By: Elizabeth Iafelice

The Happiest Place on Earth and The Place Where Dreams Come True- these are just two titles for the company that I work for.  When offered the chance to attend a lecture for The Disney College Program I jumped at it.  Disney has fostered great memories for me.  The chance to make these memories for others sounded like the perfect job for me, a Theatre/Communications Major.

It was during the middle of my phone interview when I realized just how important the organizations I am part of at Loyola were to my professional development.  An example of this would be Loyola Ambassadors.  When asked if I was able to memorize information and give tours I was able to answer “Yes” without a second thought.

My Theatre classes taught me to memorize large scripts, much like the 40-page script I had to memorize on my third day of Disney training.  Loyola helped me to get to this position and I know that I am prepared for whatever task is given to me.

When I arrived in Orlando I took classes on the history of Disney to better understand the company for which I am working.  I found out the next day that I would be working in Hollywood Studios at The Great Movie Ride, my favorite attraction.

Following a week of training I had to “earn my ears” and pass an evaluation.  My evaluation required me to correctly answer a 100 question test, give four tours to Disney visitors, and show that I can work the four other positions at the ride.  I am glad to say that I passed!

Right now I am able to work 40 hours a week, pay my rent, and even spend time with the wonderful new friends I have met.  I look forward to what will happen next week when I take my “Creativity and Innovation” course.

Stay tuned!

Elizabeth Iafelice is a Theatre/Communications Senior at Loyola University and is currently participating in the Disney Internship Program in Orlando, FL.