For years I’ve been trying to talk my two good friends, John and Lori Scali into taking a Disney Cruise. They finally made that happen on the Disney Wish–and in Concierge no less! They are long-term Disney fans, and they offer us a very insightful review which we recorded at the Disney Vacation Club Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village & Bungalows, which they offer some thoughts on as well. Around the same time my wife and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary, which happens to be on May 4th–the same day Disney’s Hollywood Studios would be the welcoming mat to thousands of Star Wars Fans who want to celebrate May the 4th be with you. Let me share the chaos of all that and what you may want to do differently next year–as it will be the 50th anniversary of the original Star Wars film which is where this holiday originates.

This podcast is produced by myself and Performance Journeys, which offers training, development and consultant support to organizations big and small and entrepreneurs new and established. With a wide variety of resources and long-time in-the-trench experience, we offer workshops, online learning, coaching and more to organizations that want to build their teams, raise organizational excellence, improve leadership and create customer loyalty. Check us out at PerformanceJourneys.com.

As with our podcast, be sure to check out our web site, DisneyInsights.com where we offer key points, photos, videos, links and more. Note that YouTube carries now carries our podcasts. So please subscribe to our Disney Insights YouTube page as it will be more a part of our social media strategy moving forward. With all of this we encourage and appreciate any positive ratings, reviews or referrals you can offer to others.

May the 4th Be With You–and 15,000 Others

For those who listened to last week’s podcast, my hope was that I would have a review of Big Thunder Mountain Railway at Magic Kingdom. With business travels the only day to do that was Monday, May 4th. Despite efforts, working that in with spending time with my wife on our own wedding anniversary became a logistical challenge. And I really want to do justice to not just a review of Big Thunder Mountain but a celebration of it as well. But the podcast will share what happened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during this Star Wars celebration.

A First Time Disney Wish Review–Upgraded to Concierge

In my business of providing consulting in customer service, leadership, and employee engagement, I’ve been very fortunate to have some amazing clients over the years. And I count myself lucky as I’ve had the privilege from time to time to meet up with those former clients. Such is the case with John Scali and his wife Lori, who often meet up with us for dinner when they’re down from the DC area as Disney Vacation Club owners. They love Walt Disney World–but especially enjoy the resort side of the experience–perhaps more than others I have come to know. Previously they joined us when Narcoose’s opened up after a long rehab for a review. So I’ve insisted that at some point they try out The Disney Cruise Line. And they finally did! That experience we are sharing with you today–how they decided to finally do it, how they ended up booking to concierge level no less–and what they enjoyed of this four night experience–which included stops at both Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. This is the second time we’ve had a first time review of the Disney Cruise experience and on The Disney Wish no less. The first review by my friends Rick and Sherri Williams shared how much they loved the ship–a different kind of review when you consider most are jaded by having been on the Magic, Wonder, Dream or Fantasy first. I thought this review might be similar, but in this case, it was made uniquely different because at the last minute they went concierge. And that concierge experience may have made all the difference. So let’s join John and Lori as they share their experience on the Disney Wish.

Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization

If you like this kind of nerdy insight on all things Disney, then check out my newest offering. For over a year I’ve been capturing and sharing stories of Disneyland, while creating a new online tool for you to explore all of them in one place. It’s called Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization and it’s an interactive, multimedia experience. This is truly designed for those who are seeking to find new ideas that will guide you to 

1. Provide Individual & Organizational Leadership Excellence
2. Create Employee Engagement & a Team Culture
3. Offer a Superior Customer Experience

Not only does the content through examples, stories and models play to these themes, but each section provides “Souvenirs for You and Your Organization”. They are reflective questions that may be used to better the work or operation you may be lead or be part of. And in that instance, it is more of a business focus. In fact, many may utilize funding set aside in their organization for training and development to purchase this volume.

Click here to order Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization. It’s also available on the show notes page of our podcast. Whether you’re on a comfy sofa at home or on Main Street, U.S.A. this experience allows you to navigate through all nine lands to explore some 100 locations where you can find Disney insights that will be inspire and guide you and your organization. 

Books From Your Host at Disney Insights

Also, if you’re looking to grab something today, go to Amazon where you will find four of my books available for purchase. Three explore Disney at length, and one explores world class businesses to include Disney. Check them out!

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available! 

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. 

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

Thanks for joining us for this podcast. Know that as in the title of my organization, Performance Journeys, it’s as much about the journey as it is about performance. Find the second star to the right, and keep going straight on till you reach it. Follow the compass of your heart, and know that with a smile and a song, a little faith, effort and pixie dust, your dreams can come true. After all, if we can dream it, we can do it. Until next time, bright suns, we’ll see you real soon!