Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort offer tours of their parks and Lightning Lane access to the front of the line. But, did you know they also offer deep-dive classes into their mastery of customer service? The Disney Institute brings together professionals into the very heart of the magic making as Disney reveals secrets like never before to show you how-they-do what-they-do.
Disney has been in the business of hospitality for decades, inviting in around 250,000 people a day to their Orlando-based theme parks, hotels and shopping districts. With the Disney Institute, they invite in leaders from all industries to learn how to provide quality service in all areas. This is not a theme park focused tour, in fact the company is aiming to showcasing how these leadership principles can work in industries like:
- Healthcare
- Education
- Manufacturing
- Hospitality
- Food & Beverage
- Logistics
- Airlines
- …and more
I was invited out to experience a preview of their courses and what visitors can expect when signing up for the 1 or 3 day courses. Important to note, this isn’t meant for children. These are serious, educational style classes meant for leadership positions and those looking to improve their workplace with Disney guidance.
Disney Institute classes for single or multi-day experiences
Disneyland Resort offers single day courses, whereas Walt Disney World has single and multi-day offerings. In total, there are currently four different course options:
- Disney’s Approach to Creativity in Business (New)
- Disney’s Approach to Employee Engagement
- Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence
- Disney’s Approach to Quality Service
The Walt Disney World Resort can even offer stay packages, combining hotels, park tickets and Disney Institute courses for individuals or entire groups.
Course Facilitators forged by magic
Classes are taught by those who have seen the magic-making from numerous angles, with Cast Members themselves rising into the roles of facilitators. During my experience, the course was led by Christopher Fults and Marjorie Colas, each of whom have worked with the Walt Disney Company for 10+ years. The courses utilize their experience, Disney’s history and class visits to the Disney Parks to explain the message.
Guided Field Experiences showcase the teachings
You can watch every ride POV you can find about Walt Disney World attractions, but it is not the same as going on the ride for yourself. Guided field experiences are part of the courses, taking students into the middle of the action. This could be seeing a backstage section (employee area), walking underneath Magic Kingdom into their famous Utilidoors or even heading to the Laundry Services area – which both Christopher and Marjorie claim is a fan-favorite spot to see.
Dedicated course space at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
During our preview we were able to experience the dedicated class space for the Disney Institute at Walt Disney World. Located inside of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, this was much more than a college style learning experience. As expected with Disney, but still surprising, the room transformed with video and audio effects to add whimsy to transitional moments of the classes.
The lighting changes, you walk through a themed wall and watch as a virtual window to Walt Disney World transforms to reveal each of the parks. Even for leadership courses such as these Disney is infusing their iconic storytelling aspect. Plus, no matter how much you love a class, adding entertainment aspects can only help re-energize an audience during an 8+ hour day.
If you have experienced the Disney Institute in the past you may not recognize this setup. This dedicated space is relatively new, allowing the courses to have a home base at the resort which makes it easier for multi-day classes and the team to keep around more permanent installations. As previously mentioned, on our experience we watched a bit of visual magic happen as we were whisked away into the main room. It quickly establishes the efforts setup for the experience.
Who should attend the Disney Institute?
The Disney Institute would work best for individuals and corporate groups looking to make actual changes to their work location. While you do learn Disney history and see backstage areas, there are better tours for those who are solely Disney Parks fans. Yes, Mickey Mouse and a fantastical castle are involved with the Disney Institute, but these courses want to focus on the hospitality, leadership and customer service aspects of Disney, not just their intellectual property.
“It’s difficult for people to rise above their setting”
There are a lot of quotes and notes you will want to write down during a course at the Disney Institute. The one above was one of my favorites. It was said in regard to Disney’s iconic Haunted Mansion attraction, but it relates to their entire company. Cast Members (employees) at the Haunted Mansion ride are known for their creepy smiles, their welcoming yet foreboding presence. They have taken their job to the next level because their location inspires it. Their setting sets a level of expectations and Cast Members love to rise to the occasion.
Not every job in every city can be welcoming guests into a world-class attraction, but a sense of company pride is evident in numerous corporations around the globe. Take Buc-ees for example, a gas station that retains employees with fans who love the locations so much they happily wear their merchandise. The Disney Institute offers insight into ways companies from a small Mom & Pop to a mega corporation can instill new ideas to improve the workplace.
Additional Disney Institute Services
Alongside the courses offered at the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort, the Disney Institute also has additional courses as shared by the team:
Disney Institute Advisory Services
Disney Institute Advisory Services are long-term, multi-phase engagements designed to intentionally empower organizations and industries of all sizes to enhance or transform their customer and employee experiences. Using our time-tested model that bridges business insights into action, you’ll dive deep into Disney’s Approach to leadership excellence, employee engagement, and quality service and work with Disney Institute to adapt our approach to your own organization. Disney Institute Advisory Services can take place virtually, at the client location, or at a Disney destination, where our team will help you achieve milestones that are tailored to address your organization’s specific needs and objectives. Fees vary and are dependent upon the agreed scope of work.
Private Learning Events and Programs
Disney Institute offers private learning events to groups at Disney destinations worldwide or on-site at client workspaces or outside venues, including as a stand-alone occurrence or as part of a meeting, convention, or conference. Fees vary and depend upon the product selected. Programs include:
- 90-Minute Keynote Presentations
- Half- and Full-Day Workshops
- Multi-Day Courses
- Tailored Programs of Any Length
- In-Person and Online
