Rising Stars: Meet Bridget Waldman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bridget Waldman.

Hi Bridget, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story begins in Las Vegas, where I was born and raised. Back then Las Vegas was quite different and I wound up growing up in a pretty fast-paced world as my Dad was a hotel executive on the Strip. Journalism was always my passion and focus at an early age. Graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and quickly started my career in local news at KLAS-TV.

Broadcast news was an exciting career but also quite stressful. I knew it would be over when I started a family, and then I met the love of my life Jack, and everything changed. We moved down to Orange County from San Francisco, got married, and had our first child. When our daughter was 1 year old, my Dad passed away. Grief hit hard as my Dad was my entire world. I had an idea that maybe going to Disneyland with our daughter for Jack’s birthday would be a good mood booster and fun as it seemed almost everyone in Orange County were an avid Disneyland visitor.

Our first visit as a family was pretty remarkable. As soon as we walked into Disneyland, we went through the tunnel, and Mickey Mouse was right there. It was like a movie. Our daughter, Surin, ran right up to him, he gave her a huge hug, and she kissed him right on the nose. It was at that moment I knew I was going to be obsessed with this spot on Earth that made us so happy. At the end of our first day, Jack looked at me and said, “I haven’t seen you smile like this in six months.”

We became Annual Passholders and went as much as we could. It was a sort of therapy for me. My Dad was a Holocaust survivor who grew up reading about American childhoods and Disneyland. He and I went to the parks together and on one of those visits, I’ll never forget the smile on his face, with one hand holding a turkey leg and the other a box of popcorn, wearing incredibly short European-style shorts and telling me “this is the American childhood I never had.”

After a few years of going to Disneyland, falling in love with the Disneyland lifestyle, and becoming “that” Disney family, friends and family would often ask me for tips, advice, and suggestions. After answering the same questions over and over, I thought putting this all together on Instagram would be helpful. It was a wonderful outlet to share my passion for the Disneyland Resort and our days as a young family at Disneyland. Our days at the parks as a family of five are wonderful, fun, and pretty seamless, and I hope to help other families and visitors have the same magical experience as we do.

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?
The toughest challenge I have battled as a Disney content creator was during the Covid shutdown. Disneyland was closed from March 2020 to April 2021 and with that my content was null and void. No one knew when the parks would reopen or what the experience would be like when it did. My content had to shift and the information I was used to sharing ended during that time period. But, with every negative comes a positive, and when Disneyland did reopen, not only was it the most magical day, a day I will never forget, but it was also a fresh restart for not only me, but many Disney creators. Some didn’t come back to the experience or changed their focus, which allowed for a new generation of creators to show what the Disneyland Resort looked like post-Covid.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I most certainly never thought in my news days that I would become a Disney Content Creator. But just like I was in the news business because of my passion for current events, I entered this new world strictly out of my passion for Disneyland. Disneyland is where so many of our family memories have been made. It is a second home that has brought so much magic, so much joy, and so much positivity to our lives that I hope others get to experience as well. Helping visitors, locals, and families navigate Disneyland has been so wonderful. I have met amazing people who have shared the magical moments my tips and advice have helped them make, and nothing makes me happier than to know the effort I put into California Disney Bliss is benefitting others. For most people, Disneyland is an expensive experience, and for some, it’s an experience they will only have a few times in their lives. Knowing that the time I put into this venture helps others who are wishing to create some Disney magic makes me the Happiest Person on Earth.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I’ll read and watch almost anything that highlights the history of Disneyland, the beginnings of the park, or especially the most important part of Disneyland: the people who make the magic. Learning more about Walt Disney, Disney Imagineers, Cast Members, Disney Storytellers, and so on is my favorite subject to read about or watch. I highly recommend every Disney fan should watch The Imagineering Story on Disney+ and read The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger, Disney’s once again appointed Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/californiadisneybliss/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/californiadisneybliss/