Huber started down this enchanted path as a toddler, when her dad and Blue Hen mom, Michelle Huber, Class of 1986, first took her to the House of Mouse. By age 10, the Pennsylvania native had visited nearly a dozen times. Her favorite attraction was never the flashiest: no speed, no marquee characters, no major franchise tie-in. Instead, the Carousel of Progress represented something different: possibility. This quaint 20-minute show, dreamed up by Walt Disney himself, follows animatronic characters through the 20th century, as technology transforms everyday life. Its signature promise is “a great, big, beautiful tomorrow.”

“It always made me feel like there is so much to do and see and explore in the world,” Huber said. “Like I could accomplish anything.”

Later, as a civil engineering major at UD, she secured three internships, including the most formative: a project management role with Walt Disney Imagineering (part imagination, part engineering) that had her creating budget and scheduling strategies for major attractions. This was a six-month position, so Huber worried that being in Orlando would cut into her other coursework. But UD faculty worked with her on the creation of a remote plan, a pre-Covid novelty. 

“My professors went above and beyond ensuring I could have this experience and still graduate on time,” she said. “There was so much care and encouragement.”

After graduation, Huber put her education to use as a project engineer for Amazon Robotics, then as a project engineer and construction manager for Universal Studios. But in February of 2024, her career came full circle: She joined Disney’s Imagineering team. In other words, the group that gets deployed whenever a Disney park, cruise ship or resort hotel has a need: more guest capacity, a new food-and-beverage location or a new story or character brought into the fold. During a so-called “blue-sky” phase, artists, designers, animators, scriptwriters, engineers and architects come together to brainstorm. Then, the team sketches and models. And the winning idea — shaped by budget, timing, space, safety and technology constraints — is refined into something buildable.

As a project manager, Huber helps steer every part of the process. She cannot divulge exactly how many assignments currently fall under her purview, how long they will take to complete or what their budgets are, but she can say up to 200 people coordinate with her on a given assignment. Much of the job is defining scope, because in a world filled with dreamers, someone has to say “when.” She also spends much time putting out fires: a late delivery, a missed utility requirement, a creative difference between teams. Her job is to find the most cost- and schedule-effective fix — without losing sight of the guest experience. 

“I’m clearing blockers from people who are experts in their respective fields,” Huber said. “I don’t have to be an expert myself in all of the things; I just have to know enough to help them be successful.” 

In recent months, Huber has managed updates to several major attractions, including Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, a Toy Story-themed ride where guests face off against the evil Emperor Zurg and his robot army (hence the aforementioned laser blasters). She’s also overseen upgrades to Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, where fresh graphics, props and Easter eggs nod to decades of Muppets lore. These are the sorts of details guests may never consciously clock — the speaker tucked into a set piece, the inside joke hidden within a mural — but together, they create a feeling Huber is always chasing: wonder that seems spontaneous, even when it’s been meticulously planned.