FROM: Communication Around the 'World' A Disney Dispatch Feature

The Disney World Guest Experience

Tom Staggs, Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman, likes to say that Disney is in the 'guest experience business'. The best attractions in the world won't bring back disgruntled guests. But how does Disney 'create happiness"?

- by David Zanolla, February 27, 2011

With the travel portion of our class quickly approaching, the students are starting to get antsy (and so am I). I've been making it a point to expose them to other views on Walt Disney World and Disney design than simply those that toe the 'party line'.

That said, while reading the transcript of a recent speech by Tom Staggs (Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman), something jumped out at me like the scene in 'A Beautiful Mind' where John Nash (played by Russell Crowe) starts to find complex codes in newspaper articles.

But first, a little context:

What We Are About

Scholars who study organizational communication often examine an organization's 'culture', or way of life. Investigating an organization's way of life requires examination of the stories told within the organization, the vocabulary used, the policies and procedures in place, and the rites and rituals performed.

In class, we did an example of that sort of research using Southwest Airlines as our subject. While my students don't have time to write a book, I have been preparing them to take an objective look at the organizational culture of Disney World.

When Tom Staggs recently addressed Disney investors, I believe he provided a simplistic overview of what the way of life at Disney Parks and Resorts SHOULD be about:

"At Disney Parks, we are known for the iconic assets that we build - our castles, hotels, cruise ships - but at the end of the day, these aren't our core products. We aren't in the attraction business, the hotel business, the cruise ship business. We are in the guest experience business. The great shared memories that guests cherish and create every day at our parks help keep people coming back year after year. Understanding that is essential to understanding how Disney's unique assets and competitive strengths set Parks and Resorts apart."

There it is in a nutshell, what the Walt Disney World organizational culture is all about: the guest experience.

It's no secret that the WDW service theme / mission statement is "we create happiness". However, Staggs' statement reminds us that that happiness isn't solely created by fancy rides and attractions, shows, or elaborate hotels. Happiness is created when the all-around guest experience is put first.

While in Orlando, my students will be researching HOW this happens.

The $64,000 Question

Whenever I have a conversation with someone about this class, the most frequently asked question is: "What kind of work do they have to do?"

Since I know many of you are asking this question, here's an overview of the students' major assignment for which they'll be doing research while at WDW over spring break:

Part 1: Land/Country Analysis (3-4 pages)
Choose one land or country (in World Showcase) and focus on the following areas:

• Everything Speaks/Components of Setting (Effective? Ineffective? Contradictions?)
• Cast Member Interaction (Cast Service Basics & Service Standards)

Part 2: Attraction Analysis (6-7 pages)
Choose one attraction (list to avoid provided in class) and focus on the following areas:

• The Standby Queue (Everything Speaks/Components of Setting)
• Cast Member Interaction (Cast Service Basics and Service Standards)
• The Attraction itself (Components of Setting)

Part 3: Hotel/Restaurant Analysis (2-3 pages)
Choose one restaurant or resort and focus on the following areas:

• Everything Speaks/Components of Setting (Effective? Ineffective? Contradictions?)
• Cast Member Interaction (Cast Service Basics & Service Standards)

Part 4: Service Theme Summary (2-3 pages)
Sum it all up: Did Walt Disney World do its job (both organizational culture-wise and design-wise)? Was 'happiness' created?