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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Florida's Disney World has, for many years, been putting out the call for Canadians to come and work in the Canada pavilion area of its World Showcase.

This year, for the first time in recent memory for a lot of employees there, someone from the NWT has answered that call.

Jessica Gorin holds a piece of Disney memorabilia as she prepares to head to Florida for a year to work at Disney World. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photo

Jessica Gorin, longtime Yellowknifer and current employee at Chic Chik, will be hostessing and waitressing at a Canada-themed restaurant named "Le Cellier Steakhouse" from June 9, 2009, to June 4, 2010, in the Epcot theme park.

She was able to get the job at Disney World through the company's cultural representative program.

"When I went there last," said Gorin, "we were shopping at the Canadian pavilion, and one of the guys who worked there said I should apply because it's been so long since they'd seen someone from the Northwest Territories there, and it's probably really easy for us, in general, to get in. And he told us about the program, and about a couple of the perks, so I'd always had it in the back of my mind."

She said when she came back from school she wasn't sure what to do and decided to give the program a try.

The Disney program is mainly for the experience, as it's unlikely to make enough money to go home with any savings, said Gorin.

Participants are provided with relatively low-cost accommodations in which the rent is taken automatically from paychecks, and there are a number of perks that come with the job.

"You get into all the parks for free", said Gorin, "not including the waterpark, and if your family visits, they get 40 per cent off the hotel."

There is also a number of free day passes program participants can give out to family and friends.

"I think it was easy in being from Yellowknife," said the Northerner, "because they want someone from every province and territory and I was the only one who applied from up here."

Gorin added, though, they do many interviews all across Canada, and she had to really promote her region and make a good impression in order to get the position.

Disney also asked a few questions about Disney lore, which Gorin had no problem with.

"I would say we've got something like maybe 150 Disney movies at home all on VHS," said Gorin.

"I've been a Disney kid my whole life."