Mixing a passion for baking and pastry arts, a love for Disney and a commitment to serving others can be a recipe for career success. And this is the exact formula Corrina Blose ’21 (baking & pastry arts) and ’22 (applied management) has followed to start her career. Blose serves as a pastry cook 1 for The Walt Disney Co., sharing her baking skills with guests at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.

PASSION FOR BAKING

Originally from Coplay, Blose’s love for baking started at a young age. 

“Growing up, I really enjoyed baking with my family,” she said, adding that she has core memories of baking tasty treats in her aunt’s kitchen.

That love led her to look for colleges that offered baking and pastry arts programs. Pennsylvania College of Technology was an obvious choice.

“I liked the mixture of different degrees, along with the location,” Blose shared.

She appreciated the variety of hands-on programs that Penn College offered, creating a diverse culture and network of students.

A BLEND OF HANDS-ON SKILLS AND COURAGE

Beyond the comprehensive, hands-on curriculum offered in baking & pastry arts, Blose’s two campus tours solidified her decision to attend Penn College.

“On my second tour, Chef Charles (Niedermyer) actually remembered me,” she said.

She was impressed with the instructor’s ability to recognize her, especially given how many students the school hosts for campus visits.

She spoke fondly of lab experiences in the baking & pastry arts program, emphasizing that hands-on learning and real-time problem solving still influence her work today. Blose reflected on the challenges of creating chocolate sculptures in the labs.

“I remember breaking them a lot and having to figure out a different way to make them,” she said.

Blose took advantage of the opportunity to add credentials during her time at Penn College, earning an applied management bachelor’s degree in 2022. Noting that she is shy by nature, Blose shared that her business and public speaking classes helped build her confidence and critical thinking skills while empowering her to advocate for herself and ask questions with courage.

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE: TWO KENTUCKY DERBY INTERNSHIPS

In addition to her hands-on baking lab experiences, Blose earned the opportunity to go to the Kentucky Derby two times while she was a student.

“I was really happy when I was selected,” she said.

She prepared food for Kentucky Derby guests at two locations – the Main Kitchen during her first year, and at The Mansion, a premier luxury suite at Churchill Downs, during her second year. Blose’s experience included not only preparing dishes, but also serving food to guests. She noted that one of the head Derby chefs spoke highly of her to Niedermyer, further reinforcing her confidence.

“I wish I could go back to the Derby,” she reflected. Blose appreciated learning more about culinary skills and high-volume production, which she feels increased her competitiveness as a cast member candidate with The Walt Disney Co.

LOVE FOR DISNEY

Like her interest in baking, Blose’s love for Disney started at a young age.

“When I was growing up, my family vacationed in Walt Disney World almost every year,” she shared.

She also attended dance tournaments at Walt Disney World while in high school. During those visits, she decided she may want to work there someday.

“It looked like the cast members really enjoyed their jobs,” she said.

COMMITMENT TO SERVICE AND LEARNING

Blose embodies commitment to service and learning through her strong work ethic and willingness to try new things. From learning and problem solving in her baking labs at Penn College to doing what was necessary to support two successful Kentucky Derby events, her dedication and determination did not go unnoticed.

“Chef Charles definitely saw me,” she said, noting that he would reassure her regularly with a “you got this” when they were in class, labs or at an event.

Step 1
THE DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM – CULINARY

When Blose started her job search, The Walt Disney Co. was a logical place to look. Although she really wanted a baking and pastry role, Disney did not have any openings at that time. However, the company was impressed with her hands-on lab skills and real-world experience with the Derby, offering her a Disney College Program culinary position as cook 2.

“I worked most of the Disney festivals,” she shared.

EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World is known for its growing list of festivals throughout the year. From Festival of the Arts (January to February) and the International Flower and Garden Festival (March to June), to the International Food & Wine Festival (September to late November) and Festival of the Holidays (late November to December), these events celebrate various seasonal themes and highlight unique food experiences.

“For the festivals, we worked in the production kitchens and served food at the kiosks,” Blose explained.

Or, in Disney terminology, Blose worked both backstage (supporting the “magic” behind the scenes in the kitchens) and on-stage (interacting with and serving guests).

Disney is well known for using entertainment and show business language in place of traditional corporate terms, which reinforces company culture and a focus on the guest experience.

For instance, Blose is considered a “cast member” versus an employee. She serves “guests” versus customers, and her work attire is a “costume” versus a uniform.

Blose complimented her stage managers – supervisors – for their willingness to teach her additional culinary skills.

“They were very nice and taught me. I told them I didn’t have much culinary experience, and they were very good at helping me,” she said.

Step 2
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE BAKING OPPORTUNITY

While she enjoyed her culinary role supporting EPCOT festivals, Blose’s passion in baking and pastry arts led her to explore a position outside of Disney – and out onto open seas with Norwegian Cruise Line as a pastry chef on the Pride of America ship, which offers Hawaiian sailing itineraries from its home port of Honolulu.

“This was the first main pastry job I had,” Blose said. The experience offered her high-volume production in both restaurant and buffet settings.

“I was mostly doing plating, so I got to learn a lot of these techniques,” she said.

Some of the desserts Blose created on Pride of America included crème brûlée, chocolate lava cake and Black Forest cake.

“We definitely had a lot of prep,” she explained. “Before service time, we would have a whole line of plates ready to go, and in a few minutes, they were all gone. So, the whole time we were serving and prepping more.”

The service was constant, as is the work for a cruise line’s employees, since cruises depart back-to-back with minimal downtime for workers.

After a year, Blose decided to take a much-needed break, but not before she was recognized with the Vacation Hero Award, thanks to a nomination by one of Norwegian’s chefs for exceptional guest service. This honor is only presented to two employees in each work area, further showcasing her commitment to her craft.

Blose headed home for a couple months to recharge. And during that downtime, her next career opportunity presented itself, enhancing her recipe for career success.

Step 3
BAKING AND PASTRY ARTS AT DISNEY

In March 2025, a Disney pastry role finally opened, allowing Blose to live out the current chapter of her dream job as a pastry cook 1. In her role, she produces breakfast and dessert creations for Magic Kingdom restaurants and quick-service kiosks.

Her shifts usually include nontraditional work hours: either 12:30 to 9 a.m., or 4 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., as well as floating station responsibilities, depending on the day and what is needed. Blose enjoys the variety of work for which she is responsible.

“It’s typically five different stations per shift, and each station is in charge of a specific dessert or item,” she explained. The chef’s assistant designates responsibilities for each shift.

For example, on her 12:30 a.m. shift, Blose is usually preparing breakfast pastries, such as bubble bread for the Lunching Pad, Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake for Liberty Tree Tavern, and warm cinnamon rolls and crème brûlée croissants for Gaston’s Tavern. This shift group also prepares batters for either the next shift to finish or for their shift to complete the next day.

On Blose’s 4 a.m. shift, the team focuses on non-breakfast items, such as the Blooming Rose for the Be Our Guest Restaurant and The Grey Stuff Cupcake for Gaston’s Tavern.

The Grey Stuff Cupcake (a nod to a line in the “Beauty and the Beast” song “Be Our Guest”) features a chocolate cupcake topped with “The Grey Stuff,” a cookies-and-cream-flavored whipped frosting, and garnished with crispy pearls and a red sugar rose.

“It’s delicious,” Blose said.

(Don’t believe her? Ask the dishes.)

The Blooming Rose is Blose’s favorite to prepare. It is a beautiful dessert in the shape of a rose, featuring a mousse inspired by The Grey Stuff, with a chocolate cake layer bottom and a green icing stem, symbolizing the enchanted rose in “Beauty and the Beast.” The dessert is served as part of a multicourse meal experience in the Beast’s Castle. Its creation is a multi-shift endeavor.

“When we make The Grey Stuff mousse, we melt chocolate and then whisk in the other ingredients to incorporate,” she explained. “We pour the mousse into rose-shaped molds and then top it with chocolate cake.”

The thin chocolate cake layer creates a tasty base for removal of the rose from the mold. Blose’s shift places roses in the freezer to cool and set. Once set, the next shift removes the roses from the molds, sprays them with red cocoa butter and dusts the tops with shimmery gold sprinkles. The team then plates the individual roses for serving, piping a sweet green stem onto each plate.

CONTRIBUTING TO THE GUEST EXPERIENCE

Disney is known for creating memorable, exceptional guest experiences. Food served in Disney Parks plays a starring role, and Blose is proud to contribute to that guest experience.

Blose explained the importance of presentation and consistency in her team’s creations: “We try to make sure everything is the same, so every guest has the same experience.”

Another element of the on-stage guest experience is maintaining much of the food preparation in a backstage setting. Many of these locations are “hidden in plain sight.”

For example, Blose’s main kitchens are behind Tomorrowland Terrace and underneath the Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom. These locations enable teams to transport items discreetly, safely and efficiently to their serving destinations, thus maintaining a show-focused guest experience.

EMBRACING THE CAST MEMBER CULTURE

Blose thoroughly enjoys being a Disney cast member and working with her colleagues.

“The people really keep me going, especially during the holiday season. We are usually doing our regular production plus special holiday preparations,” she reflected, explaining that everyone jumps in to help get the work done.

That collaborative approach is central to everything the team achieves and reflect's Walt Disney's belief: “Whatever we accomplish is due to the combined effort.”

As Blose progresses in her career, she hopes her next course will include becoming a trainer, allowing her to share her recipe for success with future cast members.

Until then, Blose invites you to “be her guest” and enjoy some of her sweet creations in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.