Since 2006, Walt Disney World Resort has welcomed deserving high schoolers to participate in an immersive mentorship program every March. Tens of thousands of teenagers from across the US apply for the opportunity to participate, but the tedious judging process yields only 100 individuals to participate in the ultra-exclusive Disney Dreamers Academy.
Disney Dreamers Academy Parade
The VIP Treatment
Disney Dreamers Academy is not an afterthought in any way for The Walt Disney Company. This four-day event is executed in a fantastical way. Suffice it to say, participants – better known as “Dreamers” – are treated to an experience that is, simply put, grand and celebratory. From the moment the selected Dreamers (who are accompanied by a parent or guardian) are flown from their hometowns and transported to Walt Disney World, they are effectively VIPs who are fully encapsulated within a “Disney Bubble.” Each Dreamer is assigned a Walt Disney World Cast Member (called a “Disney Rep”) that volunteers time from their jobs with Disney to serve as docents for the duration of the event. Additionally, Dreamers receive complimentary deluxe accommodations within a resort at Walt Disney World, all meals, exclusive experiences, and access to visit Walt Disney World parks, of course. But wait there’s more! After the Welcome Breakfast and Celebration on the first day, Dreamers are transported to Magic Kingdom Park to participate in a parade in their honor, which officially kicks off their Disney Dreamers Academy journey.
Celebrity Integration
This year, actress and Grammy Award-nominated singer Halle Bailey is the Disney Dreamers Academy Celebrity Ambassador. During an interview, I asked Bailey for her best piece of advice for the Dreamers to persevere and maintain their dreams.
“Keep your head on straight and don’t let anyone steer you from your dreams,” said Bailey. “Keep moving forward, put your blinders on – some days will be hard, but you’ve got to keep going. Keep it up and you’ll do great!”
Bailey’s advice explains how she has been able to stay steady and focused after some very unfortunate, insensitive, and racially-charged commentary that ensued after the trailer of Disney’s forthcoming The Little Mermaid live-action film debuted last September. She portrays the film’s lead character, Ariel.
In addition to Bailey, a cavalcade of celebrities made appearances at this year’s Disney Dreamers Academy to inspire and motivate the students to stay on track and be their authentic selves. The celebrity line-up included Grammy Award-winning songwriter and singer H.E.R.; Oscar-winning director and Grammy Award-winning producer/musician Questlove; NAACP Image Award-winning actress and producer Marsai Martin; and NAACP Image Award-nominee actress Jo Marie Payton, who voices of The Proud Family’s Suga Mama and famously portrayed Harriet Winslow in Family Matters in the late-1980s and ’90s.
Down to Business
Disney cast member and Disney Dreamers Academy host Princeton Parker set the tone and pacing throughout the event. As a Disney Dreamers Academy alum (class of 2011), Princeton intimately understands the Dreamers experience as well as the expectations that are in front of each of them, so he keeps participants energized throughout the event.
Dreamers are exposed to many areas of career options with the guidance of Disney cast members and external professionals who are experts in their areas of business, science and technology, entertainment and storytelling, and service-focused disciplines. Through the assistance of these professionals, the Dreamers participate in rigorous training in career-oriented workshops, leadership seminars, and presentations by celebrity guests, community leaders, educators, and Disney executives, all of which culminates in demonstrations of their efforts throughout the last evening of Disney Dreamers Academy. Whether its law, politics, education, media arts, filmmaking, branding, graphic design, etc., the Dreamers are fully immersed into areas of their specific interest. With all the guidance that Disney Dreamers Academy affords its participants, it’s clear that the organization’s visionaries have thoughtfully and intentionally crafted a program to develop future leaders long before they graduate high school and enter a multi-year educational institution.
Gen Z slackers? Far from it.
The 2023 class of Disney Dreamers Academy includes a diverse group of individuals who are as insightful as they are articulate, and many of them exude a significant degree of intellect that is typically found in individuals who have successfully completed graduate school. What’s more, a considerable number of the Dreamers already have established businesses, are active in their communities, and have created concepts that are ready for the marketplace – and this is all being accomplished while attending high school. Here’s a brief lineup of some of the 2023 Dreamers:
Dreamers from the 2023 Disney Dreamers Academy
Setting the Example
Current Walt Disney World Ambassador Raevon Redding encouraged the Dreamers to “Speak your dreams into existence!”
While in high school, Raevon applied to participate in Disney Dreamers Academy, but unfortunately, he wasn’t selected. Nevertheless, Raevon maintained a dream to become a Walt Disney World Ambassador. After a several years of hard work and believing for his dream to become a reality, he received a call that would be life-changing. In 2021, Raevon became one of several Black Americans to be selected as a Walt Disney World Ambassador. Raevon’s story was inspirational and was well received by all attendees.
“This is a transformative and life-changing experience and we take that very, very seriously,” said Tracey Powell, Walt Disney World Vice President and Disney Dreamers Academy Executive Champion. “This is a moment in their journey, but what a way for Disney to come in and commit to that moment.”
