Anna Richards, a junior majoring in marketing and economics, has always loved Disney World.
Her parents and grandparents took her on a trip from their Baltimore County, Maryland, home for the first time when she was 12 years old. This semester, she’s returning for an internship through the Disney College Program.
“I remember thinking, ‘This feels like a completely different world,’” Richards said of her first encounter with the Magic Kingdom.
The atmosphere of magic was not created only by the iconic castle and Mickey Mouse ears – Richards noticed that part of the joy of Disney World came from the cast members themselves.
“These people are working, but they seem to be having the time of their lives,” she noted.
This singular experience led Richards into a lifelong love with the world of Disney. Movies, shows, a book collection and many visits later, she decided to take her love to the next level. During her sophomore year at Radford University, she applied to the Disney College Program, a semester-long paid internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Richards’ assignment in the college program is in the food and beverage sector, assisting with the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT. During the Food and Wine Festival, guests get to explore cuisine from different cultures, enjoy live music and join in on themed adventures such as “Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak” adventure – a scavenger hunt to find various Remy relics around the park.
A job in the food industry may not seem like it directly relates to a degree in marketing and economics, but Richards is learning valuable customer relations skills in the field – skills she hopes to use in a career in theme park management.
“I get to watch people come and enjoy an experience in a very profitable industry, and I get to be part of why they enjoy those experiences. I get to be boots-on-the-ground, learning what it takes to make people happy and enjoy the park.”
As an aspiring theme park operator, Richards sees guest experience as a critical asset in her skill set. This aspiration developed over the years, growing with each visit to Disney World and solidifying through the college program.
Richards saw how the magic of Disney did not dim even behind the scenes: “Even going in to work there, they manage to keep the Disney bubble alive for cast members, too.”
After getting to experience the magic, both as a guest and a cast member, Richards decided managing a theme park is definitely in her future.
“Why wouldn’t you want to build and be part of a place that makes people happy?”
One of her earliest days as a cast member in this internship proved that Richards is where she’s meant to be.
“I always take a moment to notice guests’ pins. Sometimes they say, ‘I’m celebrating’ or ‘It’s my birthday,’ so I always make sure to tell them congratulations or whatever the case may be. On my second day, a woman came up to me and said, ‘I just love listening to you interact with people and you bring so much joy!’ She ended up giving me my very first Cast Compliment!”
While Richards is doing two online classes to continue towards her degree and will join us back on campus next spring, she’ll be bringing a little bit of Disney magic back with her – complete with Mickey ears.