Working at Walt Disney World

Cinderella Castle during Tinkerbell’s flight at the end of Happily Ever After (Fireworks)

They say Disney World is the most Magical Place on Earth. You’d think that feeling is just clever marketing but honestly, that might be underselling it. I left everything I know when I went to work for the mouse in Florida, yet it quickly became home despite being filled with hundreds of different strangers everyday.

As a Photopass Photographer in the Magic Kingdom I think I can safely say we had the best job across all the parks. We got to celebrate with guests, be the highlight of their day, and leave them with memories that will last forever. I got to stand in front of Cinderella’s Castle and take photos of it full-time. There were moments when we got sick of the castle if you can believe it.

A photo of me Photographing a group in front of Cinderella Castle

But Photopass does more than just take photo’s of friends and families in front of the Cinderella Castle. We take photo’s during character meet and greets to. Across my time at the company I was lucky enough to work with Mirabel, Stitch, Queen Elena, Mulan, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald and Daisy, Pooh and Tiger, as well as the wonderful character attendant’s team (who in my opinion are incredibly under-rated).

Each and every time I was stationed with a character, I got to see not just one but multiple children’s and adult’s face light up with the magic of Disney. Some crying with tears of joy seeing these characters they had only known through screens suddenly be bought to life before them.

In my time I did also pick up in Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and while it was nice to occasionally have a break from Magic Kingdom and shoot Space Ship Earth, Pandora, and The Tower of Terror, none of those parks felt quite like home the way Magic Kingdom did.

Leaving my fellow cast members, Magic Kingdom, and the rest of the community at Disney World has left me a little depressed. Leaving the place where dreams come true, and everyone gathers for the fireworks, or the parades.

However the magic has given me clarity, a goal, and a career I want to pursue. While I’m not sure that I entirely owe it to Disney, it certainly helped me come to that conclusion much faster.