With Halloween just around the corner, everyone is putting together last-minute costumes. A classic but cute (and most likely hot!) outfit is a Disney princess, which for me brings back so many memories of watching Beauty and the Beast and Snow White for hours on end.
When I was in first grade, I received the best birthday present ever- a trip to Disney World. I was beyond excited. Being able to see all of the characters from my favorite movies was unreal. Disney World is a place of its own. It allows people to believe in magic and make their dreams come true. Around every corner is a new opportunity. And it’s in Florida which is always a plus. With so much excitement, it lives up to its reputation of being the happiest place on earth. Currently, Erica Martin is an intern at Disney World and has the opportunity to experience this excitement every day. I’m a little jealous to say the least, but hey, maybe she can give some advice to make our princess costumes look more authentic…
When did you first discover that you could intern with Disney and what was the application process like?
I had known that Disney had internships, but I thought the internships were major specific. A coworker of mine, and Disney College Program Alumni, told me that anyone in any major can apply for the Disney College Program. The application asked for all my contact information and what positions I would be most interested in doing while on the Program.
What activities do you perform with the internship?
I work in Full Service Food and Beverage. Full Service is equivalent to any “sit down” restaurant. Cape May Café at the Yacht and Beach Club, where I work, is a character breakfast in the morning and a clam bake at night. At Cape May Cafe, I am a podium cast member meaning I greet guests, assign guests their tables, and show guests to their seats.
Do you encounter Disney characters on a daily basis?
I get to hang out with Goofy, Minnie, and Donald every morning at Goofy’s Beach Bash at Cape May Cafe.
What’s your favorite Disney movie?
It is hard to pick one favorite Disney movie, but I loved Cinderella when I was a little girl. I also love Beauty and the Beast and Toy Story.
Who’s your favorite Disney character?
I love all the princesses, the Toy Story characters, and of course, Mickey Mouse!
Obviously being in Walt Disney World means amazing experiences. What’s the best one so far?
Meeting Cat Cora of Iron Chef America was really cool. She has a restaurant, Kouzzina, at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. Disney Internships hosts guest speakers and I was not only fortunate enough to be able to attend one with Cat Cora, I had a front row seat! During her presentation, we were able to try some of her food from Kouzzina (SOOO GOOD!!!), watch Kouzzina’s head chef do a demonstration, and ask Cat Cora any questions. The questions were about everything to do with her pathway to becoming a celebrity chef to cooking at home to the most challenging ingredient on Iron Chef America (she said barracuda). I’ve also had the chance to meet a lot of cool people from around the world, see new attractions and shows at the parks, and attend Disney College Program events such as Oktoberfest where we ate German food, saw Goofy and Daisy in their German attire, and did the Cha Cha Slide and the YMCA with hundreds of other Disney College Program participants.