Daniel Morris

Teaching with Disney Daniel Morris

Mickey in the Middle Kingdom

A little-known enclave of the Disney empire is its Disney English learning centers scattered throughout China. The teachers at these centers use Disney characters and "culture" to instruct rambunctious Chinese kids in the basics of the English language. Dream job, right? Well...

When Daniel Morris flew into Shanghai for the start of his new career with Disney English, he nearly boarded another plane straight back home. Morris picks up this most unlikely cast member memoir with his decision to stay and his arrival at a Disney-sanctiond hotel, the first of many culture shocks to come.

At the Disney English center in Shanghai, where Morris worked as a "foreign trainer," he soon had his hands full with misbehaving kids, eccentric parents, office politics, and a roller-coaster ride up the corporate ladder.

There are no attractions, no shows, and the pixie dust is infrequent, but Disney English has its own quirky sort of magic, and with Morris as your guide, you'll get the first-ever insider's look at this far-flung Disney enterprise.