FROM: Communication Around the 'World' A Disney Dispatch Feature
How Disney Deals with Squirty Elephants
In a student report written for David Zanolla's course about Disney organizational culture and communication, Ethan Knight explains some of what he learned in the course, including how Disney handles squirty elephants on the Jungle Cruise.
David Zanolla teaches an advanced honors course at Western Illinois University called Communication Around the "World". Disney World! In addition to standard lectures and projects, students will spend a week at the happiest place on earth. Cool, eh?
As part of the course requirements, each student must write a short report both for David and for ... Disney Dispatch! Cool, eh?
Our time in Orlando truly was an awesome learning experience (on top of being the greatest Disney trip of all time).
Disney's four service standards (safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency) were almost painfully obvious throughout the parks, and it was great to see all the little ways that Disney employs these services, as well as the tiny details most people take for granted.
The Example of the Squirty Elephant
On our first day, we each experienced all four service standards when, on the Jungle Cruise, a malfunctioning elephant sprayed us with water. After speaking with the manager on duty, he gave a great example of safety, by making sure no more people were placed in the back of the boats, where they could get sprayed; and courtesy, by providing us with "No Strings Attached" passes for free popcorn and a FastPass voucher for any ride.
Disney Service Standards in Practice
The four standards were also constant in the design of almost everything in the park:
- Safety is Disney's first priority and evident everywhere, from the colors of the curbs (which contrast with the level below to highlight the change in height) to the safety features in the roller-coaster attractions (such as the automatic system Disney put in place to ensure a minimum distance at all times between individual cars).
- Courtesy is provided by the ever-present Cast Members, who stand ready to accommodate, direct, or just generally help any guest in need. Cast Members are placed strategically throughout the Park, and I find myself struggling to think of a moment when a Cast Member wasn't within my line of sight. Disney knows that 'everything speaks,' so through the little (and big) displays of safety, along with the ubiquitous Cast Members, Disney makes a bold statement about its company: that they care, and that they will take of you as best they can while you enjoy the (hopefully) best vacation of your life.
- Show is what Disney is probably best known for, and with good reason. Almost everything within the Parks, even if designed for safety first, fits in and supports the 'show.' A fantastic example of this is trashcans. Disney has an army of trashcans 'littered' throughout its Parks. These are placed as both a safety measure (no one wants to slip on someone else's trash, among other health concerns) and as a courtesy (litter is an eyesore, it smells, and so on), but the trash cans sport different themes that reflect the area of the Park where you find them. In Adventureland, for example, the trash cans look as if they're made from bamboo.
- Efficiency is one of the elements Guests most often take for granted, as it isn't always evident (aside from when you stand in line!). But we most definitely experienced it, as our trip was during spring break, an insanely busy time of the year for Disney World. Despite this, we were able to effectively use the FastPass system, a courtesy that Disney provides to help guests avoid long lines, and Extra Magic Hours, which allows those staying on Disney property to come earlier or stay later in the parks on certain days. Overall, we avoided most long lines, and I certainly was able to do all that I had planned within our small period of time; exactly what Disney hopes each guest will be able to do!
