Not many people are aware that the success of the Walt Disney Company started
in 1923 when Walter Elias Disney (Walt Disney) was successful as he managed to
sell the Alice in Wonderland cartoon to film distributors. Walt Disney had just
arrived in Los Angeles with big dreams and aspirations to expand his business
at that time. After more than nine decades, today the name of the Walt Disney
Company has become the global leader of family entertainment.
This
company has grown rapidly and operates as four primary divisions: The Walt Disney Studios or Studio Entertainment, which includes
the company's film, recording label, and theatrical divisions; Parks and Resorts, featuring the
company's theme parks, cruise line, and other travel-related assets; Disney Consumer Products, which
produces toys, clothing, and other merchandise based upon Disney-owned properties, and Media Networks, which includes the
company's television and Internet operations.
What I will share here are more about the division of Parks and Resorts,
specifically about the theme parks they use to facilitate their guests. I’m one
of few lucky people who can be part of the world's largest company in
entertainment and hospitality. I was selected as a cultural representative for
Indonesia to be sent to Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida. I was given the
opportunity to introduce the Indonesian culture to all guests at one of their
theme parks, Animal Kingdom. During this year I can gain some great experience and
engage in some exciting opportunities with this company.
Service is the most important factor in the Disney theme parks business. Claimed themselves as “The Happiest Place on
Earth”, Disney continues to explore ways
in providing excellent service and creating unforgettable happiness for the
guests. It is very important for Disney to make the guests feel special while enjoying
their vacation at Disney theme parks. This is what makes their theme parks
superior to its competitors and different from any other entertainment company
on the planet.
Disney has 4 keys to the service they provide for a great guest experience.
The first one and the most necessary is safety. Each of Disney theme parks in
Orlando is visited by around 30 thousand guests each day from various parts of
the world to enjoy the entertainment and rides they provide. Disney thrives to
ensure that the guests feel safe and relaxed during their visit within the
theme parks. One example that we can see is the level of security present when
the parade takes place. The Disney parades take place at various times every
day and they are one of the busiest attractions at Walt Disney World. The Disney
cast ensures that all visitors are in a secure area, also known as the viewing
area. This area is located on the left and right side of the parade pathway,
bordered by ropes and boundary lines.
The lines indicate that the guests may only view the parade from a position
beyond the dividing line. Before the parade starts, a parade coordinator
ensures that the track is safe from upstream to downstream.
The second key is Courtesy. It has become the second most important key
after safety. Disney realized that the guests come from various countries
around the world. They come from different cultural backgrounds, educations,
and perspectives. It can be difficult to provide the service expectations of each
visitor. It is possible for guests to go home disappointed or offended by
little things that cast members may often not recognize as being offensive. This
is one of the reasons that Disney strives to make sure that their cast members act
politely and dignified in every aspect of their job. They must be respectful
towards any guest regardless of their appearance, ethnicity or background.
The third key to remember is the show. Most people in this world are aware
how successful the Disney brand is. Many of those are massive
fans of Disney characters, usually since their childhood. When they decide to
visit Disney theme parks, they certainly have great expectations of what they
will see and get from that place. In fact, we could say maybe they were not
prepared for the slightest disappointment. That's why Disney should always try
to provide an excellent service and performance.
The last but not least key that Disney cast members must abide by is the
efficiency key. In the business environment, efficiency is very important. In
this case, the efficiency of Disney is mostly made to be associated with time
spent by visitors to enjoy all shows and attractions that are held at the theme
parks. The best example that we can find in this case is about the fastpass
ticket. Disney provides fastpass ticket for many of the most popular rides. The
advantage of this ticket is that guests will know the exact time that they have
to experience the ride. They receive
their ticket, get the time, and they can enjoy other rides or shows without
wasting their time to queue. In condition when it's raining and some outdoor
rides can not be operated, then the cast member will direct the visitor to
enjoy indoor shows or facilities.
Disney efforts in giving the best service for their guests has made their theme
parks still be the number one theme parks that
everybody dreams to visit. As Walt Disney said “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”
