Sue: The Best Magic Kingdom Magic

I’ve spent many an article here chronicling examples of great customer service at Disney. I’ve discussed transactions versus interactions, and how the latter is what creates the magic. Included has been the idea of creating Magical Moments and Take 5’s. These are planned and improvisational activities for making the guest experience memorable. I’ve shared some wonderful examples of what creates Magic Kingdom magic.

But I must admit that I have held back–perhaps a little guarded of my own family’s experience. I’ve talked about a lot of great people, but one group of people–and in particular–one individual, I’ve not mentioned in any great length. Well, today, I’m sharing our family’s favorite Magic Kingdom magic.

My children have grown up at Walt Disney World. We’ve had the great blessing of experiencing this amazing place for the last two dozen years we’ve lived here. But there is one experience that has been above all others. While we’ve all enjoyed the horse-drawn trolley down Main Street U.S.A., our youngest son, a special needs child, has a love of the trolley like no other. Indeed, he is the like a horse whisperer when it comes to the mighty steeds that carry the cars up and down the street. And while so many at the Tri-Circle-D Ranch have wonderfully reached out to support our son’s connection with the horses, one individual has really been a central, key part of this. And that would be Sue. She is the epitome of Magic Kingdom magic.

Sue would make sure that our son had a front row seat to the magic when it came to the trolley. In fact, she made sure that he had a 1:1 opportunity to express his enthusiasm for the Happiest Horses on Earth. This ongoing friendship with our family over the years has not just allowed our son to take hundreds and hundreds of photos of the horses, but has allowed us to feel a part of the family at the ranch.

Sue has even made arrangements for our son to meet his favorite Halloween characters, The Headless Horseman, and his equine companion, Daredevil. Mind you, my son doesn’t have a very big vocabulary. But then again, The Headless Horseman doesn’t say much either. So it works pretty well.

At any rate, Sue has been a big part of our family’s experience at The Magic Kingdom. So when I realized that Sue reached her 25th anniversary as a Cast Member at Walt Disney World, I wanted to join with others to share my appreciation and gratitude for all she has done for our son.

To Sue: Congratulations on your 25th anniversary. Thanks for bringing so much joy to our family. You are more than a great Cast Member. You are more than a great friend. You are like family. So from my wife, our children, and especially our youngest son, thanks for creating such great Magic Kingdom magic!