 and has worked on films such as "Big Hero 6," "Zootopia," "Moana" and more. Laura is the Director of Marketing for Disney Music Group and has been with the company for 15 years. Laura works closely with our businesses to develop music strategies and marketing plans for soundtracks. Join LaJoy as she talks with Kate and Laura to learn more about their roles and career journeys!

We’re officially back with Season 2 of the Life at Disney Podcast! We’re kicking off this season with a special episode where you’ll meet our hosts, Cassie, Steven, LaJoy, Stephen, and Natalie. Join us as Ally, a Life at Disney Podcast producer, sits down for a roundtable conversation with Cassie, LaJoy, Steven, Natalie, and Stephen. Hear from your hosts for the season as they talk all things Life at Disney, their favorite Disney memories, and their current roles with the company.

Started on the Disney College Program and now they’re AMBASSADORS! Walt Disney World Ambassadors Shannon and Serena join Holly and Destiny to talk about their Disney career journeys how they still use the skills from their College Program in their roles today. Welcome to season three of our miniseries, where we’ll discuss all things about life on the Disney College Program! For more than 40 years, this unique internship experience has brought magic makers to Walt Disney World® Resort from across the country and many participants go on to have lasting careers with The Walt Disney Company. Shannon completed her first Disney College Program at Disneyland in parking and transportation. Then, she came over to Walt Disney World for a second program in attractions before landing a Disney Internship in recruitment. Serena completed her Disney College Program at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom. After graduating, she came back to Florida for a Disney Internship in sourcing. Today, Shannon and Serena make up the 2024-2025 Walt Disney World Ambassador team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Disney College Program recruiters are BACK on campus! Recruiter Savone, Disney Programs Representative Maya and their team might just be visiting your college or university. Welcome to season three of our miniseries, where we’ll discuss all things about life on the Disney College Program! For more than 40 years, this unique internship experience has brought magic makers to Walt Disney World® Resort from across the country and many participants go on to have lasting careers with The Walt Disney Company. Savone kicked off her Disney career as a maid at the Haunted Mansion during her Disney College Program and then transitioned to a leadership role at EPCOT through the Disney Hospitality Leadership Program. Now she’s a College & International Programs recruiter and gets to visit campuses across the country. Maya completed her Disney College Program in parking during the Fall 2023 season before transitioning to her current role as one of our new Disney Programs Reps! You can catch her recruiting for Disney Programs at University of Central Florida. The pair are reminiscing on their programs, giving tips and tricks for future applicants and answering some questions from our social media followers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our participants know that the opportunities are endless on the Disney College Program! Just ask our guests, Kendall and Andre. Welcome to season three of our miniseries, where we’ll discuss all things about life on the Disney College Program! For more than 40 years, this unique internship experience has brought magic makers to Walt Disney World® Resort from across the country and many participants go on to have lasting careers with The Walt Disney Company. Kendall is a recent graduate from Winthrop University and a merchandise hostess at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, where she recently became a trainer. Andre is a recent graduate from Five Towns College and a park greeter at Magic Kingdom. Andre has dreamed of working for Disney since he was a kid. Meanwhile, Kendall applied for the Program on a whim. Now they’re both planning to stay in Florida to continue their careers with Disney! Learn about how they are making the most of their Disney College Program, what it’s been like moving away from home, what they love about living in Florida and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So what’s the Disney College Program really like? We’re sitting down with two current participants to find out! Welcome to season three of our miniseries, where we’ll discuss all things about life on the Disney College Program! For more than 40 years, this unique internship experience has brought magic makers to Walt Disney World® Resort from across the country and many participants go on to have lasting careers with The Walt Disney Company. Tasia works in merchandise at Magic Kingdom and recently became a trainer. She’s an Alabama A&M alumna and started her journey through the Disney College Program HBCU Cohort. Isaac works in outdoor foods at Magic Kingdom. He’s a current student at Modesto Junior College and a first-generation college student. They talk building connections to further their careers, the perks of extending their programs, living with roommates at Flamingo Crossings Village and so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Walt Disney first said, “It requires people to make the dream a reality.” Today, we’re we’re kicking back with Disney College Program alumni who not only made those dreams come true during their programs but are also bringing their professional wishes to life since then! First, hear from Stephanie, who shares how her experience and transferable skills from the program helped her reach her dream role with The Walt Disney Company! Then, listen as Ruben shares how his Disney journey has taken him from volunteering at The Walt Disney Family Museum to working in custodial at Disney California Adventure Park to most recently, supporting the Disney+ Original Series "Obi-Wan Kenobi” with Industrial Light & Magic.

Making candy apples? Check! Tossing a coin in Cinderella’s Wishing Well? Absolutely! No matter what’s on your Disney College Program bucket list, we're ready to help you achieve it all and more. And today, we have two guests who are living their best lives at Disney! Tune in as our first guest Edwin Diaz, an aspiring Disney animator all the way from New York, shares how he’s living on his own for the first time and loving it. Then, hear from Diamond Gaston, a Merchandise cast member at five unique Disney Springs shops, who spends her free time making memories with her coworkers and building lasting friendships. Get ready to discover all the magic you can experience on your own Program!