I spent two days at Disneyland recently and since I’ve been an annual pass holder twice now (several years ago when I lived near the Mouse), I’m used to Disney and their very polished approach.
But this recent January night I saw the fireworks display and the Paint the Sky (Disney Light Parade). I must say: it was incredible. Everything was synced up. There was nothing out of sync. They had costumes connected to wifi to be control at the central hub, the music hooked up all along the route, and every speaker (whether over the PA system or from the float) emitting sound perfectly aligned with which float was going by at each specific moment. On top of that, all actors, dancers, and singers were smiling as if there was not a care in the world. More than that: it was contagious. All viewers were happy, smiling, and content. It was a beautiful picture of what near perfection, choreography, and happiness.
Think about that. Let that settle in for a moment. They controlled everything so perfectly, but unless you’ve seen it a dozen times, you wouldn’t be paying attention to all the inner workings — you were simply in awe and enjoyment.
I’m sure those cast members have stuff going on in their personal lives that would make some of us weep. With that many people, I can’t imagine all their lives are perfect. But that didn’t stop them from making my kids’ eyes light up and feel incredibly special : “mommy!! Belle looked at me — and waived!!!” It’s the little things. And Disney knows it. Disney knows to take care of the kids and that will impress the parents and make them joyful for bringing their kids.
Imagine if we all thought this way. Imagine if we put our energy not into being polished for polished’s sake, but for others. To help them in whatever way we can — whether that’s spending a week away to regain composure, reunite with family, or simply decompress because you don’t know which way is up.
People need our help — we all need each other’s help — so let’s step up and do just that. Because Disney does not disappoint and satisfies their guests. So let’s find ways to satisfy our guests.
Jeff Beaumont 