Disney’s ultimate secret for creating Magic is, well, a secret.
Note: And this 100% isn’t a pitch, you can go here and consider hiring me to share this fascinating, and elusive, top secret and 19 other supporting Disney secrets.
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This website is about our HOME. This is the fifth of five daily, differently-themed blog posts about: (1) mind, (2) body, (3) spirit, (4) work, (5) home. To return to Mid Life Celebration, the site about MIND, click here.
Freedom. Freedom from aiming for Customer Satisfaction.
When your expectations are exceeded, you think or say the magic word.
dad
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This website is about our HOME. This is the fifth of five daily, differently-themed blog posts about: (1) mind, (2) body, (3) spirit, (4) work, (5) home. To return to Mid Life Celebration, the site about MIND, click here.
George Kalogridis served as Walt Disney World President for several years. George and i worked together at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Cheryl worked with George in various Human Resources capacities through her 36-year Disney Career.
It is a small world at Disney. Almost every leader starts out on the front line in an hourly role.
Jungle Jeff at Disney’s World-Famous Jungle Cruise attraction in Adventureland, in 1982.
Cheryl as a Merchandise Hostess in the Christmas Shoppe and the Garden Shop at The Disney Village Marketplace, in 1984.
George as a busser (clearing plates, etc from restaurant tables) at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Hotel, in 1971.
Disney is a leadership machine. So many talented leaders.
One leaves, one easily is replaced. Maybe not initially, but in due time, you become a memory.
This is a bitter pill at first, until you realize it’s a cultural phenomena.
You take solace on who you served, how you served, and why you served.
This is the way.
Mandalorian saying
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This website is about our HOME. This is the fifth of five daily, differently-themed blog posts about: (1) mind, (2) body, (3) spirit, (4) work, (5) home. To return to Mid Life Celebration, the site about MIND, click here.
Pre-retirement party. Out on Disney’s Contemporary Resort observation deck. Accessed through Disney’s California Grill.Disney Institute interns are a lucky group. Disney Institute is equally lucky too. Note: The 4 on the right are interns.At this table L-R: Jungle Jeff, Fran Santina (sideways head and former Philly Police Officer), Stu Levine, Monica Jordan, and Joseph Gardner.Two of my favorite Disney Institute colleagues.Fun, Disney Cast Member style, which isn’t any different than any other employee group. It’s just that outsiders rarely see us act in a “Backstage” manner.L-R: Jungle Jeff, Monica, Bob Spina, Stu.L-R: Jungle Jeff, Lori and Joe McColgan. Joe, Karel Rhodes and Jungle Jeff go all the way back to Disney’s Grand Floridian Concierge. As their leader, it was a privilege and an honor to help them develop into statused (salaried) Disney Leaders.Nutty, blurry, perfect.More nuttiness. More perfection.It went by fast. Not the 30-year Disney Career, the retirement party.Final Disney retirement party photos. There would have been more variety except for one fact, i would have felt awkward being my own event photographer. Tried to balance being the Guest and being “on the job”.
A funny thing happened on the way to the party.
A late-season (it was November 17) thunderstorm rolled in, fogging up the gigantic windows facing the Magic Kingdom.
Could have been worse.
Weather is always a potential challenge in WDW operations. Always.
We roll with it and never complain about it.
The smaller head count allowed for the food and beverage menus to be upgraded. Yes, these events have a budget – which is decent for a 30-year Cast Member. It was first class all the way.
Our drive home after the party took minutes.
It is never lost on me that the original vision was to live within five minutes of Walt Disney World.
Check.
To this day, it remains a “check”.
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This website is about our HOME. This is the fifth of five daily, differently-themed blog posts about: (1) mind, (2) body, (3) spirit, (4) work, (5) home. To return to Mid Life Celebration, the site about MIND, click here.
My boss, Wayne Gagne, procured the Jungle Cruise hat from Wardrobe. Can’t recall why, but i offered to return it on the drive home. On the ride home, i drive past Magic Kingdom Wardrobe. Wayne does not.Now the hat makes sense with the leopard-print…befitting a Jungle Boat skipper.Stopped taking the elevator years ago. One final walk down the stairwell.While easy and natural to second guess yourself, it did not happen on this final stairwell trip down.Some of Jungle Jeff’s final steps while still “on the clock” during his final, Magical, day.
So what is such a great question and has unlimited applications.
So what? Was it worth it, all those years at Disney and Disney Institute?
H, e, double-hockey-sticks yes!
Knowing six years in advance i’d be retiring at 55 instead of 65 provided enormous opportunity to cherish and savor those final years in a glorious, yet private way.
Remember, i was the only one who knew. Cheryl knew of the intention, but couldn’t fully appreciate the commitment to it. It’s easy to change your mind when no one knows.
The final-five-year countdown was visible only to me.
In hindsight, now seven years into retirement (and running my own business, since 2009) it is unanimously the best work decision ever.
Best decision by an order of magnitude, whatever that means. It sounds big to a guy from the small Paper Mill town of Spring Grove, Pennsylvania.
From pulp dust to Pixie Dust.
Second star to the right. Straight on ’til morning.
To infinity and beyond!
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This website is about our HOME. This is the fifth of five daily, differently-themed blog posts about: (1) mind, (2) body, (3) spirit, (4) work, (5) home. To return to Mid Life Celebration, the site about MIND, click here.
