Disney At Work Podcast

In a recent podcast I overviewed the first three decades of my love of all things Disney and how it eventually led me to a full-time salaried position as a leader providing professional development programs to Fortune 100 companies and others at The Disney Institute. In this next two-part experience I'll canvas that experience and what it was like to wear a name tag and represent The Walt Disney World company. I'll share the joys of the experience as I worked in nearly every corner of the property to bring benchmarking experiences to participants. I'll also share with you some of the bureaucratic headaches that were a part of the craziness. My working for Disney was the best thing I ever did in my life professionally. I had the one of the greatest opportunities I could have ever hoped for.

This weekend Splash Mountain ended at Walt Disney World after more than 30 years of operation. Soon Disneyland, which built the first Splash Mountain, will close as well. While there may be controversy of its replacement, there is no question, this attraction was a brilliant Imagineering masterpiece. Led by designers like Tony Baxter and Bruce Gordon, this attraction did what no other ride or attraction could do--especially for Disneyland and later for Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland. We not only explore the brilliance of this attraction, but celebrate it for what it accomplished. While there is much good regarding the advent of Tiana's Bayou Adventure, there will never be anything like the innovation that is Disney's Splash Mountain. This podcast is dedicated to celebrating this Imagineering masterpiece.

This month marks the 20th anniversary of Performance Journeys, the company I founded not long after I left The Walt Disney World Company. In celebration of that event, I wanted to share how my career has tied in with Disney over the decades. In the weeks to follow I will share a three part series of my history, to include my years working as a leader for The Walt Disney World Company, as well as my years following as I shared best practices of Disney around the globe. This podcast that you will listen to today is a re-play of one I recorded back in June of 2022. Many listeners don't know my back story, so I thought it would be well to provide that context again as a preface to the ones that I will share later. The thing that is found in all of these decades is a love of Disney that perhaps you can relate to as well. You can see images and video here at Disney at Play!

It's been too long since guests have had the privilege of riding the Walt Disney Railroad, closed over four years ago when construction began on Tron. Still, good things are worth the wait and this attraction is lovelier than ever. We board at the Main Street U.S.A. station and take a scenic journey around the Magic Kingdom. There's much to discuss along the way, such as the upcoming closure of Splash Mountain, potential new attractions to come in Frontierland, and the new track layout at Tron Lightcycle Run. New narration has been created, hosted by a citizen of Main Street who always dreamed of running the trains. He introduces you to the wonder of the Magic Kingdom as you make your grand circle tour with stops in Frontierland and Fantasyland's Storybook Circus. Would you believe that Peter Pan and Wendy provide narrative along the way? Join us as and let's ride the Walt Disney World Railroad. To see the video, join us here on our YouTube channel, J. Jeff Kober.

The week is already on a roll as many announcements have been made even in the last 24 hours. We'll review each of them to include an opening date for Tron as well as dates for new fireworks shows. More news awaits with changes made to Genie+ and to Annual Passholder perks. Did we mention free parking at the Disney resorts? Plus Disneyland has some changes as well. Then we head out to the high seas where David Zanolla offers us insights as to how the first Pixar Day at Sea has gone. It's a busy January and we're only 10 days in. Join us for this January 2023 update!

One of the reasons that Pirates of the Caribbean since it opened in 1967 is my favorite attraction is because there is so much attention to the details. I've been on it literally hundreds of times and in four different versions across the globe--and yet I still see new details from time to time. Imagine that the attraction was not only taken to the next level, but that there was an entire land supporting that attraction. That's what we are looking at in this podcast. The real gems in Treasure Cove at Shanghai Disneyland is in the details. We look across the land and at its signature attraction to get a taste of all that. In the process we see something that not only takes the film series involving Captain Jack Sparrow to a whole new level, but something that pays homage to the original Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. Join us on this voyage as we visit Treasure Cove at Shanghai Disneyland to see the treasure in the details.

After the first day of the New Year, what are we to learn about the Disney Parks at Walt Disney World. We walk through a day at Epcot to discover how things big and small, great and stupid, all come down to one total experience. Genie+ plays a big role here. Parking lot trams played no role, but we do talk about the return of the train over at Magic Kingdom. Journey of Water--Moana, and wait times at Guardians? We talk about it. Would you wait four hours to see Harmonious? Hmmm. Come join me as I discuss that experience and of the insights we glean along the way. It's a new day on the first day after the New Year at Epcot.

Happy New Year! We ring in a new calendar year with the most comprehensive lineup of what's happening at Disney in 2023. And we're not just sharing what new attractions are on their way, but rather, what are key events will kick off those new offerings. Big press events and milestones are key to when things may be coming your way, and we'll look at all of that. Critical to this is just when all of this is happening, so we'll project when you may want to plan your next Disney vacation, whether it's Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or even beyond. Altogether, we'll look at not only at two dozen new offerings happening in 2023, but what may as well be announced for the future during 2023. Join us as we canvas new Disney Events, Offerings & Announcements Worldwide for 2023.

Let's look at the past year not from some list of what happened, but how that list of what happened tiers up into three important lessons any organization should take from Disney out of 2022. These lessons clearly illustrate the importance of customer loyalty, i.e., Disney fans; How demand really inflates price; and why delivery must exceed expectations. We'll bring you examples of how this has occurred throughout all of 2022, and then help you understand the implications to your own organization. Join us in this podcast as we explore these three critical Disney lessons from 2022.

One of the truly wonderful experiences Disney Parks and Attractions offer are uniquely themed dining experiences. Some of the most memorable are those that bring you to a nighttime setting where you dine among the stars all the while being indoors. We look at all of them, represented in nearly every Disney resort from Shanghai to Disneyland; from Walt Disney World to Disneyland Paris. From the original legendary Blue Bayou Restaurant to the more recent Barbosa's Bounty; From elegant table service to drive-in dining, we'll explore these highly themed venues and compare them all. Join us as we go outside In with Disney dining.

Disney has stated that the 50th anniversary for Walt Disney World goes on until March 31st of 2023. But is that really the case? We canvas the entire Florida property to see if the magic is still calling you to this golden anniversary. From new entertainment to attractions; from food & beverage to anniversary merchandise, we look at whether you can really still celebrate or whether the World's Most Magical Celebration has really moved on. Are you still the magic, or are you too late for Walt Disney World's 50th? Or has it been lost among Genie+ apps, higher prices and changing CEOs? And will the memories live on for the next 50 years? Join us as on this podcast as we find out.

We're embarking on a new series here in Disney at Work and Play. Imagineering Explored is an opportunity to deep dive into best practices of Imagineering. We look at what works and more importantly why it works. And on occasion, we'll even make application to life outside Disney's gates. This first podcast in the series looks at great themed transitions that occur in the parks--particularly as you move from one setting to another. These are dramatic transitions that are often so subtle that you hardly recognize you've moved from one locale to another. We'll look at some great examples across the globe and discuss how the elements support the transition. From the Magic Kingdom to Disneyland Paris; from Star Wars Galaxy's Edge to the "Happiest Place on Earth", we'll look at some of the most enveloping and clever Imagineering design elements ever created. We'll even see their application from any brick and mortar store to navigating web sites. Join us as we examine Great Themed Transitions in this Imagineering E

Season's Greetings! There's so much to take in during the holidays at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Often in the past we've compared parks, but this time we're going to compare holiday attraction overlays between both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Some of these you may never have heard of, or knew that they offered a holiday version. We will rate attractions as they are given a special yuletide look and feel. From Small World Holiday to Mater's Jingle Jamboree; from Jingle Cruise to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Holiday Re-Mix, we'll look at the gems of this season as well as those that might as well be ugly holiday sweaters. And with our rating system we will help you determine whether you will get a better experience out in California at Disneyland or here at Walt Disney World in Florida. Join us as we compare holiday attraction overlays at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

It's been a while and there have been many developments in the construction of new attractions at Disney Parks worldwide. We take a look at the latest and greatest happenings, particularly here at home in Walt Disney World with Magic Kingdom, Epcot and even Disney's Animal Kingdom. This includes some personal insights around what I'm referring to as Genie+ Inflation. But then we head out to parks across the globe from Disneyland Resort to Shanghai Disneyland. We even talk about the new purchase of a cruise ship for Disney Cruise Lines. Oh! developments happening on Disney+! So join us for this new attractions update at Disney Parks Worldwide.

It's been a little over a year since Space 220 opened at Epcot in Walt Disney World. As part of World Discovery, it complements the out-of-this-world themes found in Mission Space and in the recent Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. So we take the opportunity to grab a reservation and dine among the stars--as well as a few floating astronauts. We'll share what this experience was like, in terms of the Six P's of Promise, People, Place, Process, Product & Price. Does Space 220 truly elevate your dining experience? Is it worth the value, and the price--especially when you think of other dining options around this park? Last week we reviewed five restaurants around World Showcase. How do these compare? We'll find out in this upcoming podcast.

There has been much said in the last week the firing of Bob Chapek and the reinstallment of Bob Iger as CEO of the Walt Disney Company. It's difficult to know exactly what happened and when, but it is clear that this is a tale of two leaders, neither perfect, but one with fatal flaws that contributed to a fall of confidence in Disney. We look at a tale of two Bobs, not just to sort out what happened, but as an opportunity to learn some important lessons on leadership. This Disney at Work episode seeks to help all of us with some key concepts that are instructive in being a leader--no matter what you do or where you live, or what your role in life may be. Join us for a Tale of Two Bobs--Three Leadership Lessons. Make sure you check out our show notes at Disneyatwork.com!

Recently I had the opportunity with my daughter along with David & Leah Zanolla to visit Cirque du Soleil: Drawn to Life. This show has just recently achieved its first anniversary this month. This is the second show the Cirque group has hosted at what was originally Downtown Disney, but is now Disney Springs. We will look in depth as to whether this show is worth the ticket to attend. We'll take a look at what makes the show succeed, and how it compares to the original show in this venue, La Nouba. If you are considering attending this show, this review will definitely be worth the time. Check out Cirque du Soleil's 50th production: Drawn to Life, a Review.

In a Sunday Night special Disney Cast Members received notice that Bob Iger was being reinstalled by Disney's Board of Directors to return as CEO again of the Walt Disney Company. Minutes later media reported the news as well--and all used words like shocked and surprised. This means Bob Chapek has now been entirely removed from the company and that a new chapter has started. We'll look at what had happened over time that led to what has happened in the last few days. Then we'll look at what Bob Iger should do next as he returns to the healm. It's all not "Happily Ever After" yet--but this is a major step in that direction.

We are overdue for sharing a review of five different formal dining experiences at Epcot. Three are restaurants I've dined in before. One is a new restaurant, and one has been around for a dozen years and I had yet to eat there. It may have been the best experience. Find out as we do a review of Le Cellier in Canada, La Crêperie de Paris, La Hacienda de San Angel, Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria, and Spice Road Table in Morocco. It's one review for five sit down World Showcase restaurants in Epcot. Bon Appétit!

Many people know some thing about Disneyland Paris. They certainly know that it's somewhere around Paris. They may know about the amazing catapult-style launch of Space Mountain, or the Big Thunder Mountain on an island inside the Rivers of America or perhaps the dragon in the dungeon of Sleeping Beauty Castle. But today I'm presenting insider Baseball when it comes to Disneyland Paris, because there are some very unique aspects of the park that many people haven't quite considered. By the time we're finished, you may want to consider booking your Disneyland Paris trip sooner than later. It's that unique and that cool--and possibly more Disney than Disney Parks here in the United States! So join us for 5 things you may not know about Disneyland Paris.