Disney At Work Podcast

Well...the genie is out of the bottle, and it offers phenomenal additional costs with itty bitty value. We look at this new Genie program, what is known as Genie+ as well as Lightning Lane, along with it's two options. We compare this to the previous Disney programs of FastPass, FastPASS+ and MaxPass. We talk about changes and additions to the apps, what's happening to virtual queues, and how Disability Access Service guests are impacted. Then we'll project what this means to annual pass holders. It's big, it's complicated, and it's expensive, but Disney keeps reassuring you that it is designed with it's Superfans in mind. Is it? We have a comprehensive list of the advantages and disadvantages. When this launches, will your wish be that none of this ever happened in the first place? We'll explore that reality and more in this very involved Disney at Play podcast. Check out important links, videos and more at our post for this podcast at Disney at Play.

Drew Ostler and his family had an opportunity to visit the Disneyland Resort during a few weeks ago right before masks were again required indoors and on attractions. We hear from Drew and his experiences in the park. We offer all the highlights of Avengers Campus and compare it to Marvel Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure. We talk about the Coco addition to Mickey's PhilarMagic. We discuss the significance of changes made recently on the newly renovated Jungle Cruise over at Disneyland Park. And we consider the comparisons made between Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and Avengers Campus. And Snow White's Enchanted Wish! There's no way we're not going to talk about that. So join us for this terrific trip report as we visit the Disneyland Resort.

After our previous podcast that studied the issues attending to signing up and embarking on the Disney Dream, we bring you an entire review of how that first voyage went. If you are at all thinking about going on a Disney cruise in the weeks and months ahead, this is the podcast for you. We are joined by Leah and David Zanolla of Out The Door Travel, who gives us their insights and perspectives of the entire experience. From rooms to dining, from kids clubs to entertainment; from poolside to Castaway Cay, we look at how returning from this pandemic may have actually created a better cruising experience in many respects. Join us for this fascinating look at the Disney Dream's first voyage out of Port Canaveral in nearly a year and a half. Photos and more details available at Disney at Play. Hopefully this podcast has made you excited to set sail with the Disney Cruise Line. David and Leah with Out the Door Travel know Disney in ways few do and they can make your next trip on land or sea an exciting one! Be s

We join David and Leah Zanolla as they prepare and step aboard the Disney Dream for the first cruise since the pandemic began. We'll talk about all the new requirements made of both passengers that have and have not been vaccinated. David & Leah will step aboard to see how things have been modified as the ship takes off on embarkation day. They'll share their impressions not only of the ship and staff, but in context of cases of COVID rising here in Florida. At the same time, news has come out that Norwegian Cruise Line won in court as a Federal judge invalidated Florida's rule that bars businesses from requiring proof of Covid-19 vaccination from their customers. Oh...David and Leah stayed prior to their trip at Disney's Polynesian Resort. So they'll chat about the new Moana-style rooms. You will want to check out David and Leah's videos on Facebook. Hopefully this podcast has made you excited to set sail with the Disney Cruise Line. David and Leah with Out the Door Travel know Disney in ways few do a

Forget the 2.8 million you need to go into space with Jeff Bezos or even the 250K you need to board Virgin Galactic's space plane. More affordable pricing can be found on the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, even if technically you don't ever really go any higher than your second floor accommodation. Still, meals and more are included in this two night, but not quite two day voyage. We'll look at the price points for this new Walt Disney World offering. And we'll study the sample itinerary to see if if it's worth the price. Are you wanting to spend this kind of money to immerse yourself in Star Wars? Be sure to visit our post showcasing the itinerary and pricing at Disney at Play.

Even though Walt Disney World reopened nearly a year before Disneyland came out of COVID, Disneyland's new annual pass program, Magic Key, has been announced. We look at what makes this different not just from the previous Disneyland passport programs, but how it differs from the current Walt Disney World annual passport program in place. Moreover, we look at what implications there may be when Walt Disney World resumes the new sales of annual passes in time for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary. Those which details will be released later this month, but what's happening at Disneyland may give us lots of insight to what will soon happen at Walt Disney World. You can see the post for this podcast at Disney at Play.

Ratatouille opens soon on October 1st, but what queueing systems will be part of that attraction experience? There has been a lot of talk recently about the future of FastPass, whether it was coming back, or whether something instead would come in its place. Recently Disneyland Paris has opened up Disney Premier Access which invites guests to purchase a FastPass option to go on popular attractions. This is somewhat in alignment with what Shanghai and Hong Kong have already done. Many in the Disney universe believe this is a sign of the future for Walt Disney World's FastPass and Disneyland's MaxPass. We look in to the history of all this, what is involved here, and what's working and not working. We also look at something called the Standby Pass, which also suggests insights as to where the future is heading for those not buying an upcharge pass. From all of this we tie it to Disney's opening of the Galactic Starcruiser in Spring of 2022 and the announcement of a Genie app that would help guests plan their va

Amid confusing notices, Disney has announced that beginning July 30, face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) while indoors and in Disney buses, monorail and Disney Skyliner, regardless of vaccination status. This includes upon entering and throughout all attractions. Face coverings remain optional for all Guests in outdoor common areas. All the while many former park offerings and experiences have been announced as reopening. We'll look at a number of these announcements as Walt Disney World edges closer to its 50th Anniversary Celebration.

In this Disney at Work post and podcast, I'm joined by my good friend and colleague Claudemir Oliveira, of the Seeds of Dreams Institute. Together we visit all six lands of the Magic Kingdom and in each land we share a story about best practices at Walt Disney World that you can apply back to your organization, whether you are in the public, private or non-profit sector. Claudemir and I were both associated for many years at the Disney Institute, and over the years we've brought hundreds of guests through the streets of this park sharing best-in-business practices. We share those with you as we visit the Magic Kingdom. My thanks for Claudemir joining us on this podcast. A native of Brazil, his enthusiasm is contagious. Claudemir is founder and president of Seeds of Dreams Institute, a company dedicated to the searching of strengths in people and corporations. You can find more about him at Seeds of Dreams. Look for video segment of he and I together on this podcast on YouTube.  

Disney Cruise Line is hitting the high seas again as it begins Bahamian cruises from Port Canaveral in August. With this announcement comes a lot of details you will want to know not just before you go, but before you book. We will look at issues relative to your making a reservation, what is required before you leave home; what embarkation day will look like on the ship; where the ship will and will not be going in the near term; what it will be like on the ship in terms of dining, entertainment, kids clubs, characters, shopping and more; and what debarkation day will look like. There's a lot to cover, but if you are even thinking about what it might be like to return to the high seas on a Disney cruise ship, then join us as we go from stem to stern covering what you need to know.

Tusker House in Africa at Disney's Animal Kingdom has recently reopened, and we visit for breakfast. We talk about the unusual circumstances that brought us there, and how the experience of seeing Donald Duck was pivotal to my autistic son's enjoyment. We take a look at how they are currently serving the family-style meals inspired by the flavors of Africa, how that has re-shaped the dining experience, and wheth er it was worth the price. We'll also share a little known story of the first time Michael Eisner dined in this facility when the restaurant opened with the rest of the park in 1998. It's a character dining experience worth exploring so pull up a seat and join us! You can see photos, menus and other information at Disney at Play.

The Little Mermaid : Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is a dark ride attraction based on the Note! Thanks for joining us. We've had technical difficulties the last couple of days getting a new podcast out to you, so we thought we'd see what happened when we sent a previous podcast. This is our first Dis Reviz! It's from early on, so many of you probably have not heard it before. 1989 Disney animated classic, The Little Mermaid. It sits in Fantasyland Forest in the Magic Kingdom. Guests are able to journey “under the sea” to experience the adventures of Ariel. But this isn’t the first time folks have been going under the sea in this corner of the park. We’re here to talk about the evolution of this ride and it’s roots in another legendary experience, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It’s a story that starts on opening day at Disneyland, and carries itself all the way to Tokyo Disneyland. During our journey, we'll learn some very unknown stories about the original 20,000 Leagues attraction and its impact on park design

We're back at Disney's Hollywood Studios with a very busy update. We'll talk about all guests completely going through the FastPass line at Rise of the Resistance as well as a modified Rey briefing being provided to guests. There's a new menu at Docking Bay 7, and we'll look at that closely. Fairfax Fare also has a new menu. We'll check out the entirety of the park and see what's going on. The park looks busy but not the parking lot, and there's a reason why as we walk through the park. While on Sunset we conjecture on the opening of Fantasmic! and we do a little bit of shopping on Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards before running into Mickey and Minnie. So much to cover, join us!  

There is much on Disney+ that not only teaches us about what matters most in life, but what works at work! This week Pixar released a new series of shorts that center around the work life of Monsters Inc. This humorous adventure shows how change occurs when the product being produced goes from scares to laughs. It's particularly impactful on a new employee who planned his whole life to work at Monsters Inc., but now finds himself in the maintenance department when he no longer can use his strengths he forged in screaming. It's a great little satire about how organizations must be agile to change. At the same time, another Disney+ offering showcases life at Pixar itself, and how some problematic trends in developing a dominant number of male characters became noticed by a front line worker, Jessica Heidt, assigned to manage script documentation. This too offers tremendous insight as to the culture of Pixar and how it is working to move its internal culture forward in positive and impactful ways. Be sure to c

What would you think about doing a one night's stay at Disney's Art of Animation Resort to include a visit to see Epcot's fireworks return for the first time in 15 months! That was the goal of our short Walt Disney World staycation. From there, just about everything went south--more than you could expect to happen in less than 24 hours. Did we mention two adult autistic children and one brand new grandchild visiting for the first time? We don't usually do trip reviews, but this one not only stands out but probably offers a couple of important lessons for everyone else planning on visiting. Good news--there's a Happily Ever After Ending, but it comes two nights later. Be sure to connect with Disney at Play for the lessons we learned from this staycation nightmare!

It's been busy here as we've been working to help organizations in their efforts to be world-class. But that gives us an opportunity to share a client experience I had while at Walt Disney World this last week. In this Disney at Work podcast, where we share lessons from the Happiest and most Magical Places on Earth, we talk about customer expectations, exceeding them, and building positive perceptions from negative ones. We do this in the setting of Topolino's Terrace--found on the top of Disney's new Riviera Resort. It's the perfect setting to not only discuss expectations, but to consider it in context of Disney's Vacation Club, and how it is a contrast to tradition time-share industry approaches. Join us for this Disney at Work podcast! You can find the Disney at Work post for this podcast here! If you want to take your organization to the next level, join us at Walt Disney World or at Disneyland Resort for our upcoming business programs. Both events are in 2021. Contact us to learn more. We also provide

Big announcements came out today all tied to Walt Disney World's 50th Golden Celebration. Beyond announcing an opening date for HarmoniUS, Disney has announced a new nighttime show for the Magic Kingdom, as well as a new daytime show to Disney's Animal Kingdom. Additionally, new entertainment and offerings will complement the entire Walt Disney World celebration. And then there's new books being offered for this event. But what is missing in action? What significant offerings are not yet outlined for Disney's 50th, and will it feel like the Walt Disney World we have all come to love without those shows and experiences?   See the photos, videos and links at Disney at Play.

We have a busy update that takes us from the Parking lot of the Magic Kingdom, on a masked monorail ride to the park, and then through all the six lands to see all the things happening in the park. We see where masks are no longer required, and we get a sense of what that feels like when waiting in a busy line for attractions. That attraction is the Jungle Cruise where we check out new additions being added to this world-famous experience. From there we check out what else is gone, and what's been added through the parks, to include places that are still closed and locations that are full of guests. Is attendance strong at Walt Disney World? We discuss that question in this update. We look at Tron's progress and then ride the PeopleMover at night to see a bright and colorful Tomorrowland at night. In the evening glow of Cinderella Castle we talk about fireworks returning to the Magic Kingdom on July 1st as well as to Epcot. Join us in this evening stroll through the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

In the last week news has spread world-wide of parks, attractions, resorts and restaurants re-opening while COVID regulations are reduced. We go from Walt Disney World to Disneyland to across the globe and even to the Disney Cruise Line to hear what's now happening, what's coming shortly in the months to come, and what's still waiting to return. From renovated attractions to new shows to Halloween events to even fireworks we look at how the parks are quickly starting to look like--the parks! We even talk new details about the new private island being reconfirmed by Disney Cruise Line this week. This is one busy post and podcast as we look at how Disney's doors have blown wide open. See additional notes, drawings and photos at Disney at Play.

The success of The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is due to so many things--among them polished performers, amazing technical effects, and a tie to a great film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. That film has its own story around trust, but the show at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World wouldn't have come together if it wasn't for Jerry Rees, who took a stunt show and made it into something both epic and spectacular. We look at how that came to be, and in Disney's trust in Jerry's ability to make movie magic come to life. But the story doesn't end there, as this is a show that involves real stunt performers doing things that are actually dangerous--even fatal. We look at that reality, and it's own repercussions. It's a story that suggests how important trust is to creating success not just in a world of make believe, but in the real world itself. You can find images, links, souvenirs and other notes in our post on Disney at Work.