Walt Disney World brought elected officials, community leaders and nonprofit partners to World ShowPlace pavilion at EPCOT in late September for State of Our World, a morning community forum hosted by Walt Disney World Public Affairs. It was one of Joe Schott’s first chances to speak to Central Florida’s leaders as resort president, less than two months after he officially took over the job on August 3, 2026.
The morning came with Mickey waffles, Disney entertainment, a visit from Disney characters like Chef Mickey, Maleficent, and a whole cast of others, and a look at the growth Walt Disney Imagineering has underway across the resort.
Inside the Mickey Waffle Forum – Elected officials, community leaders and representatives from many nonprofit organizations filled World ShowPlace to hear about the new developments at Walt Disney World. A full list of attendees has not been made public.
Schott spoke alongside other Disney leaders about the company’s positive impact on children, families and the environment in Central Florida. Walt Disney Imagineering followed with project updates, and the massive Piston Peak National Park model was on display in the room. Imagineering first revealed its 19-by-19-foot model of the Cars-themed land at D23 in Anaheim in August, and for local leaders who have only seen cranes and construction walls in Frontierland, it put the whole project in context.
Michael Hundgen, Vice President Creative, Walt Disney World Portfolio at Walt Disney Imagineering, who presented, called the event a highlight of the week on LinkedIn, writing that it was a chance to give a sneak peek at what Imagineers are bringing to the parks in the years ahead. The post ended with a nod to the morning’s special guest, saying they “loved meeting Maleficent, too!” She will have a much bigger role soon as the star of a new coaster in Villains Land at Magic Kingdom.
Who Put It On – Walt Disney World Public Affairs hosted State of Our World, and the idea traces back to one Cast Member with a long history at the resort. Steven Miller began his Disney career in 1997 and served as a Walt Disney World Ambassador for 2001 and 2002. Steven is Senior Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility with Walt Disney World External Affairs teams and the leader of the Walt Disney World Ambassador Program, which today includes 2026 to 2027 Ambassadors Kylee Withers and Phelicia Blake.
Miller shared that on July 1 he wrote an overview for what he called “State of Our World 2026: Mickey Waffle Forum.” The concept was inspired by the Orange Juice Forums Disney once held in downtown Orlando during the 1980s and 1990s. After months of work behind the scenes, that simple idea grew into a full event, complete with road signs reading “Mickey Waffle Forum.” Miller credited his fellow Cast Members and leaders, saying the team had one goal, to give every guest the most magical morning possible.
Joe Schott’s Message to Central Florida – Schott followed up on LinkedIn a few days later with a message centered on partnership. He wrote that “strong communities are built through partnership” and said his time with Central Florida partners left him inspired and energized for the future they share. As an Orlando native, he said it means a lot to help write the region’s next chapter through the historic expansion happening at Walt Disney World right now.
That hometown angle runs through his whole story. Schott took a part-time job as a Jungle Cruise skipper nearly 45 years ago and went on to lead Shanghai Disney Resort and Disney Signature Experiences before returning to Orlando. We broke down his background when he started in our look at what Joe Schott brings to Walt Disney World.
He now leads what Disney calls America’s largest single-site employer, with roughly 80,000 Cast Members, and days before State of Our World, WESH 2 reported that Disney plans to add 5,000 Central Florida jobs over the next five years. The work behind that growth reaches every park, from Piston Peak and Villains Land at Magic Kingdom to Monstropolis at Hollywood Studios, Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom and Disney Lakeshore Lodge on Bay Lake.
We live and work just down the road from the parks, so this one hits close to home. Walt Disney World is still one of the biggest employers of Orlando residents and a major driver of growth for our city and the whole state. We always look forward to hearing about new developments that help our community grow, and it is good to see Disney sitting down with the people who make those decisions alongside them.
Our favorite part is the throwback. Reviving the spirit of the old Orange Juice Forums shows Disney remembers that its relationship with Orlando started with conversations like this one. Having a hometown kid who started on the Jungle Cruise lead it makes it even better. We would love to see the Mickey Waffle Forum become a yearly tradition, and we hope future editions share a little more with the public, because the fans who fill those parks every day are Central Floridians too.
Fantasy Land News will keep following Joe Schott’s first year as Walt Disney World president and every construction update from Piston Peak to Villains Land. For more, keep it right here at Fantasy Land News and browse all of our Walt Disney World news.
