For more than 50 years, Walt Disney World has been in the business of fun. At almost twice the size of Manhattan, the Resort’s nearly 30,000 acres is a vacation destination that’s hard to replicate anywhere else.
At a panel with a mix of media on Tuesday, Disney World executives shared an inside look at the art and science of how listening to guests is at the core of Disney’s culture of hospitality, and what it all means for helping families find value in unforgettable vacations now and in the future.
Why the Disney Bubble Means So Much
A Disney vacation can be the culmination of a dream for many guests. In what’s known as the “Disney bubble” to fans, guests embrace nostalgic memories and create new ones from arrival to departure. It’s the idea of having an all-encompassing experience while guests are here, allowing them to visit the parks, stay onsite, dine, shop and use transportation without ever leaving property.
“I think I first heard the term from our guest voice when we would ask them, ‘Why are you booking? Why are you coming back?’” Alison Armor, Vice President of Resorts Operations, said.
Armor oversees nearly 29,000 rooms at 25+ Resort hotels, and previously led the Resort’s integrated transportation system, so she’s acutely aware of how high the stakes are for a first-class guest experience.
“It’s the anticipation and the expectation that they’re going to live in the magic. And that’s what they walk away with, the feeling of immersion in our story from beginning to end,” she explained. “To do that really requires all of us united to make that happen.”
Chelsea Filley, Vice President of Customer Experience and Commercial Strategy shared that demystifying the planning process, especially for first time visitors, is key. Guests want to feel confident about their choices so they can enjoy themselves when they arrive in the bubble.
“You can truly do everything here,” Filley said. “The bubble is what makes the magic, and you want that magic to feel like ‘I’m making the most of my time here.’”
The Transformative Power of Listening
With a fan base that is as passionate as Walt Disney World guests, these leaders know that no change — big or small — goes unnoticed. That’s why leaders need to balance both the art and the science of guest feedback.
Jason Kirk, Senior Vice President of Operations for the four theme parks, shared that his team is in the parks every day, directly interacting with guests. Paired with data from the Industrial Engineering team, they can resolve simple concerns and find options to address more complex ones. “We have to try to make the best decision for all our guests,” Kirk said.
Filley spoke about the challenges of operational complexity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disney heard loud and clear how those decisions impacted guests, and as a result, the customer experience (CX) team was born. Filley said the team holds the responsibility for understanding the drivers of complexity and looks for meaningful solutions to alleviate it during a customer’s planning and booking process.
“We have never been more well positioned to hear from our guests and really act on it,” Filley shared.
Putting Families at the Forefront
Disney World has a way of creating lifelong memories that are hard to replicate anywhere else. This summer, key initiatives are set to make Disney World vacations even more memorable for young families. Why focus on summer visits?
“An interesting fact we heard from them is that this is the time that’s easiest for them to plan,” Filley said of families with young children. Filley shared that Disney World’s summer 50% offer on kids tickets is a new option for families to visit and save. Another fan favorite offer for a free dining plan is returning for the summer months.
“We want to have these great offers for our guests because we know it’s a great time for them to come and they’re telling us they’re going to have a wonderful experience when they’re here,” Filley added, noting summer offers the least expensive average ticket prices of the year.
At the parks, Kirk said guests can expect added kid zones, fun entertainment, and more character interactions daily, including a Goofy takeover of CommuniCore Hall at EPCOT for an ultimate game party and play space.
“We’re being very intentional and really celebrating the family experience,” Armor said. “Guests tell us one of the best-kept secrets of staying at a Disney Resort is all the activities available. We’re creating programming for the resorts so guests can plan both their day at the parks and their day at the resorts and can prioritize what they want to do.”
Armor shared that on day one of testing scheduled appearances at resorts, it was clear that families seeing characters for the first time felt the magic from the moment they arrived. “It’s been transformative.”
Each panelist noted how key initiatives to bring more to the experience for families this summer has meant so much for them on a personal level.
“I know I speak for all five of us, we are Disney parents who have spent a whole lifetime planning these trips with our own children, and it’s so important that we do right by Disney families,” Armor said.
“We’re continuing to ideate and create ways that they can have moments and memories that will keep them coming back to property every time they come back to Walt Disney World.”
On a similar note, Kirk told the group there’s a balance with the long-term and near-term experiences. “Most of you here in the room are very familiar with our product, right? But we have to be about all of our guests. Not everyone visits this often.”
Kirk shared that roughly one third of domestic visitors have not seen Pandora – The World of Avatar.
“Think about that: they haven’t seen Pandora, Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, TRON / Lightcycle Run, right? So, when they come here, all of those experiences will still be new to them,” he said. “But at the same time, we have to continue to have fresh new experiences for the guests who come more often.”
Continuing the Legacy with Buzz and Beyond
Revealed at the panel, a fan favorite (and Kirk’s own family favorite) Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is getting a major upgrade this year, including brand-new handheld, more reactive blasters that younger riders will love.
Kirk noted that since Walt Disney opened Disneyland in 1955, adding new experiences and refreshing existing favorites is what they’ve always done. “At Walt Disney World, we’re just continuing that legacy.”
“This is us going back and saying, ‘You know what? This experience needs some love. It’s the OG,” Michael Hundgen, Portfolio Executive Creative Producer, said. “This is a great update to a classic attraction at Magic Kingdom.”
As the largest and most visited theme park in the world, Magic Kingdom is slated to be a centerpiece of the upcoming investment and expansion for the Resort, with the biggest expansion in the park’s history.
“Decades ago, I had developed an idea for a Villains theme park at Walt Disney World,” Hundgen said of his own high school marketing project that recently surfaced. “To fast forward all these years later and to know we’re building a Villains land at the Magic Kingdom, who would have thought?”
Kirk described training and developing the next generation of Disney World leaders and cast members as a point of pride as he looks to the future.
“I’m optimistic because I know they’ve got this; they have the passion that we had, and we’re set for decades and decades of this amazing guest service that our guests have all come to expect.”
