Walt Disney Imagineering is routinely looking for its next creative, innovative, and imaginative member, but when Imagineering brings on a new Imagineer, it’s always one at a time. In fact, the group has never gotten a two-for-one deal when it comes to new Imagineers–until now.
Recently, a young woman named Jacklyn got an offer to become a communications professional intern at Walt Disney Imagineering. She was thrilled at the prospect of joining the team, and the feeling was mutual. But then the team at Walt Disney Imagineering discovered that Jacklyn was a package deal. Not only would the team be getting Jacklyn, but another member of her family as well–her service dog named Noodle.
Noodle always wears cute pink booties when she’s on a construction site, and she can often be seen curled up next to the wall. She’s the first-ever canine Imagineer in the United States. Very quickly, Noodle made friends across the Florida Imagineering campus. But Jacklyn’s and Noodle’s story began years ago.
Per Disney Parks Blog:
“I remember throwing Dollie – now Noodle – a toy when we first met, but she had no interest in it. Instead, she curled herself right in my lap, and I knew she was coming home with me,” Jacklyn explained. “Since then, I can count on one hand the amount of times we’ve been apart. She’s a lover, a cuddler, and she saves my life on a constant basis.”
Noodle is Jacklyn’s right-hand pup, able to detect any issues within her cardiac and respiratory systems. For this reason, Noodle follows Jacklyn wherever she goes – including to work. Jacklyn has been a professional intern for nearly a year in Walt Disney Imagineering’s communications department, and the experience has been everything she’s dreamed of and more.
Jacklyn says that Imagineering has gone out of its way to make sure that Noodle feels welcome–and that she’s happy and safe.
“I never thought I’d adopt a service animal, and it was intimidating coming into a new space without knowing how people would react to her,” Jacklyn explained. “Noodle was accepted immediately, and she’s truly a member of the Imagineering team.”
