Disney At Work Podcast

After speaking up about lack of transparency on what the new Frontierland additions would be coming to Walt Disney World, I've settled down emotionally, and decided to give insight to what I think this land is all about. After all, this is Disney Insights. There is a lot of cool stuff here, but it's a different Frontierland, and we need to define it. It is about Cars, but not as in the original movie, as some have supposed. It's really coming more from very different animated source. We talk about this, as well a fascinating ride system technology that we need to give insight to. That second attraction? That takes us to a choice that could set a series of dominoes to fall throughout several parks across the globe. We look at all this and more, while still offering some hesitations to what is going on, as I think there is a chance to suggest a compromise to adding this attraction without losing the river and island. Yes! I do have a better idea. So let's look at Cars Off Road Rally in Frontierland at Magic Kin

Announcements were made last week that better clarify the beginning of the end for Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World. It is time to give some retrospective to this love it or hate it land. We offer memories of what I love so much about Dinoland. And we'll also share some things I definitely won't miss after its departure. Join us for 7 Things to miss at Dinoland U.S.A. ________________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!  Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. Also, for those examining = other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence. ________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe. Disne

This podcast which features the joy of being near Walt Disney World and so many wonderful aspects of life in Florida gives context today to the recent hurricanes, their impact on the community, and how individuals come together in their wake.  Stay tuned! More podcasts to come shortly in the next day or so! ________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!  Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. Also, for those examining = other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence. ________________________________________________________ More Disney Insights can be found below! Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe. DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming

Forgive me for not being out of the gate on the International Food & Wine event at Epcot this year. Honestly, I chose to take my time sampling from the menu rather than indulging all on one weekend. I also have tired of just doing food reviews for that alone. But I wanted to give some context to this year's review, and not simply do a quick food review--though there is still plenty of that for those wanting it. We look at how this lines up with the festival ten years ago, as well as last year's and a few others in between. What are the hits and what are the terrible misses? From food to entertainment to facilities, we look at all this and even whether coming to the Epcot festival today is better than attending ten years ago. You may be surprised at the answers, so join us for Epcot International Food & Wine: a 2014-2024 Comparative View. ________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

So I'm late with this podcast. I'd like to blame Hurricane Helene, but in truth it really just brought things to a standstill, without even really touching the greater Orlando area. But it did give me a chance to cuddle up to my new favorite book Dream Chasing: My Four Decades of Success and Failure with Walt Disney Imagineering by Bob Weis and foreword by Bob Iger. This is an amazing book, and I wanted to draw from it and a few other resources to share the experience of bringing Tokyo Disney to life. People talk about how amazing the Tokyo Disney Resort is. But for all of the resorts world-wide, it has some of the least shared stories. This podcast imparts some of those stories from Bob's eyes, as a newly hired Imagineer brought to create this park from the ground up to the creation of Tokyo DisneySea years later. Join us as we go Dream Chasing in Tokyo Disney: Insights from Imagineer Bob Weis. ________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-

By 1970, Disneyland was not just a unique theme park business, but a well running piece of machinery. But now they had to replicate that kind of thinking to a larger stage as they opened up Walt Disney World. To better prepare for that, they had to educate everyone on how Disneyland worked. To that end, Van France, who originally created along with Dick Nunis the Disney University, wrote Art and Management of the Theme Show. This document, written originally in 1970 and then updated three years later, provides us a snippet in how the organization was ran during that time--a time that included no Big Thunder or Space Mountain, no Mickey's Toontown, no Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, no Indiana Jones Adventure, no adjoining Disney California Adventure, and not even hotels. It was just Disneyland with a parking lot in front. Still, we cover the fascinating insights that are gleaned from this document, as a way of understanding the organizational approach Disney used to create "The Happiest Place on Earth". Join us on o

Perhaps no set of theme park experiences has been more beloved and yet more controversial than SeaWorld, which commemorates its 60th anniversary this year. Visited by millions of people, we look at what has resonated with so many over the decades. We also look at how the disputed care of its orcas has in many ways led to greater understanding of these mammals and even protections. We talk about each of these parks, their offerings and how they have evolved. I also share my memories of visiting these parks for some five decades. There is so much that has been charming, and yet many things that separates the park from what really makes it succeed. Join us as we look back on 60 years of SeaWorld, and even consider the future of these parks ________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!  Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leade

I had the great opportunity to meet up with David Zanolla of Zanolla Travel to chat about his recent visit to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. This Disney Cruise destination offers a new stop for guests looking for a catered Disney experience. We'll discuss the beaches, activities, entertainment as well as the food & beverage. We'll also take time to talk about a lot of new announcements by Disney Cruise Line to include four new ships, another new ship in collaboration with Oriental Land Company, the Disney Treasure coming out this year, the Disney Destiny now announced for November 20th of 2025, and the Disney Adventure mega ship, which sails out of Singapore also somewhere in 2025. And then there is the announcement in D23 of four new additional ships. Lots to talk about in this Disney Insights podcast as we set sail with the Disney Cruise Line. ________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is avai

A long-time favorite event at Walt Disney World is the annual Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Many of you have been at one time or another. Some of you have never been. While I've been many times, I've never actually done a recording since starting this podcast. So we have lots to talk about! We'll discuss the parade, the castle show, the fireworks, other entertainment, food, beverage, character meet 'n' greets and especially, the Headless Horseman. Moreover, I'll talk about this experience as I shared the entire evening 1:1 with my grown Autistic son. So lots of craziness and magic lies ahead. Join us as we talk all things about Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on this our 490th Podcast. __________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!  Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. Also, for those exam

In my last podcast I noted an incredible array of projects that were announced at this year's D23 event. These projects which included a Cars set of attractions at Magic Kingdom that were presented before a paid audience were all encompassing, and were impressive examples of what Imagineering can potentially do. I then expressed frustration at the end of my podcast at how two days later, a graphic was shown illustrating where the Cars attractions was really going. After the podcast I wondered why I was so personally irritated at this news. Yes, I really don't think that you need to remove the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer's Island to add these projects. But that wasn't the real source of my frustration. In hindsight I really felt that Josh D'Amaro, who I had great respect--even admiration--had really played games with Disney fans. I felt it was in a subtle way a betrayal of trust, and that such a move on Disney's part was really something Disney should not do. This podcast seeks to explain why Disney strug

With a full orchestra, and a grand and colorful stage, the arena was set for announcements at this year's D23 presentation and spectacle. We're here to share that information and give insight to these new announcements that share what's happening in Disney Parks, Resorts and Cruise Line globally. Josh D' Amaro led this event, noting from the start that "nothing was blue sky" and that everything shared was in development. The theme was Horizons and the opening number underscored not only the legendary Epcot attraction, but what was ahead for The Walt Disney Company. And then, as an afterthought, a huge, unbelievable announcement was made Post D23 changing the entire Frontierland experience. Join us for very big Park announcements and Disney Insights from D23. ________________________________________________________ Performance Journeys This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business id

This upcoming week is D23 and there is heightened expectation around what we'll be shared by the Disney Experiences group led by Josh D' Amaro. Called Horizons a D23 Disney Experience Showcase, Disney fans are in great anticipation of what will be announced. We go across the globe to all Disney Resorts as well as the Disney Cruise Line. We discuss what details we think will, could and should be presented at D23. Note: Since recording this, permits were being pulled for Reflections, a DVC resort being located on Bay Lake adjacent to Fort Wilderness. We will discuss more in the next podcast. ________________________________________________________ Performance Journeys This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level. Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories,

Most of the listeners on this podcast were probably not born much less visited the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. Yet perhaps no project outside the Disney Parks has had more influence on the Disney Parks themselves than the New York World's Fair. So many attractions that we know and love like Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, and the Peoplemover have their roots in the four exhibits done by the creativity and imagination of Walt Disney and his team of Imagineers for the fair. After considering how Disney captured the interests of those seeking to build a pavilion at the fair, we look at four projects themselves: General Electric's Progressland, Ford Magic Skyway; Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln; and "it's a small world". We'll share little known stories and we'll see all of these ended up in some form or another at Disneyland and subsequently Walt Disney World. And we consider today how almost every attraction built by Disney such as Star Wars Galaxy's Edge has roots in the New York

It's the middle of summer and it's time for a big update on what's going on with the parks. We take on three of them, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. We check out what's new in all three of these parks. We take a look at some things that really seem cool, and yet some things are very much out of order. From The Land to Pixar Plaza to Rafiki's Planet Watch, we've got lots to cover. And we examine some really great details that speak to the quality of the Disney theme park experience such as German cuckoo clocks, Moroccan tiled fountains and musicians in Harmabe playing the Kora Tinga Tinga. Join us for this big parks update and insights at Walt Disney World. __________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!  Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. Also, for those examining = othe

Howdy folks! And welcome to the one and only original Disney Insights! The Country Bear Musical Jamboree has opened and we bring to you a review of the entire experience. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much happening at Magic Kingdom and we want to cover all of it. From the new stores of Tiana's Bayou Adventure to Smellephants on Parade, we'll check it out all out. We'll visit each land, discuss various attractions, eateries, stores and entertainment where change is happening. Beignets anyone? How about some menu changes at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments. Lots happening in the Magic Kingdom, but our primary focus is on the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree. So sit back, relax, and just enjoy the show! __________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!  Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. A

Starting July 24th a new virtual queue system will be put in place. Building off of both the Genie+ system and the earlier FastPass+ system, Walt Disney World will now offer Multi & Single Pass Lightning Lane experiences. I've invited David Zanolla of Zanolla Travel, to help me make sense of it all. We'll review what has happened over the last 25 years beginning with FastPass, followed by FastPass+, Genie+ and now Lightning Lane. And we'll answer a number of questions that will help you know how to best make the right choices when it comes to planning your next Walt Disney World vacation. So join us, and let us get you the insights you need on this new virtual system. __________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!  Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. Also, for those examining = other business benchm

Well, Humunga Kowabunga! Typhoon Lagoon is 35 years old this year. We've had the opportunity to celebrate the 35th anniversary of several Walt Disney World attractions, and we would be remiss if we didn't take the plunge on this one as well. We'll dive in on the history of this water park and how it came to be. We'll also look at how it compares attendance wise to parks across the globe. Then we'll cover 10 tips for how to best enjoy your day at the park without getting burned--sun burned at least. Finally, we'll rewind the clock and share a conversation of why Typhoon Lagoon is such a joy to visit. So join us as we commemorate Typhoon Lagoon's 35th anniversary. __________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!  Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. Also, for those examining = other business benchmarks beyon

This week we had a chance to visit and experience Tiana's Bayou Adventure in a set of five visits. Our previous podcast was an in-depth look at why Splash Mountain ended and why Tiana's replaced it. This podcast goes into big details as to how this entire experience plays out from arrival, through exterior/interior queues, the entire ride, and afterwards. This is a major spoiler alert, and we think you should listen. Most will only have one opportunity to visit in their upcoming visit. The logs move down the river quickly, and you will miss the chance to see all of these details come to life. This expose helps you be able to capture it all. Accompanying this podcast is an extensive set of photos and videos that support these details. We also have a complete grid which details a scene-by-scene comparison of what Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom had compared to what Tiana's now shares. Join us for the details of Tiana's Bayou Adventure. __________________________________________________ My new book, A Century o

With previews well underway on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, and before I spend the time giving insight to what works and doesn’t work on this attraction, now is the time to understand why this attraction has been built, and why it has replaced the enormously beloved Splash Mountain. Critics abound and some have a point to be made. But it makes no sense to criticize if you don’t understand the reason and the why. We will look at how we got to this point, which began back park-wide decades ago and has had its own storied past, for both guests and Cast Members. In the end we’ll see that there is not only a need to create stories that others can see themselves in, but to know that there were some legitimate operational issues that needed to be addressed. All of this comes together in one pivotal moment in time and has now resulted in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. __________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-19

This week the Vice President of Epcot, Kartika Rodriguez, announced that “after years of creative vision, innovation and dedicated work, I’m thrilled to share that the historic transformation of our park is complete.” We will look at this final puzzle piece of this important transformation. CommuniCore is a complex which includes food and beverage, meet ‘n’ greets, indoor and outdoor event space, and a great new show. We look at the original proposal for not just all of Epcot, but specifically for what is now CommuniCore. The soul of this place is the ¡Celebración Encanto!  This show is hot, and the theater much hotter–literally. I review all of this in detail. We talk in memoriam about what is missing as this transformation comes to an end. And we talk about new attractions that are just around the corner at Walt Disney World. __________________________________________________ My new book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!  Also, check o