When Austin Diodene first stepped onto the dock at Disney World’s iconic Jungle Cruise attraction— microphone in hand, skipper’s uniform crisp, boatload of guests staring back at him — he had a decision to make.
Diodene remembers thinking. “I can go through the motions of being a regular skipper, someone who just works at the Jungle Cruise, or I can go above and beyond. I can go out of my way to have conversations with people when I’m not doing anything. And that could be a make-or-break moment on their trip.”
For the rising Holy Cross College junior and business major from New Orleans, the opportunity to work for Disney during the spring semester wasn’t just a childhood dream come true — it was a masterclass in real-world hospitality, the kind that transforms ordinary moments into lasting memories.
The Path to the Jungle
Diodene’s love for Disney started early. His family often made the ten-hour drive from New Orleans to Orlando, a tradition that left an impression.
“You go to the parks, and you see these people making magic, and you’re like, ‘Man, I want to be like you when you grow up,’ you know what I’m saying?” he says.
But making that dream a reality — especially while balancing college, marching band, and academic commitments — wasn’t easy.
“I actually denied it twice,” Diodene says of his Disney College Program offer. “I denied it last semester for the fall — couldn’t do it, obviously, because of band. This semester, I denied it. I was discerning what I was going to do. But I emailed back to the Disney people, and they were like, ‘We’ll see you in January.’”
Thanks to an academic pathway supported by Holy Cross faculty and leadership — one that allowed him to stay on track for his degree — Diodene was able to spend the spring semester living, learning, and working at Walt Disney World. He has a long-term vision in place.
“I’m on a pathway program. I have to graduate in four years, and I’m on the Master of Finance track, so I have to be done in four years,” he explains. “To have done this, one of my dreams, it’s really incredible how that all kind of sorted out.”
Behind the Mic: Life as a Disney Cruise Skipper
Securing a spot as a Jungle Cruise Skipper, one of Disney’s most iconic and personality-driven roles, came down to a well-timed phone call — and a quick sense of humor.
“The recruiter calls me and she says, ‘You must be a really funny guy declining my calls twice,’” Diodene recalls with a grin. “And I was like, ‘Do you want to hear a joke?’ And she was like, ‘I know where I’m putting you.’”
The Jungle Cruise, famous for its blend of corny jokes, crowd interaction, and classic Disney storytelling, demands more than reading from a script. Diodene learned quickly that the experience is built boat by boat, guest by guest.
“You have to read your crowd. You have a minute and a half to get a feel of how this cruise is,” he explains.
Over time, Diodene found his rhythm — blending the standard “skipper jokes” with his own spin, adjusting to each boat’s energy, and creating small, personal moments that made the experience memorable.
“I called the elephant Big John,” he shares, laughing. “And I was like, ‘Big John has one of the best memories here in the jungle. If I had a memory like Big John, I’d be great at this job. Do you know what else would make me great at this job? There’s an elephant right behind me — my friend Big John!’”
But for Diodene, it wasn’t just the jokes or the tours. It was what happened in the quiet, unscripted moments that stuck with him most.
“There was one time, a little boy came up to me, he was crying… I didn’t know what was going on,” Diodene recalls. “I was like, ‘You want to ride the Jungle Cruise? Let’s go look for it.’ So, I brought him around Adventureland, made him laugh, dried up his tears, and then we went back and got him on the ride. His mom pulled me aside after, and she was like, ‘Look, his dog passed away while we were on vacation — it can’t get worse than that. And you really… this is the first time he smiled all day.”
Lessons in Hospitality: Disney and Holy Cross
Disney’s culture of service left a lasting mark — one that Diodene now connects back to Holy Cross College’s culture of hospitality and belonging.
“You have to realize, everyone that’s here, other than people wearing name tags, they’re paying like 300 bucks to be here per person,” he explains. “There’s a lot that happens here — the heat, the cost, the tiny things — they could negatively impact their trip. You can bring it down a little if anything. If you can bring it down half an inch, you’re doing your job right.”
Holy Cross has emphasized similar ideas, finding ways, big and small, to make every visitor encounter welcoming, intentional, and memorable.
Diodene sees that connection.
“If we give them all that we have, we give them more of a reason to come back,” Diodene says. “And that goes for Holy Cross, too. We have no idea why people are visiting Holy Cross. But if we give them all that we have, we give them a reason to come back. It wouldn’t be Holy Cross or Disney without the people. It’s the community.”