When it comes to customer experience lessons from Disney, there’s a lot businesses we can learn.
Disney is one of the most inspiring companies in my eyes when it comes to motivating employees and clients to take action, creating excellent “customer experiences,” effective marketing and sales, compelling copywriting and providing top-tier service.
Disney has been running theme parks successfully since 1955 and has only grown and expanded in the field, even though this is one of the most challenging and risky industries in business (even before the pandemic, which closed/restricted park entry for extended periods).
How do they do it? What’s their secret?
In their case, it’s a lot of magic…
I’ve previously written about some of Disney’s “magic tricks” – like the unique “language” that employees are instructed to use when talking with customers (you can reread it by clicking the link) and how they always prioritize the interests of customers, even if it conflicts with their own (you can reread it by clicking the link).
In the last two months, as part of my travels, I also visited Disneyland in Europe (in Paris, France) with my wonderful wife, Natalie, and my beloved children, Noam and Yoavi.
For me, this was my second time at “EuroDisney” (30 years ago, at age 15, I visited the park for the first time with my father as part of a “delayed Bar Mitzvah trip” – my first time abroad. Back then, the park was still called “EuroDisney”).
The time that has passed made me excited and thrilled (again) like a little kid and also allowed me to notice even more ways Disney provides every visitor – of all ages – with a high-level “service experience” and enjoyment.
Here are some examples:
(Feel free to think about how you can apply these tools in your own business or in any customer interaction – both written and verbal) –
Firstly, all park employees, even the most junior ones, are neatly dressed, smiling, service-oriented, and speak in Disney’s “language.” The park is enormous, and despite all the signs and maps everywhere, it can still be challenging to navigate, especially when rushing from one attraction to another.
The first park employees visitors encounter when they need help or directions are often… the cleaning staff.
Imagine in Israel, the cleaning staff in parks, malls, or restaurants… they’re usually “invisible,” immersed in their work, detached from their surroundings, and not communicating with the customers, who typically don’t communicate with them either. Often, they look unhappy and tired (it’s hard to blame them).
In Disney parks, even the cleaning staff (doing the same work – emptying trash cans, sweeping and mopping, and even helping if something spills or someone feels sick) politely and helpfully converse with anyone who approaches them, know the park well enough to guide you anywhere, and are dressed in neat (and clean) Disney uniforms, speaking in the courteous language that all other employees are instructed to use.
Secondly, the way the queues for attractions are organized. For anyone who hasn’t yet been to Disney parks – I highly recommend it, of course – the major “trauma” is the long lines for every attraction. For the most popular rides during peak hours, wait times can be 60, 70, 80, 90 minutes, or more (yes, an hour and a half to two hours in line for one ride!).
This encourages customers to be the first in line when the park opens at 9:00 am to catch a few rides without a lot of waiting, stay late (the park closes at 10:00 pm every day, with a big fireworks display at 9:00 pm), visit for multiple days (so there’s no pressure to do everything in one day), stay at nearby Disney hotels (extra revenue for the company), or pay (a lot!) for a VIP ticket (which Disney brilliantly calls the “Magic Pass”) – and skip the lines for attractions.
But for the “common folk” who do stand in line, Disney has found ways to ease the suffering of waiting in line – at the start of each line, there are digital signs that display the expected wait time (updated periodically), and the line itself is a maze, not just a single long straight line (giving people a sense of progress, as it appears to be moving constantly and not static), with trash cans placed throughout the line (because when you stand for so long, you tend to eat and snack, making it convenient to throw trash away rather than hold onto it the entire wait), among other things.
This transforms even the least pleasant part of the park experience – into something friendly.
Thirdly, Disney’s unique language is impressive – both spoken and written. Everything sparkles, everything is “super,” and every attraction, kiosk, and action in the park has a dazzling name.
One of the most valuable customer experience lessons from Disney is how they prioritize guest interactions.
Beyond the examples I’ve written about before, I saw another example this time – what’s the name of the ice cream kiosk (which also has a long line)?
They named it “Ice Cream Creation” (“Ice Cream Creation”).
A simple kiosk where ice cream is poured from a container becomes an exciting, magical, and cool place (no cynicism here), thanks to the name they chose and the big sign above it.
These are just a few additional examples that explain how they provide every customer – even in less pleasant scenarios like waiting in line – with a maximum “service experience.”
These customer experience lessons from Disney are tools you can apply in your own business.
I believe that everyone, in any field or type of business, can adopt these tools and significantly improve their sales, marketing, and service (I’ve taken a lot from Disney over the years – I’ve also visited the parks in Florida and California – for my own activities).
Want to know how?
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Dr. Yaniv Zaid
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