Living My Disney Dream

When You Wish Upon A Star...

Ever since I was young, I loved Disney. We would take family trips there each year, and we always watched Disney movies together at our home in Connecticut growing up. By the time I was in 7th grade, I knew my dream was to go to college, live in Florida and work at Disney.

Charge On!

My college dream came true when I got into the Inclusive Education Services (IES) program at UCF in the fall of 2016, where I majored in hospitality. Throughout college, I got to visit Disney. Not too long after I graduated from UCF in the spring of 2019, I got involved with a Best Buddies inclusive fundraising opportunity, where I was matched with my community partner who had worked for Disney for 15 years. Together, we raised money for the Best Buddies Orlando Jobs program and even won Champion of the Year!

Landing My First Disney Dream Job | Pirates and Pals

Shortly after winning Champion of the Year, I interviewed for a “Pirates and Pals” position at the Disney Contemporary Resort. It was February 2020 when I landed my first Disney dream job as a host for the “Pirates and Pals” experience. Every single day on my way to work, I took a selfie in front of the Disney World archway. I was living my dream as a Disney cast member!

Overcoming Obstacles | The Launch of Justinspiration.org

Only a few weeks after I started my dream job at Disney, the world came to a stop due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because I was so high-risk, I couldn’t go to work. I was furloughed and eventually laid off. But I used the time to launch my website, Justinspiration.org, and host monthly virtual events. For the month of May 2021, I hosted Justinspiration’s Virtual Disney Night, where we sang Disney songs, played Disney jeopardy and had a blast.

Landing My Second Disney Dream Job | The Boathouse

Then, after 14 months of being furloughed, I went to an interview at the Boathouse at Disney Springs and landed my second Disney dream job as a restaurant host. Now that I’m fully vaccinated, I can’t wait to continue living my Disney dream as a host at the Boathouse!