Hello everybody and welcome to another post! Today we are going to be discussing a seminar that I was able to attend this February, put on by the Disney Programs & Internships Team, that I think you all will enjoy. In this seminar, we had Stephen Lim, one of the current Walt Disney World Ambassadors, come and talk to us Disney College Program participants about the Disney Ambassador Program, as well as the importance of dreams.

I hope to showcase how informational this seminar was and how everybody can use this lesson to propel their own dreams forward. I’ll talk a bit about the origins of the ambassador program, as well as about the importance of your dreams and the things you need to do in order to let them grow. So, with that being said, let’s get things started!

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History of Ambassador Program

The Disney Ambassador Program was first created in 1965 by Walt Disney himself. At the time, Walt’s schedule was overwhelmed with projects, such as the World’s Fair and Mary Poppins, and he needed someone to take on his duties over at Disneyland when he was away on business.

The first Disney Ambassador was Julie Reihm, who started her Disney Journey as a Tour Guide at Disneyland. Her position was created so Walt could tend to these other projects. While away, she was the official representative, for both Walt and the Disney brand, who could make appearances, give speeches, escort dignitaries, and more on his behalf.

For over 50 years, The Disney Ambassadors serve as hosts of goodwill for the Disney destinations they represent.  “In keeping with Walt’s vision, the Disney Ambassador program keeps moving forward, which is why their responsibilities cover a colorful spectrum of magic and memory-making both in the parks and beyond.”

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Dreaming Tree

Besides explaining what exactly the Disney Ambassador Program is, our guest speaker, Stephen, talked to us mainly about the importance of our dreams. While he may be one of the current Walt Disney World Ambassadors, Stephen actually started his Disney journey with the Disney College Program. He explained how he went from a Disneyland Resort CP to his position currently, including his jobs along the way. Throughout the seminar, he shared the below analogy of the Dreaming Tree and how we need to identify these aspects of ourselves to go after our dreams.

Roots – What do you want to do?

• Choices we make everyday
• Fuel us to reach higher
• Often unseen, known only to the tree
  • Priorities/what motivates you

Trunk – Who are the people in your life that build you up and encourage you?

• Support system
• Made up of the relationships we build
  • family/friends/coworkers/leaders

Leaves – What makes us unique?

• A tree is identified by its leaves
• What makes you unique?
• Represents our personal brand (an intersection between)
  • How you see yourself
  • How others see you
• Brand is developed over time (It always continues to grow)
• Perception is key –> “How do you perceive me?”
• Consistency and Appearance

2 things to stay with Disney 1) Persistence 2) Patience –> You need a balance of these in order to grow your career within the company

Branches – Little aspects/areas/opportunities for us to showcase our personal brand

• The ways we continue to grow
• How we extend our personal brand
  • When you have an opportunity, take it and run with it

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Review

So, I challenge you at home to take this analogy, and apply it to your own life. I did this the other day and came up with the following:

So always remember

• Vocalize your own dreams and ambitions
• Visualize your dreaming tree
• Create a tool to visualize those goals/ambitions
• There are always little victories along the way that help you get to your dream

What are my dreams and ambitions?

It’s funny how dreams work. They are constantly changing and involving, especially due to your environment. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, my hopes and dreams were to stay on after my College Program, going either full-time or part-time at Walt Disney World, go back to school and get my Masters, and make my way into the corporate side of the Parks & Resorts.

Since having the rest of my CP canceled and coming back home, I’ve realized the importance of still holding on to your dreams, despite hardship and bumps in the road. Even though it may seem difficult to achieve, I’m determined to get back down to Florida and pick back up where I last left off. It’s important to keep your goals in sight, but also know that you may have to be flexible with how you get to them.

I’ll be adjusting my dreaming tree with every development, and hopefully I can look back at this situation and appreciate how it contributed to my goals. So keep dreaming big friends, shoot for the stars, and keep evaluating those aspects of your life that will help you get there.

Until then, Keep Moving Forward

-Kacey