Disney At Work Podcast

It's been a while and there have been many developments in the construction of new attractions at Disney Parks worldwide. We take a look at the latest and greatest happenings, particularly here at home in Walt Disney World with Magic Kingdom, Epcot and even Disney's Animal Kingdom. This includes some personal insights around what I'm referring to as Genie+ Inflation. But then we head out to parks across the globe from Disneyland Resort to Shanghai Disneyland. We even talk about the new purchase of a cruise ship for Disney Cruise Lines. Oh! developments happening on Disney+! So join us for this new attractions update at Disney Parks Worldwide.

It's been a little over a year since Space 220 opened at Epcot in Walt Disney World. As part of World Discovery, it complements the out-of-this-world themes found in Mission Space and in the recent Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. So we take the opportunity to grab a reservation and dine among the stars--as well as a few floating astronauts. We'll share what this experience was like, in terms of the Six P's of Promise, People, Place, Process, Product & Price. Does Space 220 truly elevate your dining experience? Is it worth the value, and the price--especially when you think of other dining options around this park? Last week we reviewed five restaurants around World Showcase. How do these compare? We'll find out in this upcoming podcast.

There has been much said in the last week the firing of Bob Chapek and the reinstallment of Bob Iger as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. It's difficult to know exactly what happened and when, but it is clear that this is a tale of two leaders, neither perfect, but one with fatal flaws that contributed to a fall of confidence in Disney. We look at a tale of two Bobs, not just to sort out what happened, but as an opportunity to learn some important lessons on leadership. This Disney at Work episode seeks to help all of us with some key concepts that are instructive in being a leader--no matter what you do or where you live, or what your role in life may be. Join us for a Tale of Two Bobs--Three Leadership Lessons. Make sure you check out our show notes at Disneyatwork.com!

Recently I had the opportunity with my daughter along with David & Leah Zanolla to visit Cirque du Soleil: Drawn to Life. This show has just recently achieved its first anniversary this month. This is the second show the Cirque group has hosted at what was originally Downtown Disney, but is now Disney Springs. We will look in depth as to whether this show is worth the ticket to attend. We'll take a look at what makes the show succeed, and how it compares to the original show in this venue, La Nouba. If you are considering attending this show, this review will definitely be worth the time. Check out Cirque du Soleil's 50th production: Drawn to Life, a Review.

In a Sunday Night special Disney Cast Members received notice that Bob Iger was being reinstalled by Disney's Board of Directors to return as CEO again of the Walt Disney Company. Minutes later media reported the news as well--and all used words like shocked and surprised. This means Bob Chapek has now been entirely removed from the company and that a new chapter has started. We'll look at what had happened over time that led to what has happened in the last few days. Then we'll look at what Bob Iger should do next as he returns to the healm. It's all not "Happily Ever After" yet--but this is a major step in that direction.

We are overdue for sharing a review of five different formal dining experiences at Epcot. Three are restaurants I've dined in before. One is a new restaurant, and one has been around for a dozen years and I had yet to eat there. It may have been the best experience. Find out as we do a review of Le Cellier in Canada, La Crêperie de Paris, La Hacienda de San Angel, Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria, and Spice Road Table in Morocco. It's one review for five sit down World Showcase restaurants in Epcot. Bon Appétit!

Many people know some thing about Disneyland Paris. They certainly know that it's somewhere around Paris. They may know about the amazing catapult-style launch of Space Mountain, or the Big Thunder Mountain on an island inside the Rivers of America or perhaps the dragon in the dungeon of Sleeping Beauty Castle. But today I'm presenting insider Baseball when it comes to Disneyland Paris, because there are some very unique aspects of the park that many people haven't quite considered. By the time we're finished, you may want to consider booking your Disneyland Paris trip sooner than later. It's that unique and that cool--and possibly more Disney than Disney Parks here in the United States! So join us for 5 things you may not know about Disneyland Paris.

In previous weeks we have been highlighting the 1971 Handbooks given to new Cast Members as they opened up the Walt Disney World Resort. There was a handbook for every land of the Magic Kingdom, and one for Disney's Contemporary and Polynesian Village Resorts. Make sure you check those podcasts out, as well as our show notes found on Disney at Play. But there was no Handbook written for Fort Wilderness Campground. Instead, there was a handbook put together for outdoor recreation. Some of that covered golf, part of it covered water recreation. And one small section covered Fort Wilderness--a section no bigger than the section on the wave machine that we covered last week with Disney's Polynesian Resort. We will share what they have overviewed, but moreover, we'll cover the intriguing story of how this resort got built--with little money attached. Indeed, this story resides as part of our Disney at Work program, because there are messages you won't want to miss for your own workplace or organization. Join us as

I am thrilled to present this podcast on the rebirth of Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. My torrid love affair with this beloved entertainment classic is a long one. I'll share my experience with Fantasmic! and what this attraction is like behind the scenes. We'll talk about its sister shows (yes there's more than just Disneyland) and how they compare. We talk about the challenges this attraction has faced over the years, and then go through a scene-by-scene discussion of how this show now fares. We'll also consider that this may be the best entertainment offering at Walt Disney World. You won't want to miss this podcast, because, after all is said and done, it is fantastic!

This is the last of our 50th anniversary series on the Walt Disney World Resort and the Cast Member Handbooks created in 1971. We have covered the entire Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and now we look at the final gem of Walt Disney World's opening, Disney's Polynesian Resort. We’ll look at how the resort was presented originally. We’ll take a look at the original shops, restaurants and recreational facilities that were part of this sprawling resort. This handbook offers insights that we don’t seem to have from any other source. Those insights were shared with new Disney Cast Members, most of whom had never not only never seen a Disney theme park but had never been to a Disney resort–because there wasn’t one. If you yearn for the Walt Disney World of yesteryear, or you want to know what this hotel were like back in the early days of Walt Disney World, this is your podcast, as we finalize this series on the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World.

It's the first of November and so many things have been happening around the world of Disney. We cover many of the highlights today, From price increases to lawsuits, closures to cancelations, drones to barge fires. The last four weeks have been both busy and controversial, and we take a look behind the magic as to what is happening. From Shanghai to Tokyo Disney, from Disneyland to Walt Disney World there is much to share. Oh...and Tron and the Train. Always something to talk about when it comes to Tron and the train. So join us as we look at the good, bad and ugly of the last 30 days.

We return to our 50th anniversary series. We have covered the entire Magic Kingdom, and now we are going to cover the Vacation Kingdom of the World. We'll take a look at Disney's Contemporary Resort, which was a whole new operation as Disney had never been in the resort business before. We'll look at how the resort was designed, and how it stood out from the conventional hotel of the day. We'll take a look at the original shops, restaurants and recreational facilities that were part of this sprawling resort. This handbook offers insights that we don’t seem to have from any other source. Those insights were shared with new Disney Cast Members, most of whom had never not only never seen a Disney theme park but had never been to a Disney resort--because there wasn't one. If you yearn for the Walt Disney World of yesteryear, or you want to know what this hotel were like back in the early days of Walt Disney World, this is your podcast, as we continue our efforts to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney Wo

The Global Attractions Index Report was recently released by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and the Economics Practice at AECOM. We look at how Disney has fared in the last four years from 2018 to 2021. This includes both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. And we compare those numbers how Universal is doing on both coasts. Of course COVID played a big role in every park dropping attendance, but how are they faring as they come out the other side? And what is causing those gains and losses as they emerge? We'll look at all that and more as we look st some troubling signs at Disney theme parks.

What happens when a Disney cruise you take is longer than the time you spent planning for it? That's nearly what happened when we chose to go on the Disney Dream with little notice. At the heart of that decision was a change in vaccination policy that allowed our son to board. We'll go into that and the challenges getting everyone on board. But at the real heart of this cruise was the time we spent with our son as well as our daughter. Such an event led to some activities I really haven't done before. It also created more 1:1 time with Donald Duck than we have ever thought to spend. Add to that Disney's Halloween on the High Seas, and all that it entails. Oh...and if you've never been on the Disney Cruise Line, we'll share with you the number one reason more than any other that cruise ought to be with Disney. So join us on embarking on a last minute Disney cruise.

We return to our 50th anniversary series where we see the Magic Kingdom as brand new Disney Cast Members learned about it back in 1971. We've covered Main Street, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square & Fantasyland. The smallest and most unprepared of all the lands was Tomorrowland. Technically it opened with only two attractions. Yet the handbook offers insights that we don't seem to have from any other source. Those insights were shared with new Disney Cast Members, most of whom had never seen a Disney theme park. If you yearn for the Walt Disney World of yesteryear, or you want to know what this land were like back in the early days of the park, this is your podcast, as we continue our efforts to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of hosting a dozen senior directors and managers from a non-profit organization in a week-long program at Walt Disney World. These individuals were wanting to improve the workforce experience back home. This experience encompassed four Disney theme parks in as many days plus visits to two world-class organizations, JetBlue and Give Kids the World. Since many of my listeners have been curious about the kind of work I do and the programs I have offered for nearly 25 years, I chose to make this podcast a study on not only how I carried off this program, but of the many take aways they took as a result of this experience. Logistically, hosting a dozen individuals plus myself is a challenge and a podcast in and of itself. But the experience itself is unique and one I wanted to share with all of my listeners. I’ll even share some of the kinds of messages and insights shared during the program. Imagine you could spend a week at Disney not just to see Disney, but to learn real orga

Welcome to Fantasyland! We return to our 50th anniversary series where we see the Magic Kingdom as brand new Disney Cast Members learned about it back in 1971. Again, Walt Disney World is set to open. You have thousands of new Cast Members, most of whom have never seen a Disney theme park, and you need to orient them to that experience. The only problem is that the park isn’t open or ready yet either. So how do you give them that understanding? Enter a series of handbooks put out by the University of Walt Disney World. In these printed materials, Cast Members were introduced to the setting in which they would work. There is one for each of the lands of the park, plus the resort. In this podcast, we’ll look at Fantasyland. We'll overview legendary attractions like "it's a small world" and Cinderella's Golden Carrousel. But we'll also reminisce about attractions long forgotten like The Fantasyland Skyway, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Mickey Mouse Revue. On opening, this was the big

On this the 40th anniversary of Epcot, I feel it well to ask the question: "What is Epcot?" For most every Disney fan out there, the answer is Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. We explore what that means and what its implication is to the world we live in today. Beyond the idea of a physical city, or an eventual world's fair-style experience, I believe that Epcot is more than a brick and mortar theme park. In this Disney at Work episode, I want to consider the notion that Epcot constitutes a permanent message and celebration of ideas for a better world. We'll even see examples of that play out in recent new attractions like Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Join us as we celebrate Epcot's 40th anniversary with a treatise on the universal themes regarding a Community of Tomorrow.

Hurricane Ian has just come and gone from Central Florida. Being in the middle of it and so many others like it, perhaps it's time to share some of my experiences dealing with hurricanes, their cleanup and most of all, my experience with Disney during those times. But we want to cover more than hurricanes. There are tornados, earthquakes and even typhoons. And no, we're not talking Typhoon Lagoon. From Orlando Florida to Shanghai Disney, I share my own adventures of dealing with Disney and disasters.

After a break for all things D23 we return to our 50th anniversary series where we see the Magic Kingdom as brand new Disney Cast Members learned about it back in 1971. Again, Walt Disney World is set to open. You have thousands of new Cast Members, most of whom have never seen a Disney theme park, and you need to orient them to that experience. The only problem is that the park isn’t open or ready yet either. So how do you give them that understanding? Enter a series of handbooks put out by the University of Walt Disney World. In these printed materials, Cast Members were introduced to the setting in which they would work. There is one for each of the lands of the park, plus the resort. In this podcast, we’ll look at Liberty Square. What makes this land unique is not only did new Cast Members being hired on the East Coast have no idea about what Liberty Square was all about, neither did people from Disneyland coming in from the West Coast. After all, this is the one land in the Magic Kingdom that had never b