Real Life Fairy Godmother Helps Cast Member Recreate Lost Memories
When Hurricane Ian reared its ugly head, it created massive amounts of damage. We often think of home and property destruction as the most devastating part of storms like this one but in reality…it’s the memories. Houses are just building, they can be replaced, sure no one wants to lose their home and to do so is devastating but it’s usually about what was inside the home that is the worst part.
One Cast Members, Lucretia (Lu) discovered this after the storm ravaged Central Florida. You see, she is a PhotoPass photographer at Walt Disney World but that wasn’t always what she did. Before she came to Disney she was a professional dancer. She danced alongside stars in productions such as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Andrew Llyod Webber’s “Requiem Variations.” She cherished her photos from these experiences saying, “I feel that I am constantly having to prove myself…that I belong…that I’m worthy. My photos told the story of my life experiences. They were my proof.” However, when the storm came and the water rose, a nearby lake flooded her home and destroyed those precious possessions.
That is, until her Disney family swooped in like a real life Fairy Godmother! One of the Candlelight Processional narrators* happened to have been a performer in one of the productions Lu danced in. Her fellow Cast Members coordinated a meet and greet with the narrator and in that moment were able to recreate at least one of Lu’s lost photos. “It was truly magical and just what I needed,” Lu reminisces. “I had the opportunity to experience the magic we provide to our guests every day. To be honest, the pixie dust hasn’t settled yet.” This real life fairy tale is one Lu will always remember.
*Disney has chosen to keep the photo and name of the narrator private to protect anonymity. The photo above is of Lu and Ambassador Ali who helped coordinate the experience.
