FROM: Communication Around the 'World' A Disney Dispatch Feature
Disney Cast and Crisis Management
In a student report written for David Zanolla's course about Disney organization culture and communication, Andrea Patten explains some of what she learned in the course, including how Disney manages its Cast Members and the occasional crisis.
David Zanolla teaches an advanced honors course at Western Illinois University called Communication Around the "World". The 'World', of course, is Disney World, and in addition to standard lectures and projects, the course includes a guided trip to Disney World. Cool, eh?
As part of the course requirements, each student write a short report both for David and for ... Disney Dispatch! Cool, eh?
As a communication major, studying organizational culture at Walt Disney World was particularly fascinating to me. It was incredible to learn about all of the rites and rituals that occur within the organization.
For example, every single Cast Member from top executives to service employees go through the same training - a course called 'Traditions.' As a result, every Cast Member knows the history of the Parks, the service standards, and even quite a lot about the man himself, Walt Disney. It's amazing that every position, no matter the rank, follows the same service basics and standards.
Disney Cast Management
The number one rule at Walt Disney World is "we create happiness." The number two rule is "everyone picks up trash." I actually saw this happen! As we were walking with a tour guide, he stopped to pick up trash several times. I saw first-hand that Disney practices what they preach. Because of this rule, Disney is known world-wide for having an extraordinarily clean park. Having a clean park communicates that Disney cares about the environment as well as the health of the guests.
One way that WDW supports Cast Members is by offering them their own vacation destination, exclusively. The company has recognized that the Parks are open 365 days a year, leaving no breaks for holidays. In response to the needs of Cast Members for a vacation of their own, Disney provides a private location where they can go to relax and have fun.
Disney World also holds family nights when the Park is open exclusively to Cast Members and their families. It's crucial that Disney caters not only to the guests but also to their own Cast Members. The reward to the company is less employee stress and less chance of frequent employee burnout.
Disney Crisis Management
But what I found most fascinating about WDW's organizational culture was how the company handles inexplicable events. For example, we were told that in 2001 the company handled the 9/11 event with grace. They evacuated the Park thoroughly and quickly, communicating that safety is crucial, but they also didn't lose the 'show' aspect: they sent the characters to the guests at the resorts. Similar steps are taken during hurricanes. Every cast member knows the exact procedure to follow during emergencies, and they are prepared to handle almost any crisis.
I found it amazing that Disney can evacuate within an hour the thousands of guests in their parks on any given day. I hope, in my own future profession, that I'll be able to adapt to situations as efficiently and gracefully as Disney World!
