Disney Insights

Unsettling news and disturbing footage have emerged from Six Flags Over Georgia. Yes, this is a Disney podcast, but when it comes to ride systems and guest safety, it's a small world. With shared manufacturers, there is lots of overlap between all of these, and when something jarring like this happens, it becomes everyone's focus--as it should be. We look at what happened on the Goliath Hyper Coaster, but then look across the Six Flags portfolio. We compare it to Disney's safety record and the hard realities about how many fatalities and deaths have occurred at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. With that we consider what's working and what needs improvement and how Disney is seeking to improve it. Finally, we look at the biggest safety challenge--the one any theme park struggles to control--and that is you! Join us as we go from Disney to Six Flags--it's about safety and fatalities. Be sure to check out my latest endeavor, Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization. __________________________________________________ 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. 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!  

Currently the two biggest announcements for 2027 at Disney are moving in about the same timeline toward completion in 2027--and yet they couldn't be more different than the other. This week the Disney Cruise Line announced not only that the Disney Believe is setting sail on December 18th of next year, but they announced much of what this fourth Wish-class ship is going to be like. At the same time, Monstropolis, which is slated to have at least Phase One open in 2027, likely during the last months of the year. What's surprising is how the excitement for one is waning while the interest in the other is building. Why? We'll look at both creations and see what is going on. Both are being built in the context of an earlier design--Believe being a Wish class ship, and Monstropolis, being built in the foot print of what was largely a Muppet experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Yet one seems somewhat like a re-tread, while the other is becoming more and more its own creation. Join us as we look at 2 Imagineering offerings being created in 2 different ways.   Be sure to check out my latest endeavor, Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization. __________________________________________________ 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. 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 would be remiss if I didn't take the time this week to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Walt Disney World. Every October 1st is a date to celebrate the Most Magical Place on Earth, but 55 is a moment to really cherish the joy of this place. And what better way to do that than being in the Magic Kingdom itself. We will visit all the original attractions that are still here today. We'll talk about how they have evolved over the years, but mostly we'll talk about all that makes them so very cherished to guests. And we'll take a moment to consider the entire Vacation Kingdom when it first opened. So join us as we celebrate 55 Happy Years at Walt Disney World. __________________________________________________ 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. 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 return to our 25th anniversary review of Disney California Adventure as we explore all the lands of the park. Originally titled Hollywood Pictures Backlot, what is now known today as Hollywood Land opened at first as the symbol of everything wrong with Disney California Adventure. And 25 years of changes hasn’t really fixed this dead-end corner of the park, which was probably one of the most terribly master planned themed lands ever created. Astonishing that while Disney-MGM Studios came out of the gate small but immensely popular, this version of Hollywood took a crash on Hollywood Boulevard. Of its ten most major highlights or attractions, almost all have been changed—and most changed several times—over the last number of decades. As improvements were made to Disney California Adventure, it seemed the original components of this land would only get more and more ignored. Even though it opened as one of only three lands in the park, it still stands as a testament to bargain basement Imagineering. And with Pandora World of Avatar coming sometime in the future, the greater part of it is now on the chopping block.  Join us as we dig through the backstory of the Hollywood Pictures Backlot and look toward what is ahead in the proximate years to come.   __________________________________________________ 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. 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 moved through the new Magic of Disney Animation on opening day a manager sought me out and asked how my experience was with the new attraction. My response: You have taken my soul, turned it inside out and made it into an attraction. There are many reasons I love Disney's Hollywood Studios, but this made the top of the charts immediately. I am so impressed with the level of attention, investment, and loving care that has gone into this project. This is made by people who love Disney and who love the art of Disney Animation. It's an old space made new, but it might have well been something from the ground up. I've been processing the experience since, and have captured five reasons why I love this experience and can't wait to take my family here. This is Disney at its best, and if this is a hint of things to come, I'm very excited about the future of the Disney parks. Join me in this somewhat emotional review of the JOY and The Magic of Disney Animation. Be sure to check out my latest endeavor, Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization. __________________________________________________ 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. 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!