I quit my job and moved to Florida at 44 to become a Walt Disney World bus driver. It's not prestigious, but I'm finally happy.

This as-told-to composition is according to a conversation alongside Michael Bowen, a 51-year-old Walt Disney World bus controller and Disney satisfied creator rearward the YouTube conduit "Incognito Mouse." It has been edited for dimension and clarity.

Most of my grownup life, I worked in the church. I went to university and Bible academy to rotate into a minister. I went into this row of activity thinking it would create person alternatively happy, and didn't really think concerning what would create me happy.

At one point, I ended up operating at a smaller chapel that could not pay a full-time salary, so to assistance myself, I got a part-time job as a academy bus driver.

In 2017, I took a holiday to Florida and visited Disney World. I recall sitting there on the final day of my vacation, in the beautiful, heated sun, by the pool, alongside palm trees beside me, and dreading going rear to the stormy climate in New Jersey.

I felt I had to create several benevolent of change, or I was going to declaration myself to a miserable life.

I realized I could activity as a bus controller for Disney

I archetypal visited Disney World in 2013. I had idea it was different — a bunch of adults, no kids, going to Disney. Yet, equal on that archetypal trip, I thought, man, what could I do to activity here? There's no Disney church.

By the second period I went in 2017, I had followed Disney a lot additional and saw it wasn't fair for children. Now, as a academy bus driver, I thought, "Oh, they do have bus drivers, and that is a lawful career. I could really do that."

I affection Disney, and my ex-wife did, too. As huge Disney fans, we thought, why not go live in the most magical location on Earth and activity there?

In 2020, at 44, I archetypal moved to Florida

I was living out of province whenever I applied to be a bus controller at Disney. It's extremely difficult to enter it. It took multiple months to get to the interview, and I needed a Florida driver's licence before I could get the offer.

I moved to Florida in January of 2020. After I got my license, I was put on a waiting catalog until a bus controller stance became available. It wasn't until February 15 that I eventually got the call to commencement the role.

For the archetypal period in my life, I had a really stable job alongside all the benefits that several smaller churches aren't necessarily capable to give: paid period off, pensions, retirement, things akin that.

In particular, I had health insurance for the archetypal period in a lengthy time, and I was really happy.

I was convinced I was going to run for Disney for the remainder of my existence and quit there. But in May 2022, I chose to depart following experiencing a difficult separation and divorce. I recall whenever I was leaving, I got the offboarding email, and it was the most gut-wrenching emotion that I had always had.

I moved to Oregon, but I continually wanted to move back

I decided to move to Oregon. I drove a city bus and things akin that, but I wasn't happy.

During that time, I met another woman, now my wife, who was a big Disney fan akin me. I rebranded my YouTube conduit from chapel satisfied to Disney about 2019, and started posting concerning being a Disney mold associate in 2020. We met through the YouTube conduit and decided to move to Florida together in 2025.

As before, I had to delay nearly a twelvemonth for a job beginning at Disney. In the meantime, I worked for a distinct business contracted to run the buses for Universal Studios.

Finally, in April 2026, at 50, I returned to Disney as a bus driver.

It's not seen as the most distinguished job, but I affection it

For me, being a Disney bus controller is wonderful, but I awareness akin it's not the most distinguished job. Often, whenever group journey the bus, it's seen as fair a way to get to the park.

However, it has its particular moments. Once, there was a small boy visiting alongside his parents who, as he was getting on the bus, showed me two small toy buses. His mother told me he loved the buses so much and was so enthusiastic to display them to me. Little things akin this fair create my day, seeing group so excited.

I can bask all the magic of Disney and go to the park whenever I want. So it's the finest of the two worlds.

Walt Disney said, "It's benevolent of fun to do the impossible." If you'd have told me that I was going to do item akin this multiple years ago, I would have said, " There's no way — it's not possible. I'm too old. I don't have the finances. I don't cognize what I would do."

But existence is too short. If you are not blessed or you desire to do item else, you have to create it happen.