Walt Disney World is home to four theme parks, two water parks, twenty-five resort hotels, and the Disney Springs shopping and dining area. There are many different departments and locations you can work in as a Cast Member. I was lucky enough to get picked to work at Disney’s Epcot in the World Showcase. Epcot is one of Disney’s four theme parks and is home to Future World and the World Showcase. Epcot stands for the “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow,” and was Walt’s vision of the perfect society. Unfortunately Walt never made it to see his dream come to life; however, Epcot has grown over the years allowing children and adults worldwide to discover, imagine and create. On Discovery Day, all new Cast Members get to take a tour of the park they will be working in. Two Cast Members took us around Epcot and then to the center of the park to watch the fountain show. They asked us to wave to our guests to practice courtesy, but what we didn’t know was during that, the music in the park cut out and an announcer came on the PA system asking guests to welcome their new cast members to Epcot. We were taken by surprise and many cried. We were not expecting this warm welcome to the Disney family. It was truly magical.
In Future World you will find thrill rides such as Soarin’ and Test Track. Across the way, you will find the World Showcase, which contains eleven different countries, all surrounding one lagoon. Each country has different architectural buildings and cuisine, each unique to their own culture. What sets Epcot apart from any other theme park is that all of the Cast Members who are working in the World Showcase work for their home country. People from all around the world come to Disney to work and represent their country. This allows our guests to be completely submersed in the culture and feel as if they have been transported into each different country. The World Showcase helps us appreciate the world as a whole, and learn about the diverse and cultural backgrounds it has to offer. I am lucky enough to be a part of this park because when taking the bus to my location I interact with hundreds of people from all around the world each day.
My role here at Epcot is to operate the watercraft, which takes people along the lagoon while giving facts about what each country has to offer on the PA system. I also captain the watercraft that transports people from Epcot to another Disney theme park called Hollywood Studios, with stops at three resort hotels. Our boats are called the Friendship Boats, and there are eight in total. I had no experience operating watercraft before moving down here; however, Disney had me take a course to certify me as a boat captain in the state of Florida and get me training on the waters. Once training started I was nervous because it is a tremendous amount of responsibility. I am operating seventy-foot boats with upwards of one hundred guests on board. I have to be able to dock these boats safely and as smoothly as possible. The Friendship Boats do not operate as most boats do, they have a 360-degree propeller in the back of the vessel, which allows us to stop and turn on a dime. Each day I am getting more comfortable operating the vessels, and just recently started letting guests on my boat.
My favorite guest interaction so far was when a little girl dressed up as Princess Anna came aboard with her family and asked if I was the Captain. I said, “Yes Princess Anna.” She then looked at her mom in disbelief that I actually thought she was a princess. Her smile made me realize that I can make a difference in someone’s life. Along with the responsibilities, I have while driving the boats, I also have a responsibility to make people’s lives better. Our guests also make me smile while at work. When they see I’m training and I finish docking the boat, some guests will come up to me and tell me I’m doing a great job and will sometimes clap, which makes me feel wonderful and less nervous. What other company can you work for where the guests (customers) treat you like family?
I cannot wait to get more in depth with how the boats operate, and some of my other responsibilities as a boat captain. I also look forward to having more magical moments with our guests and meeting new people from all around the world. Our mission here at Walt Disney World is to create happiness and make memories that last a lifetime. Follow me as I go on this journey with the Walt Disney Company.
Danny Piroli
Danny is from North Haven Connecticut. He is a junior at Albertus Magnus College majoring in Business Management with a concentration in International Business, and participating in the Disney College Program. In his spare time, Danny plays Hockey for the Connecticut Hockey League and is certified as a Boat Captain in the state of Florida.