Coast Union High grad is living her dream with Disneyland job

How great is it to be living your dream, especially during the holiday season? Ariel Bruce is doing just that, being in her second year of college and having recently been hired by Disneyland.

The 19-year-old Coast Union High School grad performed in several musical productions in high school. She landed the plum role of Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls,” plus parts in “The Wizard of Oz,” “Bye, Bye Birdie” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

Ariel Bruce went all through school in Cambria, and now she is studying at the Collins College of Hospitality at Cal Poly Pomona.

According to her dad, Cambria’s Village Wizard Rick Bruce, his daughter has been a lifelong Disney fan, and joining the Disneyland staff has put her on the path to her goal of becoming a Disney wedding planner. Her first assignment is in the Disney California Adventure park in the Pacific Wharf food court area.

Ariel Bruce told her dad that “I feel really, really good to be there. I feel like I fit in perfectly there.” Rick Bruce added, “I’ll bet not everyone can say that about their first corporate job!”

He said, “It’s pretty cool, I think, that her first day of work was on Mr. (Walt) Disney’s birthday (Dec. 5). Apparently after their first day of training, the big mouse himself delivered a box with all of their name tags. Mickey also selected Ariel Bruce to receive a little Mickey Mouse statuette … In the short term, I believe she has her eye set on earning the blue name tag that is only awarded to the best cast members worldwide.”

And from there, the Disney sky’s the limit for Ariel Bruce and her dreams.

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Coast Union High grad is living her dream with Disneyland job."