A Book Review of "DISNEY U!"

I loved this book and found the principles taught within the book’s pages very beneficial.  Learning about different training programs that have been created through Disney University was helpful in sparking ideas that I can try and implement in my future jobs and throughout my career.  The ideas were fun and creative and I had a hard time putting the book down.

I also loved this book because it was not written as a traditional novel or in a textbook format. This book changed it up through giving examples, sharing stories, asking questions, giving reviews and application practices at the end of each chapter. Because the book was written this way it helped me not only better learn the fundamental principals being taught, but to retain the lessons I learned and apply them to different training opportunities I currently have or will have in the future.

The book was broken up into 13 Lessons and the following are my “take-a-ways” from reading each of the chapters. 

“Training cannot be limited to ‘here’s what you need to do, now go do it.’ That’s not good enough. Training needs to instill a spirit, a feeling, an emotional connection. Training means creating an environment of thinking and feeling” (p. 20).

Lesson 1: Setting the Stage for Success

Van France was the main guy behind creating and developing Disney University. He had four circumstances that he wanted to be included in all trainings.

1. Innovation
2. Organizational Support
3. Education
4. Entertain

Along with his four circumstances Van also helped create the “Secrets of Disney University” that all trainings needed to provide. These included:

• All employees having a seat at the leadership table.
• All employees being a valued part of the organizational culture.
• All employees moving beyond providing merely short-lived programs.
• All employees being incessantly creative and willing to try new approaches to keep the message relevant, fresh, and engaging.

Lesson 2: Capture Hearts and Minds

“The Happiest Place on Earth is a fine balance of values and things, along with a lot of hard work” (p 33). The Disney Company expects that their employees will work hard not only in their area, but throughout the whole park. Everyone, now matter what your job at Disney was accepted to go through the same training. This allowed for everyone to see the big picture in what the Disney Company was trying to achieve. 

  

         

Lesson 3: It Takes Art and Science

“The best is never the best, and pay attention to the smallest details” (p. 44). I would say that this is one of the reasons that Disney is so successful; everything matters to them, not just the big stuff.  In reference to their parks (both on stage and off stage) there were to:

• Keep the park clean (street clean enough to eat off of)
• Keep the park well maintained
• Keep the park friendly

And all employees worked to achieve these goals. Maintenance, grounds crews, and custodial were all trained to lend a helping hand to lost guests and taking family pictures. 

Lesson 4: Gather Facts and Feelings

One things that Walt Disney was known for was searching for different perspectives of his guests.  Often he would look at the vantage point of a child to make sure that everything was still magical closer to the ground. Also as Walt walked the park, nothing was below him doing. He would pick up trash, help a crying child, or give directions to the lost; in this way he set the best example for all the employees who were trained to do the same. 

In order to make sure everyone was on the same page trainers had “One foot in the Past, one foot in the Future” and focused on the following three things:            

1. Consistency (Everyone must attend the new-hire orientation program)
2. Systems (Specific on-the-job training must follow the orientation program)
3. Continuing Education (Supervisors and mangers needed leadership and communication skills training)

Lesson 5: Be Willing To Change or Be Willing to Perish

This section talked about the importance of having a purpose behind trainings, and if the purposes were not being meet it was time to make some changes. It’s important to recognize that change is not a bad thing. It‘s what helps you to improve! 

This was Disney University’s purpose:

“Whether you are a new host or hostess, starting out on your first job or an experienced od0timer, the University of Disneyland was established to assist you. It is an educational facility where everyone majors in “people.” Our ability to deal with people in a personal and courteous way is the basis for our success” (p. 74).

And their focus was on creating leaders, people specialists, trade specialist, and sharing history and traditions. 

Lesson 6: Simplify the Complex

In this chapter the example of how customer service in the Disney Stores were improved. They would send their employees out to different stores to track the good and bad customer service they received, giving them personal experience. All the employees then came back and discussed what they liked and didn’t like and how they as cast members could improve their own customer service skills.

Its funny because after reading this chapter I found myself at the grocery store, the gym, different restaurants, and much more noticing the customer service I was receiving and reflecting on what I could do better as an individual to cause others to feel happier after being around me, even if just for a few moments. 

Lesson 7: The Honeymoon Will End

This section was great for continually training and understanding where cast members are coming from. This way any problems that arise can be dealt with through understanding and perspective. Disney focuses on everyone both the Centralized & Decentralized employees becoming a team.

Stories were shared of executives dressing up like Tigger in 90 Degree weather, walking around the parking being friendly to guest, taking pictures, and sign autographs. What better way to learn how casts member feel, then by doing what they do! 

Lesson 8: Keeping Plussing the Show

Often companies blame the economy for the lack of improvement or things breaking down.  Not at Disney, they continue to improve their products and services. They also recognize that training can’t solve every problem, often there are adjustments that need to be made to increase productivity and so they put resources into those things.  The comment was made that “money might be tight; but creativity is free!”

“Marketing is the time and money you spend to get people in the door. Training is the investment you make to get guests to come back and cast members to stay: it creates loyalty. If show was affect, I never cut corners to save money. I never canceled a training program if it helped out show” (p.123).

Lesson 9: Beyond Orientation

After orientation training, other programs were created to help employees. Trainings were to innovate, support, educate, and entertain.  Trainings were also to be made simple (not simplistic), enjoyable, and memorable. 

“It is much bigger than ‘everyone buys into it’. It is ‘everyone lives it’. From my earliest days at Disneyland, I saw manager and senior-company executives lead the way as role models. This creates a gigantic difference” (p. 138).

Lesson 10: The Language of Success

I loved this section; there is so much power in the words we use and how individuals view the world around them. Van France gave the following quote, which I thought was pretty powerful.

“[Throughout my career], I had found that most people wan tot be involved in something greater than just being paid for a job, My basic story is about two men laying bricks. When asked what he is doing, one man says, “I’m laying bricks.” The other man performing the same task says, “I’m building a cathedral” (p. 143).

It should also be noted that the Disney Company takes advantage of their words:

1. We don’t have customers, we have guest

2. We aren’t employees we are host, hostesses, cast members

3. We don’t wear uniforms, we wear costumes

4. We don’t have crowds, we have audiences

“At Disneyland, I wanted people to feel they were involved in something more important than parking cars, serving food, or sweeping popcorn, that they would be creating happiness for others” (p. 145).

Lesson 11: Give Back

The Disney Company knows the importance of giving back to the community and helping to serve those in need.  They want everyone to feel like they are a Disney guest, whether in the park gates or not. 

“Consumers, whether paying customers or recipients of social services, gravitate towards organizations that demonstrate good corporate citizenship” (p. 165).

Lesson 12: Communicate Globally Spanning the Gaps

As the Disney Company has expanded throughout the world, they have seen first hand that something that seems like commonsense in one culture, may not be so in another. 

The story was shared that as the park in Tokyo was weeks away from opening the cleaning staff was asked to clean the Haunted Mansion, and so they did. The staff removed all the cobwebs, dust, spiders, and everything that had been placed within the Mansion for design and costume was taken down and the Mansion looked as clean as could be. Disney realized that this was a good opportunity to learn. They recognized that assumptions were made and the expectations weren’t clear, which was something they could work on.

Lesson 13: Work Hard, Play Hard

The Disney Company believes that working hard and having fun go hand in hand, and they wanted to make sure that their employees experienced the fun in working hard.  It was said that you “Develop your sense of humor and eventually it will develop you” (192). 

“Procedures, rules, and policies, which are important to any organization, are more memorable when presented creatively” (189).

Not only were trainings fun and enjoyable. But employees were also able to enjoy games such as the “Case Canoe Races” where employee teams would wake up early and race around the lake in the Davy Crocket canoes.  There were also the Disneylander News for all employees to read. The newspaper gave updates on different parts of the park and cast members. 

As Walt said:

 “Why do we have to grow up? That is the real trouble with the world. Too many people grow up. They forget. They don’t remember what it’s like to be twelve years old” (p. 194).

And as the Disney training staff kept this in mind they were able to engage their employees, who where then able to engage the customers.  It was send that “Van (the lead trainer) was a maverick. He didn’t fit into any box; he was his own box” (p. 200). And that is a huge reason why Disney training programs, Disney University, and the Disney Company are so successful today!