Today we’d like to introduce you to Priya Kaur.
Hi Priya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
From a young age, Disney has been a huge part of my life. When my grandparents immigrated to San Francisco from India in the early 70s, Disneyland was seen as a THE vacation destination. They saved up and took my mother and her siblings, and it became a family tradition. When my mother married my father, they spent their honeymoon in Disneyland. Fast forward many years later, my first trip to a Disney park was before I was even one years old. From then on, Disneyland, and Disney World, became my childhood playgrounds. Not only did my parents, siblings, and I visit the parks yearly, but my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all did as well. It became my happy place, filled with years and generations of memories. Naturally, upon graduating college, I knew I wanted to work for Disney in some capacity. I was luckily chosen to participate in the Disney College Program, a life-changing internship with Disney in which I was able to work in the parks (shout out to my Finding Nemo family in Animal Kingdom), network within the company, and take classes at Disney University. Once my internship ended, I moved back home to California, but knew I had not fulfilled my Disney destiny yet. I started working at a technology start up but continued to apply to Disney career roles. Luckily, about six months later I had secured a corporate position with Walt Disney Studios on their studio lot, in Burbank, California. I moved down to the Los Angeles region and started working with the company. Once I finished my role there, I moved back home to the San Francisco Bay Area, but was unsure what my next step should be. I missed making Disney magic, but knew I no longer wanted to work directly for the company. My family encouraged me to start a blog to share my love and knowledge for Disney. I was hesitant and nervous at first, and for about a year or so pondered the idea, but never took the plunge. One day, a coworker came to me and asked for advice for their Disney trip, so I made them a “cheat sheet” with all of the tips and tricks, this was back in 2016-2017, before Disney Influencers had become as popular as it is today. After they returned from their vacation, she thanked me, and told me how without my cheat sheet, they would not have had such an easy and fun vacation. The joy I received knowing I made a difference in one family’s memories, and could give them a taste of what I had my whole life with my family, gave me enormous joy! It was then I took the leap and started an Instagram Page! I had many iterations of different pages, titles, usernames, and themes, but eventually landed on Dream With Priya back in 2018. I’ve been blogging for almost 3 years now, and have really enjoyed it! I find it so heartwarming and rewarding knowing I can help make a family’s vacation more memorable. Since 2018, I’ve run a successful Etsy shop, had the opportunity to be hosted on trips, and have worked with brands such as Disney Music Emporium, Hot Topic, Roku, and more. The next goal I have is to create a website, and open my own store front as well as start a written blog, bringing me back to my roots of sharing tips and tricks for families to hack their vacation and create lasting memories!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
While my love for Disney is strong, the road it took to get me hear was not always smooth. I loved working for Walt Disney World while I did my Disney College Program. I was extremely excited about working for Walt Disney Studios when I was given the opportunity in 2016, but unfortunately, it was all but a happy time. Disney’s corporate landscape has significantly changed in the current mass media world. With growing importance of racial inclusivity and diversity being at the forefront of all companies, Disney has made strides in the past 2-3 years to catch up to where the rest of the world is. Unfortunately, this was not the case when I worked for them. While I love the Disney brand, and collaborate with them often in my blog, I was mistreated and racially profiled while working directly for them. I worked in corporate finance on the studio lot, and was the only person of color on my team. I was spoken down to, racially profiled, emotionally abused, and torn to pieces by many people in the management chain. While I communicated the situation to the company, I was stepped over, and brushed under the rug. I ultimately made the decision to leave the company, to prioritize my mental health, which suffered tremendously as a direct result to the workplace politics and bullying I received. I do not speak about this much, as the Disney brand is revered worldwide, and I have since healed and learned to cherish the happy memories I have with the brand. I am thankful that the company has created a more inclusive workplace, even though I was victim to their previous unfair workplace tactics. Directly after leaving my role, I felt defeated and torn apart. A brand I had forged a life-long connection to had hurt and disappointed me. My dream to build a career with the company had failed, and I felt lost, uninspired, and did not know what I wanted to do with my life. I was lucky to have an enormously supportive family who uplifted and helped me believe in the magic once again. I have since pursued a corporate career in technology, which I absolutely love, and have found a way to connect with Disney through blogging, sharing magic, and enjoying the brand once again. I have forgiven, and healed from the past, but have learned so much from my journey, and am thankful for all that I have been through.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
For my corporate day job, I work in the technology sector, and I truly love it! Though my passion also lies in my Disney blogging experience! While my blog first began as an anonymous page sharing tips and tricks to visit Disney (how to hack Maxpass, ways to get ultra-special Dining reservations, best hotels on property, etc.). I would share weekly tips, help people plan their vacations, and share reviews for anywhere I visit. After roughly a year, I decided to step out from behind the curtain, and start creating content with myself in the photos and videos! It was nerve-wracking, but so much fun. My brand has evolved tremendously over the years, from Disney Style to showcasing smaller Disney-themed brands, collaborations with companies, blogging about different travel experiences, and sharing Disney-themed everyday lifestyle. Two years ago I started my first Etsy shop. I wanted to create small crafts that could make a family’s vacation even more special. I started off by making personalized Disney-themed onesies, and then evolved into matching family shirts. I later on added adult clothing, tumblers, bags, and more. I grew my shop from 0 to over 100+ sales within the first year, and went from 10 listings, to over 65+ different product offerings/listings. I have paused my Etsy shop this year, to focus on rebranding, and creating my own personalized storefront. I love connecting with people, and finding a way for me to create more magic, and share my love for Disney with the world! I hope to continue to do so and am so thankful for all of the opportunities I have been given.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory was performing in California Adventure Park at Disneyland Resort! A fun fact about me, is I’ve been a performer in multiple capacities since the age of three. Both of my parents are traditional Punjabi folk dancers (Punjab is the state/region in India my family is from). I started dancing on stage at the age of three and continued throughout my life. When I started middle school, I joined the cheerleading team, and loved it! Our team made it to nationals, which at the time was held in Disneyland Resort. Our whole team got to stay at The Disneyland Hotel, and we performed in the Hyperion Theatre in California Adventure park! My entire family of 16+ people (grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins) drove far to watch me perform, and support me. Not only was it a once and a lifetime experience to perform in the park, but to have the lasting memory of my family’s support is the biggest blessing. That definitely has to be one of my favorite childhood memories!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamwithpriya/?hl=en
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dreamwithpriya
