Disney Insights

Disneyland is in the middle of a scrimmage trying to play a political football game. The dictionary describes scrimmage as confused struggle or fight. That's what's at play here. We look at events since the beginning of the pandemic. We especially focus on news this week involving secret inspections by the state of California to Florida parks, Senator Warren demanding responses from Disney executi...

Jim Korkis is our guest as he shares how Disney and Halloween have come together over the decades. We cover all things haunted, from the Tower of Terror to the Haunted Mansion. We talk about the advent of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Parties, and some of the best Disney villains, shorts and scary moments in the movies. Did you know that The Headless Horseman almost had an attraction when Magic...

We visit the Magic Kingdom and bring it to you live via both video and podcast. We check out everything that is happening to include new nighttime hours at Magic Kingdom, where we get our first glimpse of the 50th Anniversary castle at night. From there we take on every land in the kingdom, and look at new construction, halloween additions, and crowd flow. We capture some key pieces of the magic t...

There has already been much said about the layoffs that occurred this past week at Disney. We were the first podcast to carry that news. Now we want to take the time to give greater introspection and thought about what was happened. This post and podcast is dedicated to two different audiences: 1. Those who are facing the real struggle of being laid off 2. Managers who are having to make similar c...

The answer is "yes", but far less than you think. And there are many factors involved in that answer. In this podcast and post we go into great detail to explore the challenges. Join us as we consider factors that are playing against Disney's ability to increase capacity. We look at Disney's Hollywood Studios in depth to understand what those challenges look like. From retail to food & beverage; f...

Lots of things going on at Epcot in what is one of the largest park renovations for any Disney park. From new construction to new colors to new restrooms to new Food & Wine Festival selections we cover it all in this very busy update. We'll look at the new Living Seas segments on the new Disney+ docuseries. We'll talk about the potential opening dates of HarmoniUS, Space 220 and Ratatouille. All t...

We bring David Zanolla’s sons back as they take over the podcast and share their favorite attractions, food & more at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The photo above shows them playing Sabacc with Cast Members and Chewie. They talk about this wonderful experience in the podcast. You can also listen to their Magic Kingdom podcast and their Epcot podcast.

We bring breaking news that Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro has announced the layoff of some 28,000 domestic Disney Cast Members. This is in response to not just the pandemic that is COVID-19, but also to the failure of California Governor Newsom to provide guidelines and lift restrictions for the Disneyland park in Anaheim, California to open. We study the official statement, and then answer a...

Since 1965 The Walt Disney Company has utilized four keys in their parks for delivering a superior customer experience. We've introduced the first three keys in previous posts and podcasts: Safety (49); Courtesy (59) and Show (66). This podcast focuses on the fourth key, Efficiency, and looks at its role in the operation. From ride systems to FastPasses, from park opening times to mobile ordering,...

A big part of visiting a Disney theme park is the anticipation that goes with it. In my youth, once you arrived at Disneyland, the anticipation was fed in the form of poster art that would adorn the monorail berms and as you went underneath the train tracks toward Main Street, U.S.A. These weren't just inspiration. These were intended for many years to sell you on the idea of buying additional tic...

One of the most timeless classics at the Disney parks is Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. It is one of the only attractions within the parks that carry's Walt's name. And yet, as venerable as this attraction is, it offers many insights into change management. One might not think of change. and the Tiki Room in the same sentence. But alas, there is quite a lot in terms of change to learn. We look...

In this very busy Disney News on Parade we cover the following: Disney executives urge Governor Newsome to provide guidelines so theme parks can reopen. Disney Water Parks Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach to remain closed in 2020. Only one will reopen in Spring 2021. Hong Kong Disneyland announces its reopening on September 25th. Tokyo Disneyland will open its biggest expansion on September 28th....

One of the most beloved keepsakes of any Disney visit are the park guide books or guide maps. These navigational and instructional tools have been showing guests where to go since the early days of Disneyland. Though they have evolved over the years, they have been a touchpoint for experiencing the Disney magic. But are they in jeopardy of being replaced eventually by the My Disney Experience app?...

Almost every Disney fan can name an attraction in the parks that they wish they had a chance to experience but never did. It may be Horizons or Adventure Through Inner Space or even something as recent as The Great Movie Ride. I've had the great blessing on experiencing a great number of attractions over the years, but there are a few that I've missed. I've dedicated this podcast to sharing the to...

Fall is upon us and at the Magic Kingdom, that usually means a big salute to Halloween. In the absence of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, we cover what Disney has tried to do to make the holiday succeed during this pandemic. We look at decorations, character cavalcades, food, and merchandise. We also pay homage to those missing pieces this year. All this and more on this Disney at Play post...

In our previous post & podcast , we had a chance to take a look at the retail magic found in Shanghai Disneyland. We had a chance to move up the right side of Mickey Avenue, head over to Adventure Isle, Treasure Cove, and then continue counter-clockwise around to Fantasyland. Today we're going to continue that direction, finishing out Fantasyland, move through Toy Story Land, Tomorrowland, and the...

Most who have visited Shanghai Disneyland have referenced the wealth of thematic detail played out throughout the park. Every Disney park has so many details within, many of which are found in the attractions and in the general park ambience. But much of it can be found in the retail areas, and that's especially true here at Disney's newest park. Let's look at the many stores at Shanghai Disneylan...

Walt Disney World has announced its offerings for the holiday period. We look at what's coming and what's not. There are significant pieces that are missing, but it still feels like the holidays. We also consider the real reason why Disney's Polynesian Village Resort is making such a substantial closure over such a long period of time. It's not about Moana. We have good and bad news around re-open...

We compare all the Tom Sawyer Islands found in Disney parks around the world. This podcast talks about forts, caves, treehouses, bridges and more as we look at the original Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and then back to what it is at Disneyland today. This article builds off of other podcasts we've done, including those comparing park castles around the world and "it's a small w...

In honor of the passing of Judson Green this week, we look not just at his contribution to the Walt Disney Company, but the standard of leadership ideals he sought to put in place. An accomplished jazz musician and composer, he knew as more about the "show" in show business than most any Disney executive. He led an organization to accomplish great things in building out the Disney Decade in the pa...

The Walt Disney Company announced its decision to release their new live action film Mulan on its new Disney + premium service. Both Disney+ and Mulan represent two ends of a spectrum where one initiates change and where one is dictated by change. We look at the decision behind both the streaming service and the choice to release the film as a premium pay option. While both are examples of outside...

There are many differences guests are facing as they return to the parks during this COVID-careful period. But there are some unique circumstances that make visiting Disney's Hollywood Studios even more challenging. We're here to offer the best unofficial guide to Disney's Hollywood Studios now that the park has re-opened. This especially includes how to get a boarding pass to Rise of the Resistan...

Welcome to our Disney at Work podcast, where we talk about best in business practices from the "Happiest Places on Earth!" In our last Disney News on Parade, we spoke of an interview Josh D'Amaro made with the CEO of the U.S. Travel Association Roger Dow. We're going to dissect his conversation about brand trust at Disney, and we'll look at what it means to your organization, especially during thi...

We cover a range of topics today from Bob Iger's comments on CDC while reinstalling wages at the Disney executive level. Cast Member furloughs to continue and NBA makes a protest inside the Disney bubble about tragic events occurring outside. A security guard gets attacked for asking a guest to wear his mask, and Disneyland is poised to reopen. All this and the best part--Halloween news at Walt Di...

In the course of two back-to-back visits I had the opportunity to really canvas all that is going on at Epcot. Construction at this park is the highest since the park opened nearly 40 years ago. We go above the fence to check it out, from the front of the park all the way to the back. On the way we experience five really great World Showcase Discoveries--magical moments that sparkle even during th...