{"id":640,"date":"2021-03-15T01:02:57","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T01:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.tedtopping.com\/?page_id=640"},"modified":"2021-03-20T00:05:49","modified_gmt":"2021-03-20T00:05:49","slug":"benchmarking-disney-cast-adds-another-layer-to-the-experience","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tedtopping.com\/index.php\/benchmarking-disney-cast-adds-another-layer-to-the-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Cast Adds Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Disney\u2019s Cast Adds Another Layer to the Experience<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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On the anniversary of the July 17 opening of Disneyland each year, the thoughts of many park Guests past and present drift back to the man who started it all.<\/p>

Through the movies, television shows and theme parks that carry his name, Walt Disney emotionally touched pretty much everyone growing up in 20th century North America. He also demonstrated some valuable business lessons, including the vital importance of adding layers to the customer experience.<\/p>

Businesses leaders often talk about the need to \u201cWow\u201d their customers. This is because study after study indicates that having merely \u201csatisfied\u201d customers is not enough.<\/p>

One study in particular found just a 35 per cent chance that a \u201csatisfied\u201d customer would return to a particular business. For that to become a 90 per cent chance, the experience had to be a \u201cWow\u201d (defined as 4.8 on the study\u2019s 5 point scale). The kind of experience that Disneyland delivers every day.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Disneyland\u2019s Walk in Walt\u2019s Footsteps tour is an opportunity to learn about the man whose vision, determination and creativity brought the park to life.<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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In the Details, Not the Budget<\/strong><\/p>

When benchmarking Disney, we often find that the \u201cWow\u201d lies in the details rather than in a huge budget.<\/p>

This is because adding layers to the customer experience is an important way that Disney encourages repeat business \u2013 something that is as crucial for Disneyland as it is for any other business operating today.<\/p>

The park does this most of the time not by offering deals, but by providing a super-rich experience that offers something more each time a Guest visits.<\/p>

A good example is the Disneyland tour called A Walk in Walt\u2019s Footsteps<\/strong>. Several years ago, my partner and I eagerly took this tour so that we could learn more about the man whose vision, determination and creativity brought the park to life.<\/p>

It led us to a memorable experience in Walt Disney\u2019s Enchanted Tiki Room<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland still bears Walt Disney\u2019s name and its pre-show outdoor patio is wonderfully Polynesian.<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A Direct Link to Walt<\/strong><\/p>

We already knew a fair bit about the attraction from the Disneyland 10th Anniversary television show, broadcast in January 1965 as part of Walt Disney\u2019s Wonderful World of Color<\/strong>, and now available on DVD.<\/p>

In the show, Walt Disney introduced Miss Disneyland Tencennial, Julie Reihm, to Jose\u0301, the Audio-Animatronic co-host of the Enchanted Tiki Room, which opened in June 1963.<\/p>

Walt told Julie with his typical, infectious enthusiasm that, \u201cThe same scientific equipment that guides rockets to the moon is used to make Jose and his little friends in the Tiki Room sing, talk, move and practically think for themselves.\u201d<\/p>

For many park Guests, this kind of background information links this first fully Audio-Animatronics show directly to Walt Disney, making a Tiki Room visit a wonderfully nostalgic experience.<\/p>

As part of our Footsteps tour, Tour Guide Wendy<\/strong> led us onto the Tiki Room patio. The atmosphere there is wonderfully Polynesian, a reflection of the years immediately after Hawaii became a state in 1959. The patio is also the perfect place to enjoy a Pineapple Dole Whip.<\/p>

When it was time to enter the unique Tiki Room theater-in-the-round, Wendy asked that our group stay behind when the show ended to let the other Guests leave. She had a special surprise for us.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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As the performance builds to its finale, co-host Pierre introduces \u2013 direct from the islands \u2013 a musical luau. <\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Experiencing the Attraction<\/strong><\/p>

For readers who haven\u2019t been there, the Enchanted Tiki Room show at Disneyland lasts 15 minutes. It stars four colorful macaws and features 225 animated birds, flowers and Tiki gods. And it irresistibly invites Guest involvement and participation.<\/p>

Everyone can \u2013 and many people do \u2013 sing along with classics such as \u201cThe Tiki Tiki Tiki Room\u201d and \u201cLet\u2019s All Sing Like the Birdies Sing.\u201d If you have ever seen the show, I suspect that one of those two songs is running through your head right now.<\/p>

As the performance builds to its finale, co-host macaw Pierre introduces \u2013 direct from the islands \u2013 a musical luau. At this point, the lights focus on four elaborately carved canoes suspended from the ceiling. These act as stages for the beautiful animated singing orchids who now join in the performance.<\/p>

And then \u2013 applause, applause \u2013 the now-nostalgic Audio-Animatronics show is over.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Tour Guide Wendy introduces the tour group to Ophelia with a mixture of excitement and respect. <\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Wendy Introduces Ophelia<\/strong><\/p>

Once the other Guests had gone, Wendy walked behind a screen into a private Cast area. She returned wearing white gloves and holding something gently in her hands. Then, with what seemed to be a mixture of excitement and respect, she introduced us to Ophelia the Orchid<\/strong>.<\/p>

Ophelia is an authentic Audio-Animatronics character from the Enchanted Tiki Room. As part of a refurbishment before Disneyland\u2019s 50th anniversary, Ophelia retired. She now serves as a \u201cbonus\u201d experience for Guests on the Footsteps tour, adding a whole new layer to the experience.<\/p>

If we had no background to put the moment into context, or had just seen Ophelia sitting on a shelf somewhere, we wouldn\u2019t have been impressed. Nor would things have felt in any way special. But this<\/strong> was at Disneyland.<\/p>

We had learned all sorts of things about Walt Disney during the early part of the tour and had just viewed the performance, which provided all the background we needed. But it was Wendy\u2019s actions<\/strong> that made everything feel extra special.<\/p>

In an era when thousand-dollar items are sold in cardboard boxes as little more than commodities, customers in stores, hotels, restaurants, and attractions seldom get to see a product treated with respect and excitement. But that\u2019s how Wendy treated Ophelia.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Meeting Ophelia was a \u201cWow\u201d moment that added an additional layer to the customer experience.<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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And what did it feel like for us to meet Ophelia and actually touch an authentic link to Walt Disney? The \u201cWow\u201d moment is captured in the photo above.<\/p>

In numerous ways like this \u2013 and in particular through its individual cast members \u2013 Disneyland still delivers on Walt Disney\u2019s original vision of adding layers to the Guest experience. This deepens the emotional connection with customers, and makes Disneyland a great business to benchmark.<\/p>

Now\u2026 let\u2019s discuss the ways that\u00a0you<\/strong> can apply this Disney benchmarking experience to increase the success of your<\/strong>\u00a0business.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Written and photographed by Ted Topping<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Benchmarking the Disney Guest Experience<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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