BY ALEX THOMAS
April 4, 2017
An Edgewood College student is putting his college life on hold to take part in a program at one of the most magical places in the country.
Connor Glasbrenner, a freshman deciding between English and Communications, is working as a college programmer in the Merchandise section of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
While working roughly 40 hours a week, mostly nights, he works both in sales and operations. Some nights he clocks out at 11 p.m., but other nights, he will be there until 3 a.m. Because of all the children, his section is one of the last to leave in the day because of the sheer volume of products sold.
“Magic Kingdom is the busiest park in Disney World,” said Glasbrenner. “It’s hectic, but time just flies when you’re there. It’s that busy.”
Glasbrenner found out about the program through friends in high school who have completed it. Each person said it was a wonderful experience and a great resume booster.
The acceptance rate for the program is low, so Glasbrenner knew that he had to take the opportunity while it was available.
“After I started my first semester at Edgewood, I was kind of like ‘Oh, I can apply for that now’, so I did, and I got in.”
Glasbrenner was placed in Merchandise because of his experience in retail. He worked just about every position at Walgreens for three years in high school.
His job is split into Merchandise and Operations, on the typical day he will be doing sales work and helping patrons with their “mobility devices” – mainly strollers and wheelchairs. He also has become adept at fixing strollers once they break and will travel throughout the park to help.
Outside of the job, Connor has gotten to see behind the scenes tours—for example the Kilimanjaro Safari and Expedition Everest. He also had the opportunity to be an audience member on the View, the long running ABC morning talk show.
As a member of the program, Connor is getting a chance to see a sneak peek at the opening of Pandora, a new expedition within Animal Kingdom, a month before it opens.
“It’s those cool little opportunities that have helped make the experience really interesting,” said Glasbrenner.
On March 23, he signed up for the summer and will be staying through July. He plans on returning to Edgewood College next fall.
