Disney Cruise Line is a world leader in family cruising, I’ve been sailing for two years as a Specialized Theatre Technician in the Walt Disney Theatre, in charge of Props and Puppets.

Taken from the Disney Cruise Line website, the theatre is:

"A luxurious venue designed to handle today’s most complex productions.

Features include:

• An approximately 40-foot-wide proscenium stage
• Full-flying capabilities for moveable backdrops and scenery
• A projection system for animated scrims and stage lifts
• Pyrotechnic capabilities
• State-of-the-art lighting and sounds"

One of the Disney Cruise Liners that Michael has worked on (Image courtesy of Disney)

My role focuses on the maintenance of the props and puppets on board. Each ship houses three theatre shows which change out nightly and each show can have up to 150 individual prop or set pieces and around 10 puppets. Some of our puppets were created by the same teams behind Disney’s Broadway shows like Lion King and Frozen. Maintaining these shows can prove difficult at sea as stock is limited and the technicians are also involved with running the shows backstage, moving set pieces, handing off props and assisting with quick changes.

I have sailed with the Disney Dream, Fantasy, Magic and Wish – four of the ships currently in the fleet. I’ve sailed during the Mediterranean and Scandinavian itineraries but I’m mostly based out of Florida and the Bahamas for most of the year. Next month I’ll be taking part in the Disney Dream’s Atlantic crossing as it prepares for the European season. In the coming years, I hope to open the Disney Treasure and the Disney Adventure, two of the new ships coming to the fleet very soon.

If you are interested in a career like Michael's, you can contact him via the online portal to find out more.