We Spent the Day at the Disney Institute and Want to Go Back
During the 1990s, Michael Eisner, then CEO of The Walt Disney Company, had a plan.
Eisner believed that he could create a new kind of working vacation at Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney World Entrance
Since Disney customer service is the gold standard, Eisner thought his staff could teach it.
The Disney Institute opened under the premise that tourists would want to attend classes while on vacation.
Disney
While the educational facility didn’t last long, Eisner got one thing right.
Cast Members can teach the rest of us plenty about the Disney way.
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
Today, we’ll be discussing our day at the Disney Institute and what we learned.
What’s the Disney Institute?
Once upon a time, the Disney Institute was an educational campus at Disney World.
Alas, that idea didn’t prove successful, which has benefited the Disney community.
I say this because Imagineers converted the grounds into Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.
So, we got one of Disney’s most beautiful hotels in exchange, making this a worthy trade.
Saratoga Springs Resort
More importantly for the current discussion, the Disney Institute has also stood the test of time.
For starters, Disney compiled the wisdom of these teachings into a single book.
Image: Disney Institute
I highly recommend Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service, which I own and use.
What you may not realize is that the Disney Institute still offers classes today.
In fact, one of MickeyBlog’s reporters spent the other day in a pair of sessions at the Disney Institute.
MickeyBlog attended abbreviated versions of Disney’s Approach to Creativity in Business and Disney’s Approach to Quality Service.
These are in-person sessions held at Disney’s campuses in Orlando, Florida, and Anaheim, California.
So, you can learn the Disney way when you’re vacationing at Disneyland or Disney World.
Disney
Alternatively, you can participate in one of these sessions during a business trip/convention in the area.
Conveniently, both locations frequently host business gatherings, so it’s easier to schedule than you may think.
Disney
These classes aren’t free, but they’re well worth the modest cost of each session.
According to the official site, one-day session pricing starts at $1,950 per person, with three-day sessions at $5,700 per person.
Disney
Your organization may happily cover this cost, allowing you to learn Disney customer service skills.
Plus, you get a business trip to Orlando/Anaheim. So, it’s worth the attempt to ask your employer to pay.
Recounting Our Experience
The first thing I should mention is that MickeyBlog was Disney’s invited guest at the event.
Also, as I hinted earlier, we didn’t attend a standard set of classes per se.
Disney hosted A Taste of Disney Institute, which included 90-minute and 100-minute training sessions.
Our morning class was Disney’s Approach to Customer Service, at least the highlights portion.
As a paying customer, you’ll get an even more detailed version of this class.
The course trainers, Christopher Fults and Marjorie Colas, detailed many of Disney’s customer service standards.
In this class, the Disney leaders recount how the company “delivers its globally recognized customer service.”
Colas is a former Walt Disney World Ambassador, while Fults is a Senior Facilitator at the Disney Institute.
Their expertise resonated with the audience, as the students for the day learned the principles behind Disney’s customer service.
This training session emphasized the value of a company’s commitment to customer service.
Too many businesses talk a big game, but it’s just lip service. Disney emphasizes actionable processes.
During the course, the trainers discuss how to establish standards to create memorable customer service experiences.
In simplest terms, that’s how Disney creates magical moments fans remember years later.
More than 45 MickeyTravels agents have attended classes like this one at the Disney Institute.
Not coincidentally, the agency has attained Diamond Earmarked status for four straight years.
These customer service practices work, creating loyal and satisfied customers and repeat business.
A Rare Opportunity
Once our MickeyBlog staff member finished the first course, they participated in an in-park experience.
This visit would have been the highlight for anyone, as it afforded a rare opportunity.
The participants got to enter the legendary Utilidors at Magic Kingdom, the park’s greatest secret!
As part of our session, Disney took the group under Main Street, U.S.A., to learn how the magic happens.
Cast Members shuttle between areas in these underground corridors that run throughout the park.
As our guest said, “While I had been down there before, it never gets old.” I have friends who are currently Cast Members who say the same thing.
In the afternoon, class resumed for a course on Creativity in Business.
Businesses often enroll their entire customer service team in these classes, and we fully understand why.
Disney teaches creative skills that help workers employ lateral thinking to solve problems.
As the Disney Institute site indicates, “Disney case stories reveal how innovative ideas were behind creative solutions that set an industry standard.”
So, you can learn specific examples of employees thinking on their feet to create entirely new techniques.
Frankly, Disney went all-out in highlighting the unique elements of this unique training and learning format.
With the Disney Institute celebrating its 30th anniversary on February 9th, we were honored to participate.
You can learn more about the Disney Institute and follow them on social media at these places:
- Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyInstitute
- Instagram: @DisneyInstitute
- LinkedIn: Disney Institute
- Hashtag: #DisneyInstitute
