Overcoming Obstacles

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Castaway Cay to the Dream

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My first role with Disney Cruise Line was lifeguard on Castaway Cay. When I boarded the Disney Dream and saw Cruise Staff interacting with guests, I knew I wanted to do work towards a role with such an impact. After months of familiarizing myself with the company and developing myself in my then current role, I began the search to learn the process to transition into it. I was told that it was impossible.

 

Internally, I decided to prove this mindset wrong. Upon every monthly ship rotation, I sought to observe, shadow, ask questions, and meet managers. When an opportunity became available to open a lifeguarding position on the ship, I pursued and was given the role.  I rolled out the program on three of the four ships in our fleet.

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Cruise Staff

 

Several contracts in, upon inquiring about transitioning from lifeguarding into a Cruise Staff role, I was told I wasn't qualified to handle ship scheduling. But, I was already working full time on the ship. I wouldn’t let a single "no" stop me. I kept pushing and auditioning. My motivation? I wanted to be part of cultivating the guest experience. 

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As a lifeguard, I was limited to interact with Guests for a single day of their vacation. These interactions were not only limiting in scope, but also limiting in nature. To put it simply, I was the person who told families "no." My role was to inform them of what they were unable to do; i.e. climb rocks, swim out of bounds, and such. I wanted more. I wanted and still want to effect guest experiences on a broader scale.

 

I was moving in that direction. As lifeguard on the ship, I was able to build rapport and impact families for a week. Next, I wanted to turn "no" into "yes." Within the Port Adventures role, I was able to show families the world. I traveled to 37 destinations, absorbing cultures and experiences, remaining a learner. As Cruise Staff I became a grounding wire for families to create positive memories together.

 

For the first time, my intentionality had somewhere to focus. I began to have a hand in creating meaning for guest's stay, making their experiences magical and memorable. I discovered the privilege and joy of living out the job type I wanted to be in.

 

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Becoming Friends

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Multiple contracts later, I continued to push myself, seeking new responsibilities,  I became involved with more shows more characters and more experience. To date, I have been signed off on 118+ shows, both for guests and peers. I have become a Hybrid performer trained to be Friends with our World famous Disney Characters. My favorite onstage moments are the ones in which I see children light up with excitement through the eyes of our Disney friends.

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Backstage Magic & Beyond

 

Yet, onstage is only part of making magic. I have made it a purposeful venture to become excellent in logistical operations. I know that these backstage labors are what ensure onstage magic can happen. I have learned the operations standpoint for every department I have worked in so far. These include: schedules, orders, requests, voyage incident reports, and guest recovery.

 

As I look towards the future, I am ready for my next voyage aboard the Halcyon to be apart of a franchise I am so passionate about and with which I have so much personal history. 

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Into The Galaxy

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Growing up on Star Wars movies and novels from Timothy Zahn, Tolkien, CS Lewis, Tad Williams, George RR Martin, and others gave me a passion for living my adventure.  

 

Years later, during my tenure with Disney company I find out we bought the rights to Lucas Films, Star Wars and Marvel. My immediate response was, "Yes!" The adventures of my childhood were about to come to life. I began to dream towards the stars.

 

Knowing the immersive work Disney teams put into their experiences, I began to wonder what Star Wars inspired lands, books, and movies would look like. My excitement soared.  When The Force Awakens opened in theaters I was reunited with my brothers to once again experience something as a family. Having that moment with them showed me how Star Wars has a unique ability to unite families, bridge generations, and spark imagination in so many people. And I am so thankful for that. 

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Progressing further into my Disney career, I pursued and was given a role in Family and Adult Entertainment. This gave me the opportunity to be on the opening team for Star Wars Day at Sea. I opened programs, created blocking books, and gave feedback for the success of the day. I began to live my dream each week, with each embark. Since then, I have been apart of Star Wars Day at Sea, helping it evolve into the successful operation it is today.

 

When Galaxy's Edge opened, I eagerly waited for time off on a Saturday to explore the land for a few hours before heading back to the ship to prepare for that week's embark. Batuu was everything I hoped it would be. I not only got lost in the lore from the comics and books in cannon, I watched guests around me do the same.  We were in awe of the level of detail and fully immersive storytelling.

 

When Rise of the Resistance opened, I joined the opening day festivities alongside many Star Wars fans, families, and others who had waited patiently for years. 5 years of dedication and experience went into the experience and it showed. I was and am so impressed by the level of detail and storytelling achieved within the attraction. But the experience went beyond a single attraction. The frontline cast who traveled to the edge of the Galaxy at 3:45am to greet us with a smile and help us experience this masterpiece. The level of passion, curtesy, professionalism, and dedication to excellence showed. This is the type of team I aspire to be apart of. 

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When I was furloughed off of Disney Cruise Lines I wasted no time in acquiring a position at Starbucks to add a brand new avenue of experience within the food and beverage world. Quickly my hard work and relentless pursuit of excellence attained me to train new partners into the Starbucks brand. My achievements were acknowledged by my entire district and soon after I was promoted into leadership within my store where I learn everyday from the experiences and worldview of Baristas I lead.

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Walt Disney World then started to post job positions on disneyjobs.com and I started conversations to rejoin magic makers around the world to create magic again for our guests. The position I landed was yet another new field and experience to put into my belt, an assistant server at the Coral Reef restaurant in EPCOT. I have been thrilled to be apart of the WDW family and to create magic once again. But the stars were calling, and a starcruiser was getting ready to take immersive storytelling to the next level.

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I am ecstatic to share my involvement as part of the opening team for Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. I was able to use my Disney Cruise Line background and experience to help create and originate the passenger services role aboard the Halcyon. Passenger Services handles various lines of business such as Concierge, Bell Services, Food and Beverage, Merchandise, Housekeeping, Transportation, Attractions, Recreation, Back Office, and More. I have also joined as a full-time trainer, facilitator, and relief coordinator. My goal is to inspire our crew to Dare to Dream, Aim to Inspire, Cultivate their Community, and Leave a Legacy.

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I am excited for my next adventure in the depths of wild space.

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PMP and Beyond

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Throughout my career with Disney and outside in my entrepreneur experiences I have been apart of so many projects and productions. I didn't quite know that Project Management was a career plan that was available. So after talking with a few mentors, I leaned in and gained 60+ months of Project Management Experience and decided to go for my PMP certification to pursue a career in this field. 

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Project Management encompasses everything that I have enjoyed within Disney the last 12 years. Bringing people together to collaborate, removing barriers, enabling creativity, communicating vision, connecting teams, and seeing the bigger picture. I am excited to take my operational experience, my tactical knowledge with scope, budgets, and schedules, to create projects that make an impact.

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