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erica nelson

@ericahnelson

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“a woman of the people” ✨
cofc ‘23
wdw cm 💫
ca | sc | fl 📍

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3 years with the walt disney company !!!

last month i celebrated three years working at disney world. it’s absolutely flown by. the amount of different things i’ve gotten to do in only 3 years is crazy. from being a character attendant on my college program, to going to epcot custodial, becoming a relief coordinator (one of my fav role/opportunities yet!!!), and getting to come back to entertainment as an attendant again has been nothing short of astounding luck, magic, and a ton of fun. not a day goes by that i go to work and i dont marvel at how lucky i am. i practically grew up at disneyland, and one day i realized that people get to live at disney and work there. once i realized that, there was no going back for me.

since then, getting to work for the mouse has been a dream realized, though different than i imagined, and more than i could ever hope for. the things i’ve gotten to do, see, experience, have been things i dreamed of my whole life. getting to open the world showcase in epcot and watch the sunrise was something i never knew i needed, and i feel so grateful to have been given the opportunity to see countless amazing things because of custodial. character attending has allowed me to know characters i grew up with on a level only a few get to experience. when i tell you mickey and i are besties, i genuinely mean it. my trainer, emily, on my college program, told me that i will spend more time with mickey mouse in one shift than most people will ever in their whole lives. i hope that blessing, and others, are never lost on me, even when the days get long and difficult. i only hope i continue to be blessed with opportunities to grow and learn within the company.

to everyone i’ve met because of disney: i love you. you know who you are. you are all made of magic. you are the reason people like me wanted to make magic in the first place. im so thankful i get to be here.

“thank you evening star!!!” ✨🪄 by @ericahnelson

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a month ago

one short day to have a lifetime of fun 💚💫

my first time in nyc for a short 24 hours was just what i needed. now who’s going back with me to see megan in moulin rouge?? like…seriously. taken in Gershwin Theater by @ericahnelson

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7 months ago

happy 70th disneyland. there’s really no place like home. love celebrating you from all the way out here 🩷 #disneyland70 by @ericahnelson

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a year ago

trust, there will be more 🤞 #waltdisneyworld #towerofterror #disney #glambot taken in Walt Disney World Resort by @ericahnelson

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a year ago

a lil late 2024 compilation ✨

i know it’s february leave me alone. so much happens in my life that i have to be thankful for that sometimes it feels like too much so keep up with on instagram. i can’t promise i’ll be better, but i can promise imma post WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT. 2024, as each year does, taught me a lot, took a lot (thank god, u can keep it!!!), and gave me that much more. this is literally only june-dec 2024 so i might post another dump, and i also need to post this years content! (which is already stacking up). thankful for friends, for opportunities to grow and learn, thankful for food, thankful for family. thankful for divine timing placing people and opportunities in my lap when i need them most. will be posting more “late posts” but better late than never i guess. it won’t be a year ‘till u hear from me again. happy to be alive, booked, busy, and with u all, life is good! 🩵✨ by @ericahnelson

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2 years ago

2023 was BUSY! and a lot happened but something i didn’t really talk about in here was that last january my grandma passed away. being across the country from your family when you lose a loved one is…hard. to put it simply. from january on, i was focused on doing things that would make her proud like painting, graduating, following my dreams, working hard, having fun. and i realize now that sometimes living for the memory of someone gives us the boost to live for ourselves as well. it pushes us to do things we might not have done otherwise, or maybe even be bold enough to live out our childhood dreams. this year i might have lost her but i also graduated college (magna cum laude i might add), started a DREAM job at disney world, made friends from around the world, laughed, cried, painted, danced, auditioned, tried new things, did things that were scary and did them scared anyway!!! and i think that’s what life is about. trying things, making friends, and enjoying our time on earth. i realized that all the things i was doing to make her proud were things that i LOVED, things that younger me would’ve lost her mind about! so go do those things!! following my childhood dreams and hobbies has brought me profound peace. im so grateful for this year, it was so monumental for me. to anyone and everyone, close friends, BESTIES, performers, fellow attendants, family, LITERALLY ANYONE who has shared their light and laughter with me this year. THANK YOU. weather you knew it or not, you helped me remember why life is so special and you helped me remember her too. and now, after a whole year, i know that every time i follow my heart, laugh, live for ME, and enjoy life i’m also making her (and little me) proud. if i could tell her all of this i know she’d be so so excited and follow it up with a good ole “i’m not surprised though, erica, it’s you.” and i really like the sound of that. by @ericahnelson

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3 years ago

i f*cking hate doja cat taken in State Farm Arena by @ericahnelson

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3 years ago

happy 100! we’re just getting started ✨ by @ericahnelson

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3 years ago

follow your dreams, kids. sometimes they even come true ✨ taken in Walt Disney World by @ericahnelson

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3 years ago

i never really took a second to talk about my last week in charleston and the people who made it so memorable. i flew to charleston in 2019 with about 4 suitcases, my parents, and a boy, and left with a uhaul (thank u for driving, dad) and a group of people who feel like siblings, twin flames, soulmates (and single, praise god). everything in my life is weird and feels like it was meant to be, and charleston is no different. i arrived scared and left not only unafraid to face the world, but ready to tackle it. through gaining and losing friends, ppl i thought were gonna be in my life forever, hard classes, zoom classes in completely different time zone, and being away from literally everyone i know, if you would have told me in 2019, or even 2021, when i came back post-pandemic, that i would be sobbing the day i left, i would have punched u. literally. but having my friends support me and love me the way they did while i moved away at the end of august was humbling. to all of my charleston people, i love you so hard. after everything i’ve been through up to this point, from the very first picture with clyde to the last, to be at this level of happiness, the only way i can describe what i feel is immense gratitude.

i guess im saying all this to say to not follow a boy across the country, BUT when they live in a really cool city GO ANYWAY!! you’ll fall in love with the city instead 🤭✨ taken in Charleston, South Carolina by @ericahnelson

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3 years ago

when u pinky promise ur boss that you’ll be his character attendant YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN! 😉 by @ericahnelson

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3 years ago

do i think princess week being the same week i became a cast member was a coincidence? absolutely not. ✨🏰🤍

i’ve been manifesting and dreaming about this one for a LONG time and wow, does it feel good. it’s really starting to set in that i’m living the life i’ve dreamt about for so long, so i’m currently trying to slow down and live in the moment. to anyone and everyone who has believed in me, taught me, gone with me to disney, stood in line to meet characters with me, watched countless parades and shows with me, and told me that i was capable of achieving my dreams, thank you.

sometimes you really just have to leave that tower and chase those floating lights. ☀️🌸 taken in Magic Kingdom by @ericahnelson

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3 years ago