When I was a kid, I adored all things Walt Disney World. As a grown up, I’m still Disney obsessed, but now in a completely different way: as someone who lives and breathes technology, customer experience, and branding for a living, I’m hyper-aware of who’s doing all three right—and Disney World is doing them very, very right.
Disney World’s latest technological breakthrough was the launch of MagicBands, innocuous-looking yet totally powerful bracelets worn by park guests that serve as their park ticket, identification, credit card, room key, and link to their photo account. It’s the ultimate in ease. But here’s what’s even more brilliant: these bands give Disney the ability to capture remarkably deep and accurate data about what guests are buying, how long they’re staying in the park, what rides they’re going on, what they’re eating, park traffic flow, and so much more. They can then use that data to see what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments for an even richer guest experience (and, therefore, a richer profit margin). It’s like Big Brother with mouse ears on.
Disney takes customer service very seriously. The guest-to-employee ratio is incredibly low, so guests’ needs are anticipated and accommodated impressively quickly. In addition, their My Disney Experience app and FastPass+ technology now allow guests to create their trip itinerary and make ride reservations in advance of their trip. All this leads to happier guests who are more likely to stay at the park longer, eat more food, buy more merchandise, and then come back the next year and do it all over again. The moral of the story: a good customer experience is good for everybody.
Disney World nails brand cohesion, too. Every experience at the park links back to Disney movies, Disney Junior TV shows, and the Disney brand as a whole. If you buy a toy, it’s a Disney toy. If you hear music, it’s Disney music. It’s a consistent, high-quality, all-inclusive brand experience. And it keeps guests coming back year after year.
While most of us aren’t involved in endeavors as gargantuan as a Walt Disney World, there’s a lot we can learn from them then apply it to our businesses. For example, are your customers inspired by your brand? Is your site enjoyable, seamless, and effortless? We all have customers and brands—the more we respect both, the stronger business will be.
