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Many hardcore Disney Fanatics are intimately familiar with the Imagineers who work behind the scenes on Disney rides or attractions in the famous department known as Walt Disney Imagineering.
Some Imagineers have become iconic in the eyes of Disney fans — but now there is a whole new kind of Imagineer on the scene!
In a Disney Parks Blog article entitled “The ‘Fur’ever Friendship Between Disney Imagineers Jacklyn and Noodle”, Walt Disney Imagineering has revealed its newest two Imagineers: communications intern Jacklyn and her service dog, Noodle, who is now an honorary Imagineer!
Service Dog Visits Disneyland. Service dogs are known for being lovable and devoted to their owners as their dedicated canine companions– and some service dogs also love Disney Parks in Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort as Guests, especially for Character Meet and Greets like this one with other members of the ‘Animal Kingdom’! Credit: The Independent
We already knew that dogs hold a special place in many Disney fans’ hearts and that dogs also play a crucial role in the safety of the Disney Parks at Walt Disney World Resort — and we also knew that they love meeting Disney characters, especially other members of the Animal Kingdom — but Noodle is particularly special.
“I remember throwing Dollie – now Noodle – a toy when we first met, but she had no interest in it. Instead, she curled herself right in my lap, and I knew she was coming home with me,” Jacklyn told the Disney Parks Blog. “Since then, I can count on one hand the amount of times we’ve been apart. She’s a lover, a cuddler, and she saves my life on a constant basis.”
Jacklyn is a Walt Disney Imagineering intern in the communications department. Here she is on the Walt Disney Imagineering campus in Florida, with her service dog Noodle. Noodle has become an honorary Walt Disney Imagineer, since he is on the Imagineers’ campus so much as one of the many dedicated canine companion who make up the service dog community. Credit: Disney Parks Blog
As a service dog, Noodle is trained to be one hundred percent focused on her person (i.e. Jacklyn) 24 hours a day no matter the circumstances (including circumstances like those found in water parks or in a crowded theme park such as the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, or EPCOT).
Noodle is particularly keyed in when it comes to any “issues within [Jacklyn’s] cardiac and respiratory systems.”
Apparently, Disney staff and Walt Disney Imagineers have also “gone above and beyond to accommodate Noodle and make sure she’s happy, healthy, and safe.”
“I never thought I’d adopt a service animal, and it was intimidating coming into a new space without knowing how people would react to her,” Jacklyn confessed. However, “Noodle was accepted immediately, and she’s truly a member of the Imagineering team.”
Noodle is a service dog who works with Walt Disney Imagineering intern Jacklyn on the Walt Disney Imagineering campus in Florida in the communications department. Animals with a job, like service dogs and emotional support animals or other dedicated canine companions, can be crucial for people with disabilities, mental health struggles, or health issues. Credit: Disney Parks Blog
Would you like to see more animals in the Disney Parks (aside from the wildlife and exotic species in the Animal Kingdom)?
Are some of your favorite Disney characters members of the ‘Animal Kingdom’ (including dogs like Pluto or Dug)?
