It's hard for even the most devout Disney Apologist to forgive what was the original Disney's California Adventure. With a troubled budget from the start, and perhaps the wrong theme for millions of people already living in California, this failed on so many levels when it came out the gate. It certainly didn't help that it was being built across arguably the greatest park ever built. And yet in the shadows of Disneyland, there is really something magical about Disney California Adventure and with time and investment, it has come around to being the 5th most popular theme park in North America, behind Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, Epcot & Disney's Hollywood Studios, and yet ahead of Disney's Animal Kingdom, and every Universal Busch Gardens, Sea World and Six Flags park in the country. It's been a long 25 years, but with big new attractions coming, Disney California Adventure stands to compete in big ways moving forward. Join us as we celebrate Disney California Adventure!

_____________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

In overviewing 2026 I said that the naming of a new CEO would be the most important milestone of the year for Disney. In truth, it may be the biggest moment of the decade. Today, February 3rd 2026, The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors announced that, in a unanimous vote held on Monday, it elected Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro to become Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. We look first at the context of that announcement, and the specifics behind it, to include the promotion of Dana Walden, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment into a new role. We'll see what others have to say about this, to include not only James Gorman, Chair of The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors, but Bob Iger, current CEO, and even Michael Eisner, the former CEO of the company. We'll then highlight some of the tactical challenges ahead as well as the strategic opportunities moving forward, in this, one of the most unique companies in the world. Join us as we offer Disney Insights to the appointment of the new CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Josh D'Amaro.

_____________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Several topics have been circling around recently, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to offer some thoughts about what is going on in several Disney park realms. Anything about Villains Land has people curious as to what is happening. This includes some work being done by The Haunted Mansion. We'll explore the rumors and conjecture on how this land will be laid out. Next we talk about Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. There have been announcements of not only new additions, timelines, and offerings being added not to Disney's Hollywood Studios version of this land, but at Disneyland. Finally, speaking of Disneyland have you seen Disneyland Handcrafted? This film done by Leslie Iwerks gives insights to what things looked like when Walt Disney determined he would open a brand new themed park concept in the space of a year of construction. This is a fascinating documentary with some terrific ideas, So join us for Disney Insights on Villains Land, Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and Disneyland Handcrafted.

_____________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Extinction is coming fast for Dinoland, so many areas have closed and the remainder will come to an end quickly. We bid our final adieu by digging for lessons to be learned from this corner of Disney's Animal Kingdom park. They serve to help us understand what worked and didn't work not just in this land, but for people trying to perhaps not build a theme park, but build organizations and take them to the next level. We may not be going back to the Cretaceous period, but we are considering how this land became what it became. And we are looking at some very intricate details that shape our understanding of how life must have been here in Diggs County. Join us as we go digging' for Insights at Dinoland.

________________________________________________________

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

NOTE: The five stories shared today are on Disney Insights YouTube Page!

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

The Wall Street Journal this week published an article entitled, "The 3,000-Person Team Working in Secret to Create Disney Magic". This article written by Ben Fritz makes a number of claims about the challenges Walt Disney Imagineering has in being able to do massive projects on time, under budget and on benefit. We will share these claims and weave these insights with a book I use in my leadership programming--How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project. It becomes a sense by which we can better understand why Imagineering experiences the challenges it does. We'll look at Imagineering Leadership and CEO leadership, and how it has had a big impact on how the work gets done as Disney seeks to spend 60 billion within the next ten years. And already one Imagineer, Joe Rohde has weighed in on his comments. So joining us for Walt Disney Imagineering: The Secret to Being on Time Under Budget & On Benefit.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

As we enter 2026 we continue our celebration of Disneyland's 70th anniversary with a look at Mickey's Toon Town. One of the newer places on the map, this little corner beyond Fantasyland is filled with whimsy and charm. We share with you how the concept came about, due in large part to three major influences of that time--Including Snoopy! We look at the original Toon Town and compare it to how it looks today, to include the addition of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Train. It's the same attraction as the one at Disney's Hollywood Studios, but it isn't because of an amazing queue. We'll talk all about that, and other little details of this town built on celluloid. Join us during Disneyland's 70th anniversary where we celebrate Mickey's Toon Town!

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

I have to admit that this year has flown by quickly. Full of highlights, but still Spring became summer, and summer went right into Thanksgiving, and the next thing you knew the year was closing. On many levels I have enjoyed the parks perhaps more days in the year than in previous years. Unless I'm out of town I'm there once a week at least, but lately, I've found myself easily there 2-3 days out of seven. And it's been wonderful. Just during the Christmas season we have had some really wonderful visits. We'll discuss new attractions that have emerged in 2025, as well as moments I have had cherishing the final days of attractions that have now parted. Among all this I'll share my favorite moment of the entire year. Then we'll look forward to the new year. I don't believe Disney has yet to disclose all that is happening in the parks in 2026, but there's a solid start to the first half so far. We'll look at each incoming experience, and then focus in on what will be the most important announcement to happen in 2026. Finally we have an announcement that sets the stage for Disney Insights in the upcoming year! So join us as we celebrate 2025 and anticipate all to come in 2026!

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Seasons Greetings! Happy Holidays! This has been a wonderful year in many ways, but it has also been a year of tremendous lost to myself and many who knew Judy Perry Daley. Judy was the first female manager in operations at Walt Disney World, and had a tremendous work experience, hosting presidents and princesses, rock stars and movie stars. She truly was one of the most remarkable leaders of Walt Disney World. Together my friend Joseph Gardner, and my long time friend and my business partner Mark David Jones meet with Danni Mikler, who was Judi's best friend at Walt Disney World. She shares her journey with Judi, where you will learn more of Guest Relations in those early days, talks of managing Candlelight Processional, and of the challenges of opening Epcot with Dick Nunis. Did you know there was no centralized reservation, World-Key system in the first months of Epcot? How about the Epcot circus or President Reagan's Inaugural Parade through World Showcase? We talk about all of these crazy events and Judi's leadership in it. I then conclude by sharing the remarks I made at her life celebration service. Judy was truly one of the best leaders at Walt Disney World, was a dear friend and mentor, and I promise this is one of the most important podcasts I have ever shared. Join us as we share the life of Judy Perry Daley: Walt Disney World's VIP.

As this is a special podcast, please visit the show notes below for announcements and other promotional mentions. I want to focus simply on this podcast. And please understand that much of this is recorded at Steakhouse 71--in fact we closed out their lunch service. So despite using some good mikes there was more banter nearby than I had hoped. And please understand that this is one of my longest podcasts, but I felt that it should be as one whole.

Without further ado, allow me to turn the mike largely over to Danni Mikler, who'll share some details of her career as they intertwined with her long-time friendship with Judi.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Bright Suns! Throughout this year we have celebrated Disneyland's 70th Anniversary by looking at the nine lands of the park. And as the celebration continues in Anaheim, we continue our celebration here on Disney Insights. Today we look at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. This is perfect because this land especially references the last three film series in the larger trilogy. This week Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out ten years ago into the movie theaters. So much of that film and the two others that fall after it tie into the Black Spire Outpost of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. We're going to relive the opening of this themed land at Disneyland, talk about the similarities and differences to its twin at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and then share with you my top 7 Easter egg-style references to Star Wars within this land. Join us as we celebrate Star Wars Galaxy's Edge on Disneyland's 70th anniversary.

_______________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Everyone knows that the minute Halloween is over the Disney Parks ready themselves for the Christmas holidays. Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom seem to up and ready overnight, and in the first week or so of November we were able to see the joy of these parks during this time of year. Epcot, on the other hand, waits patiently until its International Food & Wine Festival is over. Then it readies everything for the holidays right before Thanksgiving.

Last week I had the chance to spend not one day, not two days, but three days at Epcot, and was re-immersed in how truly fun this approach to holidays around the world really is. This podcast serves to relive many of those experiences, and to consider some previous podcasts where we highlighted this park during the midst of Covid. Then we turn the podcast over to the music of the park, where we have provided musical enjoyment while you make last minute seasonal preparations. So join us for the 2025 Epcot International Festival of the Holidays.

Note that music only begins at 37:45.

___________________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Disney has announced that Disney Adventure World is opening in Paris on March 29th, 2026. This is one of Disney’s biggest remakes of a theme park, one that has had troubled origins and is now just emerging into its own. This park, opened in 2002 as Walt Disney Studios Paris, was hardly a shadow of its sister, Disneyland Paris, and it has gone through decades of struggle to get to this point. With some 2 billion euros invested, it now transforms into a much bigger footprint with some 90% of the original park completely reimagined. This transformation is huge with new lands, attractions, dining, shows and technology. And it’s only the beginning as more construction points toward more offerings to follow.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Last week we took a look at the original Disney Magic Cruise ship and shared our four night experience from Port Canaveral to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Day 3 of that experience was visiting Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. There is so much to talk about here that I chose to use it as a separate podcast. We had a review from David Zanolla last year, but everything at that time was brand new and really just getting underway. This was an opportunity to see it about a year and a half later, and for me, I was surprised by how much our family really enjoyed this. From arrival to the beach; from lunch to Junkanoo, we'll share it all. And we'll talk a little about how it compares to my vacation from my vacation home--Disney's Castaway Cay. Join us as we visit and review Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.

____________________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to book a really good 5 day/4 night Disney Cruise Line deal that ultimately led to a remarkably great experience on The original Disney Magic. It's a trip where we left from Port Canaveral, visited Nassau and the new Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, and then disembarked after a day at sea in San Juan Puerto Rico. Our experience gave us great insights to new experiences as well as provided us a chance to revisit the original Disney Cruise Line ship. While we are saving Lookout Cay for our next podcast, there is still a lot to share about this trip, and it will give you some insights not only about this itinerary, but booking late, and about what it's like to come back to the original Disney Magic. Oh, and we're dealing with a grown autistic son--so yeah it's kind of a crazy trip. That said, climb aboard as we head on a Disney Magic Voyage with San Juan Puerto Rico.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

No parcel of land at Disneyland has had more title changes than this little wedge of Disneyland. It's perhaps the smallest land in Disneyland, but it has a history that goes back to nearly the beginning. And it's a history few know much about. Most know it as Bayou Country today, and many know it as Critter Country, home to Splash Mountain. But before that it was Bear Country, and before that it went for some time not as Indian Country but as the Indian Village. We look at all four eras which include many well-known attractions, shops and eateries. As part of our 70th anniversary celebration join us as we head into the back country to experience this very special corner of Disneyland. You'll learn some things you may never have known about the Happiest Place on Earth.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

As 2025 comes to hurling toward an end a new attraction arrives at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Zootopia Better Zoogether is now in the Tree of Life Theater and offers something new for this park which begs for more guests. And at a great time to do so, as this time of year is the best time of year to visit the park, which is free of heat, humidity and exhaustion. The new show replaces "It's Tough to Be a Bug" which premiered with the park, and was based on "It's a Bug's Life", the second film created by Pixar after Toy Story. This new show is based on Zootopia and Zootopia 2 and brings you into the dynamic world of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. We look at the origins, then experience the show during early previews, where we walk the queue indoor and out. Then it's on to see the show where we offer a spoil-free synopsis, with a comparison of what works and what doesn't. Beyond this, we look at what could be next for Zootopia and for Disney's Animal Kingdom. Join us for this New Zoo Review--Coming right at you!

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Welcome! In this podcast, I read three quotes which share two things in common. First, they speak of low attendance in the park and how empty things are. Second, they were all written in 2024. I could share with you several statements like these that emphasize how empty the parks are. To many it sounds like statements heard these last couple of months around both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. But statements like these are actually from 2024. Were they true? Well, the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) shared their annual Global Experience Index for 2024. We'll look at what it has to say, particularly as we study the Disney and Universal parks in both Florida and California. The findings may not only surprise you, but they are probably an indication of the kinds of numbers we're experiencing here. To that end, we'll talk about what Disney is doing about attendance to include new announcements Disney has made for America's 250th Anniversary.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Disney is always looking for new ways to share stories. And increasingly those stories are trying to be more interactive, more immersive and more personalized. And at the same time, high tech companies are trying to be more interactive, more immersive and more personalized. One of those is Meta, or Facebook as many have come to know it. And as Mark Zuckerberg recently announced a new version of their Meta/RayBand eye wear, Disney has also announced that it will be partnering with Meta to create more interactive, more immersive, and more personalized experiences. With a pair of original Meta Glasses I recently received, I visited Disney's Hollywood Studios to test them out. The outcome is this: Meta Glasses are astonishingly smart while being amazingly stupid. This episode shows you how they accomplish both. But in the wake of it, offers some glimpse of what the future might do. So kick back and enjoy this episode as we explore the AI Possibilities at Disney through Rose-Colored Metas.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

There's lots of noise out there in the social media world about how poorly Disney is doing, as if it were in dire straits. This podcast today seeks to answer a couple of key questions: First, Is attendance really down and out in Walt Disney World? Second, why are there no big new attractions coming in the short term? Third, Why is it so expensive to come to Disney? Fourth, when will big new attractions like Monstropolis and Villains Land arrive? We look at the calendar to see hope in 2027 & beyond, but until then Disney has to fill in through 2025 and 2026. How will they do this? Join us in What in Disney is Happening Now?!

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Part of the heart and soul of what originated at Disney-MGM Studios in 1989 was The Magic of Disney Animation. For over a little more than 16 years, it was a place where guests could go to understand and for a time, even watch animation being created. To know the Florida animation studios and The Magic of Disney Animation attraction is to know the story of the last three decades of Disney animation in general. Disney animation is the greatest driver of what makes Disney, Disney. And now with the closure of Star Wars Launch Bay, it is being resurrected. Many guests complain how little of the original Disney-MGM Studios exist today, and yet, Imagineering answered to this by choosing to resurrect The Magic of Disney Animation. In a multi-part podcast series we will talk about this attraction, how it evolved, and what it is soon to become. In this podcast, we'll talk about what led to the development of this attraction, of what lay between it and the studio arches, and what this attraction was like when it first opened.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

This week we celebrate the 54th Anniversary of Walt Disney World. While the "hoopla" for non-milestone anniversaries is minor at best, There has been a great deal of efforts to recognize the heritage of Walt Disney World while still stepping forward into the future. Yes, there are lots of new projects and with that the farewell of many things that we hold dearly There are many facets of Walt Disney World that are no longer around, but there are many places where efforts are really made to cherish and remember its past. We look at new ways Disney has in recent years acknowledged its heritage. These references play homage to the resort's roots. Since this week is the opportunity to celebrate Walt Disney World's anniversary, join us as we remember its story and heritage.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

I've been asked many times how you plan a trip to Disneyland. This time, it came from my wife's brother and his wife, along with their son. So this one's for you! But it's for anyone who really wants to know how to best manage a stay at Disneyland. And I give great consideration to how folks used to visiting Walt Disney World might take this on. So this is also for you. And then we have our regular visitors. Hopefully there's something it for you as well! All said and done, let's talk about not only all the details of planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort, but how to maximize your days in the park. And let's consider the most fiscally responsible way to do this. I think you'll find this podcast to be perhaps your best preparation for visiting the Happiest Place on Earth. It comes with decades (too many to name) of experience. So let's head to Disneyland!

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

With Disney having over 100 years as a company, there have been good times and a few tough times. But relatively speaking, the company has fared well over the long haul. It certainly has grown--enormously from its original roots as a small animation studio to one of the biggest media organizations across the globe. It is envied for its growth, but that growth isn't sustainable unless you're growing your employees in a sustainable way. Short term, corporations can do many things to make a quick turn around. Infused capital if nothing else. Show momentary good will and create great marketing campaigns will make people notice. But real admiration comes from sustained long term growth, not from quick overnight deals. And that growth comes from growing your employees.

I'm joined today by Kim and Mac Cantrell of 2Impact, former guests on my podcast, who will share what's happening with organizations that are facing their own growth challenges. We'll talk about those, and we'll talk about something called "Soft Wiring" which is a practical approach to working with your employees to engage, motivate and empower them to grow the organization successfully. I'll share plenty of examples of what this looks like at Disney, and you'll see that these are things you can do in your organization as well. So join us on Disney Insights as we talk about how to grow your company by growing your employees.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Walt loved New Orleans and from day one he sought to incorporate the essence of the French Quarter into Disneyland Park. While New Orleans Square wasn't opened until 1966, there has always been since day one a New Orleans Street. It stretched from the Golden Horseshoe down along the Rivers of America. It was a contrast to the Nature's Wonderland with its mine train, pack mules and stage coaches. It was one of the key dining points in the park, and Walt loved this stretch, where he often enjoyed a weekend morning breakfast watching the ships along the Rivers of America prep and ready for the day's activities.

But he wanted more and in time he built New Orleans Square, and with it came two of perhaps Disney's greatest attractions, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion, benchmarking each end of the square. They sandwiched an unusual twist of streets with shops and restaurants, with his beloved train passing through. And all of it was tied together by the legendary Mark Twain Steamboat. It is quintessentially one of the most unique spaces in any Disney park. And with it come some wonderful inspirational lessons in business and life. So in celebration of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we explore all of this and more in today's podcast which celebrates the charm of both New Orleans Street and Square.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

We had a chance to visit the Beak and Barrel and we wanted to share that total experience with you. We'll check out the food and beverage, the logistics, but most of all we'll talk about the incredible attention to detail that creates for the entire experience. And we'll talk about its implications for not only all of Caribbean Bazaar at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, but what it might suggest for Disneyland and for the upcoming Disney Adventure. So join us as we review The Beak and Barrel.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Several weeks ago D23 put out their agenda for their upcoming event being held the last weekend of August. Surprising to so many was the fact that there was no parks panel. In the interim, Walt Disney World came forward with a press event a few days ago giving insight and updates on a large number of attractions and offerings coming the "Most Magical Place on Earth". We'll dissect all of these announcements--and they are really fun announcements--and then look at the D23 agenda to see if something is happening far beyond what has already been announced. With this comes an overview of what the Beak and Barrel looks like, as it opened this last weekend. If you love all things Walt Disney World this is a very interesting moment in time. Join us as well look at these Florida announcements and wild predictions of announcements that could come from the upcoming D23 event.

_________________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Mary Poppins would say, "Just a Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine go Down". Well, I've seen that happen as it's been my.privilege to work with organizations big and small, public, private and non-profit. Many of them come to me because they want their organization to be something more like Disney. They want a place where people enjoy working and even have fun at it. In truth, few organizations work harder than Disney. And at the end of the day, it's work. But despite the hard times, the difficult circumstances, and the day-to-day challenges, leaders stay positive despite the circumstances. There are Disney inspired lessons that can show us all how to keep a sense of humor, how to create a space for fun, how not to take themselves too seriously, and even how to find joy in accomplishing the impossible. From the boardroom to the Matterhorn; from Canoe Races to Goofy's Mystery Tour--join us as we learn lessons from Disney leaders past and present about how to create fun--even at work!

________________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

As I prepared for this podcast all of the joy and happy moments of our stay during Disneyland's 70th anniversary just flooded over me. This is my opportunity to Celebrate Happy with you. Indeed I would say it was one of the most wonderful and memorable trips our family had--even though it was at time intense given all that we wanted to see, do and perhaps eat. While Disneyland's 70th anniversary will be accented by seasonal events such as Halloween and Christmas, know that this event is going on through the summer of 2026. I want to know that every one of you listening out there will visit, and my duty here in this podcast is to get you excited to do so. When we're through with this podcast, you'll see that this should have been the anniversary celebration Walt Disney World had. So join us as we celebrate truly happy moments in Disneyland's 70th anniversary.

_______________________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Sorry as I was gone this last week. I visited Disneyland's 70th anniversary a couple of weeks ago. There is so much to talk about when it comes to this celebration of "The Happiest Place on Earth". But the primary reason I felt drawn to come at this time was the new show at the Opera House on Main Street. I feel there is not one but two stories about the new attraction: Walt Disney: A Magical Life. This is of course the highly sophisticated and highly controversial animatronic show of Walt Disney. And I have much to say about that show experience. And to understand all of this, you have to understand efforts made earlier to help people relate to Walt Disney, to include The Walt Disney Story, One Man's Dream and even Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. It's a deep dive review for sure.

But there is a larger conversation about how Disney is reconnecting more people to what they once loved in their youth, experiences that foster ties. It's as if Disney has finally realized that their history, their heritage, and their stories really do matter. And they seem to be doing much more moving forward to building on that theme. This podcast looks at Walt Disney's Magical Life and so much more.

_______________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

This weekend Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away kicked off its inaugural run with two nights of dress rehearsals and an opening on Sunday. This new parade, long awaited and hoped for by Walt Disney World fans is simply magical. It's not perfect, but it's simply beautiful and is what has been needed for so long since its ancestors, The Main Street Electrical Parade and SpectroMagic had long parted. We visit this parade and talk all the details of what makes it work--and at times, not so perfectly work. It's a must-see event at Walt Disney World and a welcome tradition for years to come. And my belief is, that it will only get better over time. So join us as we review Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away!

____________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

"Third time's the charm" is a saying that suggests perhaps the third attempt will be more successful than the two prior failures. By no means has the past two versions of Test Track been failures. But it seems like this is a huge opportunity to learn from the previous experiences and truly come up with something that could be loved for years to come. We chart out not only all three, but also talk about its forefather, The World of Motion. On our journey I pick up my friend and colleague Nick Grande, to talk about our experience testing Test Track, where it works, where it doesn't and where it retreads. Great news! There is much to love about this new version. And while we've seen people either completely love or hate it, we'll give you a complete sense of how you can get both responses. Join us for Test Track 3.0. Is the third time the charm?

____________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

While last week's post shared lament over the closing of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America, we return to Disneyland's 70th Anniversary to celebrate the heritage of Frontierland. While you might think Frontierland is a thing of the past, knowing the past of this land will give you appreciation for the remarkable role it has played in four of Disney's theme parks around the world. We'll step inside the fort entrance to hear some stories many may have never heard before about the history of Frontierland. Did you know there was at one point a big Indiana Jones attraction developed for Frontierland. We share all the Wild West with you. From the Trading Post to the Golden Horseshoe; From The Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to Big Thunder Ranch, and from the Halloween Tree to a Petrified Tree, we bring you tall and true tales of Disneyland's Frontierland.

____________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

It's been nearly a year since the wake of D23 where we learned that the Rivers of America, the Liberty Belle, and Tom Sawyer Island would be changed out into a new off road Cars experience. The way we learned that news was troublesome--hiding it from the official D23 presentation. But even if they had been more transparent about it, it would still be hard to lose. I've come to terms as I've shared in previous podcasts what's working about what lies ahead for the Rivers of America. I think ultimately it will be a well-received set of experiences when it all comes together. But I couldn't help but be really melancholy about saying goodbye to the river for the last time. I'll share with you what went through my mind, and some of the really wonderful--even sweet memories I have from these attractions. I'll talk about what else is happening currently in both Liberty Square and Frontierland, particularly with the soft reopening of Hall of Presidents, and then I'll end with suggestions of where you can still find the spirit of this experience elsewhere--and it isn't at Disneyland. So stay with us as we bid adieu to The Rivers of America, the Liberty Belle and Tom Sawyer Island.

In recent weeks there have been a large number of details released not just for Walt Disney World but for Disneyland as well. While previous podcasts have been reminiscing all things Muppets the end of MuppetVision 3D and taking a look at Adventureland at Disneyland, there have been considerable announcements, hints and insights that have occurred. And we want to cover them all! From Disneyland we'll look at Avatar and Coco at Disney California Adventure, as well as a new park entry. Then we'll head over to Walt Disney World to look at Disney's Starlight Parade logistics, Test Track Re-Imagined, Tropical America Developments and even the new Monstropolis at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It's a busy podcast for this week, so hang on as we have so much to share!

____________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Welcome to our ongoing celebration of Disneyland's 70th anniversary. In many ways, Adventureland is truly the most immersive of all the lands of Disneyland. And yet, from a pedestrian space, it's perhaps one of the smallest. If you're just walking through it you can go from entrance to exit in about a minute. Unless of course Fantasmic! is going on in New Orleans Square and Fireworks are getting ready on Main Street. Then it's one of the most congested places on the map. And yet, day or night, Adventureland is full of tropical wonder and a jungle of detail. From the Enchanted Tiki Room to the Adventureland Treehouse; From the exotic Jungle Cruise to the high thrills of Indiana Jones Adventure. Join us as we celebrate the amazing True-Life Adventures of Disneyland's Adventureland.

____________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Something happened over the weekend that I probably never quite envisioned. And neither did thousands of guests who always found time to spend a few moments with Jim Henson's Muppet-Vision 3D. We celebrate this film, and its creator, sharing some insights of how all this came to be. We'll take a look at the Muppets over the years as they've come to be a part of The Walt Disney World Resort. We'll talk about all of the components that made up Muppet Courtyard, and what made Muppet-Vision 3D so really special. Join us as we commemorate this attraction, its setting and consider both its past and future. It's a rousing 3 hour finale, but we're trying to keep it around 40 minutes.

____________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

News this week and last has broken out about happenings at the Magic Kingdom, and they include some very important dates. Last week was an announcement of Disney Starlight Parade's opening date. Plus they showcased the finale as well as the order of the parade floats. We'll talk about that and the implications of this date to its nightly schedule and what it means to thousands of pass holders who will want to go to the Magic Kingdom alongside all other tourists.

But first we look at some big announcements that came about from around Frontierland as well this week. At the top of those announcements comes the fact that the Rivers of America, Liberty Belle and Tom Sawyer's Island will close in a few weeks on July 7th. We'll explore some very cool details that will come to this new mini-land within Frontierland.

____________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

This summer has not only brought a completely new theme park to the Orlando tourist scape, but within it, two impressive theatrical shows within its park's gates. At the same time, Disney's Hollywood Studios has opened two theatrical shows within its studio gates. In a showdown, we'll look at Le Cirque Arcanus in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter--Ministry of Magic as well as The Untrainable Dragon from the Isle of Berk--both premiering at Epic Universe. We'll also take a look at two new shows that just premiered at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After and The Little Mermaid Musical Adventure. From queue to finale, from performers to technical staging, we'll look at which of these fare best and are worth your time. The competition is tough, so join us as we look at these four new theatrical shows in two very unique Florida theme parks.

____________________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest 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.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

There is so much to love about Universal’s new Epic Universe. And if they get it to work, it will be even better. Many have already done podcasts early on and shared what they loved or didn’t love about the park. Reviews of favorite attractions, food, souvenirs and so forth are out there. My wife and I, two of my daughters and my son-in-law have all attended, and for the most part, we had not only a solid experience, but we look forward to the time we can go back again. It’s definitely a place worth repeating.

I look forward to an opportunity to share our family’s review of the experience, but my focus is not so much from a guest point of view but from a park design and operational focus. And there’s so much here that is working. I will look at issues of park layout, scale and scope, thematic approach, interactivity, operations and more. Since this is Disney Insights, we want to consider these approaches in comparison to best practices Disney employs.It’s not just a critical look at the design and operation of Universal’s new park, but a new focus on what is working and what is not working at Disney.  So join us as we explore lessons good and bad from Universal Florida’s Epic Universe.

____________________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

We are on the monorail heading to the Magic Kingdom to canvas many updates from the Emporium to Big Thunder, from the Astro Orbiter to the new DVC lounge, McKim's Mile House. In the process we'll check on all sorts of construction activity, visit a number of shops throughout the park, and take in Gaston's Tavern, where we try out some new tasty treats. Join us on the Magic Kingdom Update here at Disney Insights.

_________________________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Yes! We predicted yesterday that Disney was going to announce a new park in Abu Dhabi, and that announcement has come to pass! "A whole new world" is coming to this corner of the world. With over four billion guests having visited some six Disney theme park destinations around the world, let's look at this newest Disney resort in Abu Dhabi, which will be the seventh in the world. This was part of its 2025 2nd quarter presentation, and the announcement dwarfed everything else. Why build here, and exactly where is it going? What will make this different than anything ever built before? How will it be built and managed? Let's explore what's new coming to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

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More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Breaking news this morning as rumors about that Disney could be announcing a brand new theme park slated for United Arab Emirates. The possibility is that an announcement could be made Wednesday morning, May 7th, but some sources suggest this may be happening and in time with the 2nd Quarter 2025 announcements from Disney happening at the same time. Check it out!

_______________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

We continue our celebration of Disneyland's 70th anniversary. We started this series at Disneyland with a look at Tomorrow. We now wind the clock backwards and start at the entrance of the park. Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland is a remarkable place. It is the only land in the only park that had an apartment for Walt Disney where he stayed regularly to "walk in the shoes of his guests." That kind of immersion allowed him to see new possibilities in how to create "The Happiest Place on Earth". I have walked this street for over 60 years and I want to share just how really special it is. It is not only the red carpet to any Disney fan, but we see how these places amaze not just from the guest view, but from a leadership view point. It's a perspective that permits you to see how you can build your own employees and create a great customer experience. Join us as we "Walk Down the Middle of Main Street, U.S.A" to see how Walt Disney personally touched this park, and how its design is a message for organizations big and large.

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More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

While it’s been more than 5 years since Disney has opened up a brand new park in Shanghai, there is something to be said for the enormous transformation that has been underway for Disneyland Paris as a whole, and in particular, Disney Adventure World, formerly known as Walt Disney Studios Paris. Since Avengers Campus first opened, work has been spent on improving existing rides and shows, as well as creating whole new lands and attractions. Some 90% of the park’s original offerings will have been redone, and its foot prints will be nearly doubled in size. And beyond this, Disneyland Paris is very much re-shaping its resort experience and completely redefining the look and feel of its retail-dining space, Disney Village All these efforts and announcements come at a time when Universal has announced a new park in Bedfordshire, England with a targeted date of opening in 2031.

_______________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Since debuting in December just a few months ago, The Disney Treasure has been the talk of the cruise line experience. Part of a new class of ships, and a sibling to the Disney Wish, this Disney Cruise Line offering has become very popular. We're fortunate to have Chris Konecny, also known as DCLCruisingDad, to share with us his family's experience aboard this eight day, seven night journey. We talk about getting there, getting on, and having a ton of fun. We discuss a little bit about its destinations to include Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Falmouth, Jamaica. But we especially talk about what makes this ship so spectacular, from food to entertainment; from decor to crew. And Chris offers some great tips for making your next trip even more enjoyable. So join us for tips and insights from Disney Cruise Line's Disney Treasure.

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

We visit Walt Disney World to check out Disney's Hollywood Studios and to get an update about everything going on in the park. We canvas the entire property, check out some retail plus food & beverage. Did we mention meeting up with all 7 of the Dwarfs?! Where Star Wars first showed up in this park (and it's not Star Tours)?! How about the best fried chicken in Disney's parks?! Or the cremated remains of Don Onar's Parents?! Join us as we share little known secrets about the park, and talk more about its future!

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

As if little announcements would keep attention away from the opening of Epic Universe, Disney keeps dropping posts and instagrams about what's on their docket in the next months to come. We'll take a look at this, and give insight to what it means. Disneyland has a big 70th anniversary coming, but what of The Walt Disney World Resort? We'll share what we've learned and what it means, especially in the context of a FastCompany article where Disney experts shared what it means to create the "Disney Bubble". Then we'll share about another time when Diagon Alley opened at Universal here in Orlando and how Disney pivoted to create a Frozen Summer. Disney needs to save summer, is this possible? We'll look at how in a matter of weeks, Disney turned around the summer of 2014 and made come alive. Join us as we look at whether the bubble can same Disney's Summer, along with Disney announcement insights.

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

With a new live action film out, There is much to be said about the importance of Walt Disney’s classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Not only was the original animated Snow White successful in the box office, it has been an important part of the Disney theme park experience world-wide. Since Disneyland opened in 1955, Snow White has come alive for guests to visit and experience. Through character meet ‘n’ greets, parades, merchandise, and attractions, Snow White is a significant presence found in every Disney Magic Kingdom park. And it can be seen in nearly every other park as well in some form or another. It will surprise you some of the places Snow White shows up. So this podcast allows us to celebrate Snow White in the parks.

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

This weekend fans said their final farewells to "It's Tough to be a Bug." This film has entertained guests since Disney's Animal Kingdom opened in 1998. It was the centerpiece of the Tree of Life, which serves as the icon to the park. We look at the origins of how the attraction came to be. We'll look at what was so great--and what was not so great about this attraction. With the official closing this week, we'll talk about the transition to the new replacement show, "Zootopia, Better Zoogether" We'll look at what has been shared to date, and project what might be the plot of this show. Then we'll close off with a little known story about Pixar when it went into crisis mode of creating A Bug's Life and Toy Story II, all within a year. It may be tough to be a bug, but at one time, it may have been tougher to be a Pixar employee. So join us as we bid adieu to It's Tough to be a Bug.

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

This weekend a Disney Imagineering presentation was given at the South by Southwest SXSW Conference in Austin Texas. Thinking that it was a Future of World-Building at Disney presentation given by Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro, I was surprised to see that there were several Imagineers that made up the presentation. Even more interesting was the fact that Josh was accompanied by Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, who then brought three key studio leaders, Jon Favreau with Star Wars, Pete Docter with Pixar, and Kevin Fiege of Marvel. Together both Entertainment and Experiences partnered together to talk about major attractions coming to Disney. We bring some important insights from not only this and from other Imagineering activities going on, but we also counter it with some negativity that has been coming from former Imagineers that "The Emperors at 1401 Flower Street are butt naked and don't know it." We'll consider those opinions to better understand what is working and what is not. Join us as we showcase new Imagineering developments and the Imagineers who criticize them.

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

When Disneyland premiered in 1955, it was so unique above anything else that was found in the world. And yet, its roots are found in sources that are across the globe. We look at those major influences that shaped not only Walt Disney's interest in building an amusement enterprise, but in how that was actually shaped and created. These sources stem from even before his birth and can be found along his travels throughout the United States and Europe. And while his intent was to create a place that parents and children could enjoy together, the result of is a place that welcomes all who come to this happy place. Join us as we share the inspiration Walt found on the journey to Disneyland.

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

This month marks the 85th anniversary of The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. While Walt Disney had a couple of other smaller studio locations previously, this location has flourished for decades and has remained the headquarters of The Walt Disney Company. We'll look at how these studios came about, how it became a world-class facility, what set it apart from other movie studios in town, and why it was such an "employee-friendly" place. And we'll look at how all that still happens today! With all of this we'll share some lessons for any business location or place of business. And we'll also suggest how it contrasts with Disney's Hollywood Studios, as it points to a particular problem the Studios has that is different than the other Walt Disney World theme park experiences. So join us for the 85th anniversary of The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Join us today as we take a look at not one, not two but three phenomenal Disney Resorts across Asia. Today we're joined by David and Leah Zanolla of Zanolla Travel. They recently hosted a group along with their family that visited Asia over the holidays. This included Hong Kong Disneyland, where the new World of Frozen premiered last year. In China, they had a chance to share their favorite moments visiting the new Zootopia attraction at Shanghai Disneyland. And then there is Tokyo Disney Resort. Here they saw not only the new Fantasy Springs attraction that included mini-lands centered around Tangled, Frozen and Peter Pan, but also the much talked about Beauty and the Beast attraction. Plus highlights of other amazing experiences during their journey. So join us for the best of Disney Parks in Asia, to includes some incredible new attractions.

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Several announcements have occurred in recent days regarding attractions closing to make way for upcoming construction activity at Walt Disney World. That information (and the lack of other information) is starting to tell us much about how attractions are going to come on board in the years to come, and even in the months to come. We look at what attraction building criteria is driving those dates, then take a new look at the calendar extending all the way up to 2030. We look closely at some possibilities with new projects named such as Bluey, and the theater in Monstropolis. And we offer some smart low-hanging potential projects Disney could take advantage of to fill its attraction roster. So join us for Disney Insights on construction calendars for new and upcoming Walt Disney World projects.

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Welcome aboard, mateys! We set sail to Disneyland Paris to take a pirate's plunge of Adventureland. Here we experience a unique version of Pirates of the Caribbean, where a very different approach to the narrative has been taken. With it lies not just an amazing gift shop at the exit, but a tropical restaurant that rivals the very popular Blue Bayou. We also maroon ourselves on Adventure Isle, home to the stories of Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island, and Peter Pan. We climb treehouses, explore caves, board ships and swing across bridges. All of this is brought to life for you via our Disney Insights Pirates of the Caribbean Interactive Journey, which I'll not only share some backstory on, but share with you how you can have a 7 Day Free Trial. So join us for Disneyland Paris: A New Take on Pirates.

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

The Epcot International Festival of the Arts gives us an opportunity to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney on Broadway. We'll look at the history of this amazing theatrical portfolio, which began with a "Tale as Old as Time" whose roots were more than 30 years ago at what was then Disney-MGM Studios. Today there are over two dozen major shows that have played on Broadway, The West End, and across the globe. I'll share with you some of my favorites and why--along with some stories you may not have heard about these phenomenal shows. And we'll step over to Epcot to talk about a new exhibit that has just opened up at CommuniCore in World Celebration. It's just one component of a very popular time of year in this park. Join us as we celebrate 30 years of Disney on Broadway at Epcot's International Festival of the Arts. ________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Ever go into a place of business only to leave asking yourself, "What are they thinking?" How could they be so blind when it comes to how they do business? It's a fair question asked often. We speak of emotional intelligence when it comes to individuals and how they relate with others 1:1 or perhaps in small groups, but we really don't talk about it in the context of how we interact with customers, much less approach that relationship strategically. Today we look at The Emotionally Intelligent Customer Experience, where we see how it plays out both tactically and strategically. We look at examples from Disney as to what they do, good and bad, in addressing that customer experience. And we consider how this plays out in your organization, big or small, whether in the public, private or non-profit realm. Join us as we consider the Emotionally Intelligent Customer Experience: Disney Insights for Any Organization.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Welcome to 2025. As promised, my expose and focus on Disneyland's 70th anniversary is a key part of my podcasts, videos and Patreon experiences this year. To that end, I thought to start out on Main Street, U.S.A. But since we're starting a new year, why not look at the future? So our first podcast of 2025 is on Disneyland's Tomorrowland. There have been several version of this and they add up to not only why guests love Tomorrowland, but why it really matters in a world like ours. This one however, is the original, and speaks not only to those that followed, but to Epcot as well. We'll look at the history, and then take a ride on the old PeopleMover to consider the attractions that once were and continue to be part of this land. We'll then come back to Why Tomorrowland Matters and some thoughts about what the future might behold. Join us for Disneyland's Tomorrowland: Vistas of the Future.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

We are ringing out the old year and ringing in the new year as we review 2024 and give a preview of 2025. I'll cover all of the key moments of last year, as well as what's going on next year, both in the parks here in the U.S. as well as internationally. And then John Frost of The Disney Blog will join me as we give some critical thought as to all that is going on as well as what's on the horizon. So join us for this Disney Insights podcast.

We especially thank John Frost of The Disney Blog for joining us on this 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 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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Seasons Greetings! Last week we took a look at how the holiday season unfolds at Disneyland during the day with attraction overlays, holiday shows and festive decorations. We now look at how the Disneyland Resort comes to life in even brighter and more amazing ways at night. At Disneyland we check out how Sleeping Beauty's Castle transforms into winter enchantment. We check out the Christmas Fantasy Parade, as well as holiday shows at "it's a small world" and in Tomorrowland. Fireworks and snowflakes on Main Street? We'll see, but we'll also go to Disney California Adventure and see the holiday decor there, attraction overlays and a big finale in World of Color: Season of Light Holiday show. There is so much to Christmas nighttime magic at Disneyland. Join us for this seasonal celebration.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Seasons Greetings! There's so much to love about the holidays at the Disneyland Resort! So much that we have two podcasts, one by day and one by night. In this episode we see the garland of Main Street U.S.A. to holiday overlays at The Haunted Mansion and "it's a small world". At Disney California Adventure we check out several lands and see Mickey's Happy Holidays. Did I mention a one-man parade led by Deadpool?! From the Disneyland Resort Hotels to Downtown Disney; From San Fransokyo to New Orleans Square; we bring you daytime holiday magic at Disneyland.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Welcome to a corner of the Happiest Place on Earth where we take a look at a big set of changes to come to Disneyland. Tiana's Bayou Adventure opened recently and with it a new land, Bayou Country, which replaces the old Critter Country. We see all of Tiana's from front to back, from queue to ride--and it's a wet one! We also check out Louis' Critter Club and Ray's Beret's--new retail locations at Bayou Country--plus another Tiana themed retail location most people never pass by. We then stop to check out the newly refurbished and retitled Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree! Plenty to see, so join us as we head down the Bayou at Disneyland!

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Back from Disneyland and we have so much to share! First, we'll talk about announcements that are happening here at Walt Disney World. Then as our main feature, we'll canvas changes to the Haunted Mansion, from Magnolia Gardens to the new extended queue system, to the new store at the exit of the attraction, Madame Leota's Somewhere From Beyond. In the process we'll see there's a lot of really great stuff happening--and some real misses as well. Join us as we look at new bookends being made to one of the most venerable attractions to be found at The Happiest Place on Earth.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

It's Thanksgiving week and I wanted to share my thanks on this 501st podcast to all of you my listeners with a special podcast and an opportunity that focuses on Mystic Manor in Hong Kong Disneyland. But we preface all this with new announcements made in the parks including the location of Monster's Inc. at Disney's Hollywood Studios and what will happen to the Muppets. It's a busy podcast for sure, made bigger by my offering to you that I will announce at the end of this podcast. So Join us For Mystic Manor Insights & New Disney Announcements.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

We have arrived at this milestone of having delivered 500 podcasts! As I have canvased these many podcasts since 2017, I have found an entire history of Disney milestones mixed with life itself. We will walk through many of those moments, share the emotion of those experiences and see how it has brought us to the present. More than an opportunity to reflect, it's really a celebration of how so much has happened in these last number of years. I also want to make some announcements of what lies ahead, as there is much to look forward to. So join us as we commemorate our 500th 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 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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

We have more insights to what's coming to Walt Disney World as we share news that came out of D23 in Brazil. No it wasn't a new World Showcase pavilion, but it along with other insights help us understand what lays ahead for this resort. Then we turn our attention toward the holiday season as we go around the four parks at Walt Disney World to share what's happening in the weeks ahead, to include a look at Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Parade, plus hotels, parties, lights and more. So join us on this 499th Disney Insights podcast as we share D23 park announcements as well as what's new and beloved at Walt Disney World this Christmas season.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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 Kingdom on this 498th episode of Disney Insights.

________________________________________________________

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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! 

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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 1923-1973, 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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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 our 493rd podcast for Disney's Art and Management of the Theme 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.

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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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, 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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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 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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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 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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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 struggles with fans believing in their word and in what they are doing. We will look at a history that goes decades back to where The Walt Disney Company has made promises and have reneged. We will look at a larger issue that goes from a project called WestCOT all the way to Disneyland Forward. It's about trust, transparency, and being forthright, no matter who you are. Know that I am bringing out issues I would share with any client I had in an attempt to help them improve their organization.

Walt Disney said: "When they come here they're coming because of an integrity that we've established over the years. And they drive hundreds of miles. I feel a responsibility to the public." Guests today fly thousands of miles, and they spend thousands of dollars on a Disney vacation. Trust and integrity on Disney's part is the "responsibility" Walt is speaking of. And it's what we are speaking of in this 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 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 podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic!

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com Owner/Agents (309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________

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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

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 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, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!