WDW Magazine February 2021 | Page 71

But one of my favorite memories occurred before I ever became an Imagineer , back when I was still a young Cast Member working at the front desk of Disney ’ s

Contemporary Resort . One evening , one of our large ballrooms was hosting an internal event not open to our guests . As soon as my shift ended , I went upstairs to check it out .

I peeked my head in and saw a wonderful show taking place : a talent contest open only to the

Cultural Ambassadors — the Cast Members who worked in EPCOT ’ s World Showcase and were native to the country they were representing . Up on stage , Ambassadors in traditional costumes performed a variety of acts that were hallmarks of their homelands : dancing , singing , magic , acrobatics , and more .

While some of the acts were particularly good , others were very amateurish , which , in my opinion , added to the charm and authenticity . The coolest thing was looking around the room and seeing how all these people from different cultures had been brought together at Disney and were sharing a very special evening of fun and camaraderie . In that one room , on that one night , it most certainly was a small world after all .

Thanks for reading this month ’ s edition of Figments of my Imagineering . Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments on the WDW Magazine Facebook page — we always love to hear from you !

But one of my favorite memories occurred before I ever became an Imagineer , back when I was still a young Cast Member working at the front desk of Disney ’ s

Contemporary Resort . One evening , one of our large ballrooms was hosting an internal event not open to our guests . As soon as my shift ended , I went upstairs to check it out .

I peeked my head in and saw a wonderful show taking place : a talent contest open only to the

Cultural Ambassadors — the Cast Members who worked in EPCOT ’ s World Showcase and were native to the country they were representing . Up on stage , Ambassadors in traditional costumes performed a variety of acts that were hallmarks of their homelands : dancing , singing , magic , acrobatics , and more .

While some of the acts were particularly good , others were very amateurish , which , in my opinion , added to the charm and authenticity . The coolest thing was looking around the room and seeing how all these people from different cultures had been brought together at Disney and were sharing a very special evening of fun and camaraderie . In that one room , on that one night , it most certainly was a small world after all .

Thanks for reading this month ’ s edition of Figments of my Imagineering . Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments on the WDW Magazine Facebook page — we always love to hear from you !