Buffets, complimentary merchandise, and free park hopper passes? It probably sounds like a passel of celebrities was in town, but au contraire – it was just members of the Florida Scholastic Press Association (FSPA), visiting Orlando to attend a student press event. The event was entitled Disney Media Day and was hosted by Disney Youth Programs.
On Friday, February 22, students and advisors woke up early to make the long drive to the theme parks.
“I was so jealous when I heard that journalism kids were getting to skip school to go to Disney for free,” senior Tiffany Townsley said.
Check-in for the event began at 8:30 a.m. at the entrance to Hollywood Studios, where participants were met by a Disney cast member who escorted them to the room where the event would commence. After a brief opening ceremony, students and advisors divided into two separate groups – Disney Leadership Strategies and Fundamentals of Photo Storytelling. They then were transported by bus to Epcot, where they participated in separate sets of activities.
Students in the Leadership Strategies group discussed entrepreneurs – especially Walt Disney, participated in an activity that involved working for a pretend company named Hot Dogs, and had the chance to hear a presentation by Disney Institute facilitator Joseph Gardner. Gardner shared his working experience and gave the students leadership advice.
“If we’re not changing and growing [as leaders and workers], we’re stagnating and deteriorating,” Gardner said.
On the other hand, students in the Fundamentals of Photo Storytelling group learned how to more easily determine what pictures told the best story and whether they should keep or delete photos, as digital cameras allowed them to store a limitless supply of images.
“The class gave me a good insight on what photos can properly tell a story. Plus, it was really fun getting to do all of that inside of Epcot,” senior Libby Rodnite said.
The two groups reunited at a complimentary lunch, during which students and advisors had the chance to interact with both their counterparts from other schools and with Disney’s Youth Education Series leaders, some of whom had been working for the park for twenty years or more.
“Our YES group leader Breanna had two master’s degrees and was planning on going back to college to get a doctorate,” Natasha Scruggs, a journalism student from West Palm Beach, said. “She even got married at Disney. I thought it was awesome.”
The day concluded with talks by a variety of people, including John Cutsinger, a senior creative accounts manager from Jostens, and Gary Buchanan, the social media managing editor and celebrity manager for Disney. Students and advisors were then released into the park, leaving them free to wander wherever they chose and – just maybe – experience a little bit of Disney magic.