Be Our Guest

Be Our Guest Plot Summary

Introduction

Every day, thousands of businesses struggle with the same challenge: how to deliver exceptional service that keeps customers coming back. While most organizations talk about customer satisfaction, few truly understand what it takes to transform ordinary interactions into magical experiences that customers cherish and share with others. The difference between good service and extraordinary service often lies not in grand gestures, but in the consistent attention to seemingly small details that together create something remarkable. Quality service isn't accidental or mysterious—it's the result of deliberate design, careful execution, and ongoing refinement. Behind every magical customer experience is a well-orchestrated system that aligns people, environments, and processes toward a common purpose. The principles that drive world-class service organizations aren't secret formulas or complicated frameworks, but rather practical approaches that any organization can adopt. By understanding the fundamental elements that create magical service experiences and learning how to integrate these elements seamlessly, you can transform your organization's approach to service and build lasting connections with your customers.

Chapter 1: Understanding the Power of Guest Experience

At the heart of exceptional service lies a fundamental shift in perspective: seeing customers not merely as transactions but as guests on a journey. This mindset transformation—from serving customers to creating experiences for guests—forms the foundation of Disney's approach to quality service, aptly called "guestology." Guestology is both an art and science of knowing and understanding customers at a deep level, beyond basic demographics to include their needs, wants, perceptions, and emotions. Walt Disney himself was a master guestologist long before the term existed. "We are not trying to entertain the critics," he would say. "I'll take my chances with the public." This wasn't merely a dismissal of critics but reflected his deep commitment to understanding his audience. When planning Disneyland, Walt would spend hours watching families at amusement parks, observing their behaviors and frustrations. From his apartment above Disneyland's Fire Station on Main Street, he would observe guests getting their first impressions of the park. He famously insisted that his managers spend time in the parks, telling them, "You eat at the park and listen to people!" This obsession with guest feedback wasn't limited to observation—Walt would regularly walk the grounds engaging directly with visitors, collecting their responses and incorporating their suggestions. The Disney approach to guest experience extends beyond just collecting feedback. It involves creating detailed profiles of guests using both demographic information (who they are, where they come from, how much they spend) and psychographic data (their needs, wants, stereotypes, and emotions). This comprehensive understanding allows Disney to center all service decisions around exceeding guest expectations. When Disney discovered that guests at Hong Kong Disneyland were more reserved than Western visitors and preferred to see others receive recognition rather than themselves, they created the Star Guest Program allowing families to designate one member as a VIP who would receive special attention during their visit. This deep understanding of guests serves as the compass for all service decisions. It informs Disney's common purpose: "We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages, everywhere." This simple yet powerful statement defines what Disney stands for and why it exists. It communicates a message internally to cast members (Disney's term for employees), establishes boundaries for what the company will and won't do, and creates a foundation for the company's public image. When the U.S. Department of Education's Student Financial Assistance division became a Disney Institute client, they created their own purpose statement: "We put America through school"—a compelling mission that refocused employees on serving students rather than just processing paperwork. Understanding the guest experience also means identifying and prioritizing quality standards—the operational criteria that ensure consistent delivery of the common purpose. At Disney, these standards are Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency, always in that order of priority. This clear prioritization helps cast members make decisions when standards come into conflict. For instance, if a guest using a walker enters a moving loading platform, the cast member immediately knows to prioritize safety over efficiency, even if it means slowing or stopping the ride. The true power of understanding the guest experience comes when this knowledge informs every aspect of service delivery. It becomes the lens through which organizations view their operations, guiding improvements and adjustments to meet ever-changing customer expectations. Organizations that excel at service recognize that guest expectations are constantly evolving, making guestology not a one-time exercise but an ongoing journey of discovery and adaptation.

Chapter 2: Developing Your Service Strategy

A service strategy is the roadmap that guides how an organization will consistently deliver magical experiences to its guests. At its core, Disney's service strategy revolves around a deceptively simple principle: exceeding guest expectations by paying attention to every detail. This commitment to detail is exemplified by a concept Disney calls "bumping the lamp," which originated during the filming of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. In one scene, Bob Hoskins bumps into a hanging lamp, causing it to swing and cast moving shadows. While most viewers would never notice if the animated Roger Rabbit didn't interact with these shadows, Disney's animators painstakingly ensured that the shading on Roger accurately reflected the lamp's moving shadow in each frame. Similarly, when creating WALL-E, Pixar populated the robot's home with hundreds of poker chips, license plates, and other collectibles that most viewers would never consciously notice. Director Andrew Stanton explained, "It's the little whispers that speak to an audience." This attention to detail extends throughout Disney's operations. At Disney's Polynesian Resort, the cast members undertook a remarkable transformation when the property wasn't scoring high on guest satisfaction. Under the leadership of General Manager Clyde Min, they built a new performance culture based on ho'okipa, a word describing Polynesian-style hospitality characterized by unconditional warmth and generosity. They created a mission statement ("Our family provides a unique hospitality experience by sharing the magic of Polynesia and spirit of aloha with our guests and lifelong friends") and adopted values that mixed traditional corporate values with Polynesian values like 'ohana (family) and aloha (love and warmth). The results were dramatic: guest satisfaction measures improved across the board, with increases from 21 to 68 percent. The number of repeat guests rose significantly, cast satisfaction ratings jumped from the 70s to the high 90s percentiles, and safety-related incidents dropped to the lowest levels in Walt Disney World. This transformation demonstrates how a thoughtfully developed service strategy can align an entire team around creating exceptional experiences. Developing an effective service strategy requires articulating a unique common purpose that defines your organization's mission and creates a rallying point for employees. This purpose serves as a litmus test for decision-making: Does this action support our common purpose? For Disney, the purpose of creating happiness through entertainment guides everything from attraction design to cast member interactions. Similarly, when Old Mutual Group, a South African financial services firm, embarked on improving customer service, they adopted their own purpose: "SMILE—Service, Make It a Life Experience!" This was accompanied by quality standards summarized in the acronym "REWARD" (Responsiveness, Efficiency, Warmth & Courtesy, Accountability, Reliability, and Demonstrate & Show). Your service strategy must also identify which details matter most to your guests and align your organization to deliver on those expectations. This means establishing clear quality standards that provide criteria for judging, prioritizing, and measuring service. These standards should flow from your common purpose and be prioritized to guide decision-making when conflicts arise. The final component of an effective service strategy is recognizing that service is delivered through three primary systems: your people (cast), your environment (setting), and your processes. Understanding how these systems work together to create a cohesive guest experience is essential to implementing your service strategy successfully. By developing a comprehensive strategy that aligns these elements around exceeding guest expectations, any organization can begin creating its own brand of practical magic.

Chapter 3: Building a Guest-Centric Team

People are the heart of any service organization, and how you select, train, and empower your team fundamentally shapes the guest experience. Disney's approach to building a guest-centric team begins with an understanding that magical service doesn't require hiring people at premium salaries or possessing some secret formula—it comes from creating a culture where employees understand their role in delivering the company's common purpose. The journey begins with making a powerful first impression on potential employees. The Walt Disney World Casting Center, designed by renowned architect Robert A.M. Stern, creates an immersive experience for job applicants. As prospective cast members enter the building, they grasp doorknobs patterned after those in Alice in Wonderland. The path to the receptionist's desk takes applicants through hallways and rotundas with changing shapes and perspectives, past gilded figures of cartoon characters, and paintings from Disney films. "Bob [Stern] was adamant that you enter on the ground floor, and the first time you can ask for a job is at the other end of a hall on the second floor," explained Disney project director Tim Johnson. "He said, 'Let them wander. Let them get a taste for Disney before they get there.'" Once hired, all new cast members begin their Disney journey with Traditions, a one-day orientation program taught by Disney University. Rather than focusing primarily on rules and paperwork, Traditions immerses new hires in Disney's culture, heritage, and service philosophy. As one Disney Institute facilitator explained, "We don't put people in Disney. We put Disney in people." The program introduces cast members to Disney's common purpose and quality standards, but goes further by explaining how these are put into practice through specific behaviors and a unique organizational language. Terms like "onstage" (guest areas), "backstage" (behind the scenes), "costume" (uniform), and "role" (job) aren't merely linguistic quirks—they reinforce that delivering service is a performance and that cast members are part of a show. This approach inspired Fred Martels when revamping orientation at Dierbergs, a chain of twenty-three supermarkets. "We were doing a traditional rules-and-regulations thing," Martels recalled. "We told people what they could and couldn't do and what would get them fired. But that doesn't motivate people. We needed to speak to their hearts, not just their brains." The new program emphasized the company's 157-year history, family management, and service heritage rather than focusing primarily on policies. Beyond orientation, Disney creates location-specific performance cultures that direct and enhance cast members' roles in particular shows. At Disney's Polynesian Resort, the performance culture includes a mission, vision, and values aligned with island hospitality. Values like aloha, balance, courage, and mea ho'okipa (welcoming guests with warmth and generosity) are linked to specific behaviors such as "I will smile and start conversations with guests and cast and use their names" and "I will go out of my way to make each guest feel special with personal touches and interactions." Disney also equips cast members with clear guidelines for guest service. These include making eye contact and smiling, greeting and welcoming each guest, seeking out guest contact, providing immediate service recovery, displaying appropriate body language, preserving the magical guest experience, and thanking every guest. These guidelines aren't just rules to follow mechanically—they're jumping-off points for creating personalized magical moments for individual guests. Building a guest-centric team requires ongoing communication and reinforcement. Disney uses tools like Eyes & Ears (a biweekly newspaper for cast members), pocket-size fast-facts cards about attractions, preshift "homeroom" meetings, and backstage communication boards to keep cast members informed. They also use recognition programs to celebrate those who deliver exceptional service. The results speak for themselves: Disney parks consistently achieve guest return rates around 70 percent, with cast members often cited as the primary reason guests return. By investing in selecting the right people, immersing them in a service-oriented culture, providing clear guidelines for behavior, and creating location-specific performance cultures, Disney has built a team capable of consistently delivering magical guest experiences—a model any organization can adapt to build their own guest-centric team.

Chapter 4: Designing Immersive Service Environments

The physical and virtual environments where customers encounter your organization play a critical role in shaping their experience. Disney refers to this as the "setting," and it represents the stage on which service is performed. Walt Disney understood this principle from his earliest days in animation, where setting wasn't merely background but an integral part of storytelling. In films like Flowers and Trees (1932) and Fantasia (1940), Disney pioneered techniques that made settings more immersive and believable. When creating Disneyland, Walt applied the same principle: "Disneyland is a show," he said, treating the physical environment as a crucial element in delivering entertainment. He famously insisted that every detail of the setting support the show being created. Imagineer Tony Baxter recalls, "Walt was asked why he worked so hard to make it all look realistic. He said what we're selling is a belief in fantasy and storytelling, and if the background wasn't believable, people wouldn't buy it." At Disney parks, "everything speaks" means that every detail—from doorknobs to dining rooms—sends a message to guests. The messages must be consistent with the common purpose and quality standards, and support the show being created. When you visit the Magic Kingdom, notice how the pavement texture changes as you move from one themed area to another. Walt insisted on these subtle transitions because, as Imagineer John Hench remembered, "You can get information about a changing environment through the soles of your feet." East Jefferson General Hospital in Louisiana applied this principle when redesigning its Intensive Care Unit. The twenty-bed critical care area features glass-fronted rooms allowing nurses to maintain constant visual contact with patients. The traditional nurses' station was redesigned into a series of counters with telephones and computers just outside the glass walls of patient rooms. Almost the entire front wall of each room can swing open like a door, allowing equipment to be moved close to patients. The ICU's design was so effective it won the ICU Design Award from several healthcare associations. Designing immersive service environments means considering all five senses. At Disney parks, sight is managed through careful attention to color, sight lines, and visual theming. Sound systems are sophisticated—Main Street parades feature 175 synchronized speakers in thirty-three sound zones that move the soundtrack along with each float. Smell is deliberately managed—popcorn carts positioned at park entrances create a sensory connection to the "living movie" experience, while bakeries on Main Street pump the scent of fresh baked goods into the street. Touch is incorporated through textured walkways and interactive water features. Even taste is carefully planned, with food offerings that match the theme of each area. Another key element in designing service environments is the separation of onstage and backstage areas. At the Magic Kingdom, the ground floor houses the Utilidor—a network of corridors covering more than nine acres that allows cast members to move efficiently without breaking the show. This separation serves several purposes: it prevents anything that doesn't support the guest experience from detracting from it; it reduces costs by not requiring backstage areas to meet the same design standards as public spaces; and it gives employees somewhere to relax and prepare for their performance. The Volkswagen Group applied this principle in its Volkswagen Marketplace dealership concept, creating backstage areas where sales staff could take breaks without appearing rude to customers. "Salespeople need a place where they can let their hair down without appearing rude to the customers, so we moved these functions behind the scenes," explained Bill Gelgota, Southern Region Marketing Manager. "We want to control our environment like Disney does." Maintaining the service environment is equally important. At Disney parks, maintenance is part of every cast member's role—no one passes by trash without picking it up. Dedicated maintenance teams work around the clock, cleaning streets daily and restrooms every thirty minutes. Advanced systems help manage the environment efficiently, such as MaxiCom, a computer-controlled irrigation system that precisely waters the property's 600 zones based on weather conditions and plant needs. By paying careful attention to every aspect of your service environment—from its overall design to the smallest sensory details—you can create settings that not only support your service strategy but actually deliver service themselves, creating more immersive and memorable experiences for your guests.

Chapter 5: Optimizing Service Processes

Service processes are the engines that power quality service delivery. While cast members and settings create important impressions, it's the underlying processes—the policies, tasks, and procedures used to deliver service—that ensure consistency and efficiency. Walt Disney understood this from the beginning, designing processes that could run continuously while delivering the same high-quality outcomes each time. One of the most common process challenges in any service organization is managing wait times. At Disney parks, long lines are the most frequent customer criticism. The company approaches this challenge through three strategies: optimizing operations, optimizing guest flow, and optimizing the queue experience itself. The Extra Magic Hours program allows resort guests early access to parks, reducing crowd density during peak hours. Tip Boards throughout the parks display current wait times for major attractions, helping guests plan their day efficiently. Interactive queues at attractions like The Haunted Mansion and Soarin' entertain guests while they wait. Research showed that "guests were willing to wait 12 percent longer because of the interactive experience," explained Walt Disney resorts and parks Vice President of Research Lori Georganna. Perhaps the most innovative solution to wait times is Disney's FASTPASS service, introduced in 1999. This computerized reservation system allows guests to obtain a pass for a one-hour window during which they can return and enter through a shorter, dedicated line. This not only reduces perceived wait times but allows guests to enjoy other areas of the park instead of standing in line. Rich SeaPak Corporation, a leading producer of frozen seafood, applied similar process optimization to its order management system. The company's order process had grown unwieldy, with orders moving between several information systems and pausing at various points. A team of twenty-five SeaPak associates who studied at Disney Institute reengineered the process to create a continuous flow, providing instant order-information access and eliminating errors in billing. The new system cut days off the order flow and tracked inventory and pricing variations in real time. Another critical service process is cast-to-guest communication. Disney parks receive millions of questions annually, including seemingly simple ones like "When does the three o'clock parade start?" (What guests are really asking is what time the parade will reach their location or where to best view it.) Disney prepares cast members to handle these inquiries through multiple communication channels: a biweekly newspaper called Eyes & Ears, pocket-size fast-facts cards, pre-shift "homeroom" meetings, and backstage communication boards. When Crown Castle International Corporation, a leading provider of wireless infrastructure, needed to help its technical personnel deliver consistent service across multiple locations, they mapped every detail of their product and service processes. "By taking all the processes necessary and breaking them down into definable areas and steps, we formalized our approach to service delivery across the company," explained former COO John Kelly. The process modules guided employees through service implementation and ensured high quality delivery. Service processes must also accommodate guests with special needs or situations. Disney creates "service attention" processes for international visitors, small children, and guests with disabilities. For Brazilian guests, who tend to tour in large groups and have different cultural expectations, Disney provides Portuguese-speaking cast members and cultural training. For children who aren't tall enough for certain rides, there's a parent swap process allowing one parent to stay with the child while the other rides, then switch without waiting in line again. For guests with disabilities, Disney offers Special Assistance Passes, audio tours for visually impaired guests, wireless audio boosters for those with hearing disabilities, and many other accommodations. Finally, Disney continuously debugs its service processes—what Walt called "plussing." This involves identifying and fixing design flaws, adopting new technologies, and solving guest-owned problems before they escalate. When Disney discovered that guests frequently forgot where they parked, parking lot cast members created a system tracking which rows were filled at what times, allowing them to help guests locate their vehicles. The security team at Epcot carries "Magic Pouches" containing items to solve common guest problems—lubricating oil for squeaky stroller wheels, sewing kits for lost buttons, and eyeglass repair kits. By designing processes that optimize guest flow, equip cast members to communicate effectively, accommodate guests with special needs, and continuously improve through debugging, organizations can create service delivery systems that consistently exceed guest expectations and create magical experiences.

Chapter 6: Integrating Your Service Systems

The true magic of quality service emerges when all elements of the service experience are seamlessly integrated. Integration is the work of bringing together your organization's quality standards and delivery systems (cast, setting, and process) to create a cohesive, comprehensive guest experience. As Walt Disney demonstrated with both his animation studio and Disneyland, when delivery systems are properly aligned, the result becomes greater than the sum of its parts. The Integration Matrix is a powerful tool Disney uses to ensure comprehensive service delivery. This simple chart tracks how each quality standard is delivered through each delivery system. For example, at Hong Kong Disneyland, the matrix helped develop and refine the Star Guest Program, which allows families to designate one member as a VIP who receives special attention during their visit. The program addressed cultural sensitivities (many Chinese guests prefer to see others receive recognition rather than themselves) while boosting both guest and cast member satisfaction. For safety (Disney's highest priority standard), the cast delivered through emergency preparedness training, the setting through thoroughly vetted program materials, and processes through safety evaluations of all Magical Moments. For courtesy, the program modified Disney's typically aggressive friendliness to match Chinese cultural preferences, created recognition cards for guests to give to cast members, and designed processes allowing guests to choose VIPs among themselves to eliminate unwanted attention. For show, 185 different Magical Moments were created by cast members, special recognition materials were designed, and processes were developed to standardize delivery. For efficiency, the program included trial runs before launch, cross-functional leadership teams, and careful limitation of the number of Star Recognition Packs to preserve exclusivity. The results were impressive: guest scores for "having a carefree visit" rose 19 percent, "friendliness of cast" gained 11 percent, and "overall experience" rose 10 percent. Even more remarkably, attendance increased 10 percent during a global recession. When analyzing service solutions to populate your Integration Matrix, consider three key features of great service moments: high-touch, high-show, and high-tech. High-touch refers to building guest interaction into the service experience—allowing guests to participate, make choices, and connect with cast members. High-show involves creating vivid, memorable presentations that guests will talk about long after their visit. High-tech means building speed, accuracy, and expertise into service solutions, giving guests the gift of time and maximizing operational efficiency. A final tool for service integration is storyboarding—a technique invented at Disney animation studios in the 1930s. Storyboards allow you to map out service solutions from the guest's perspective and troubleshoot proposed actions before implementation. Webb Smith, one of Disney's first storymen, began the practice by drawing sequential scenes of a story and pinning them to walls, allowing the entire team to visualize and refine the experience. Today, Imagineers use storyboards extensively: "The first step in developing a three-dimensional world is to see it in two-dimensional storyboards... Almost every aspect of the project is broken down into progressive scene sketches, called storyboard panels, that reflect the beginning, middle, and end of our guest's park experience." Integration represents the culmination of all your service efforts—the point where your common purpose, quality standards, and delivery systems come together to create practical magic. By ensuring that every quality standard is delivered through each delivery system, you create a comprehensive, consistent service experience that surprises and delights your guests. When Walt Disney was asked about Disney's success, he replied, "There's really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward—opening new doors and doing new things—because we are curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." This spirit of continuous improvement, coupled with careful integration of all service elements, is what allows any organization to create magical experiences for its guests.

Summary

The journey to creating magical service experiences is founded on a deceptively simple principle: exceeding guest expectations by paying attention to every detail. Throughout this exploration of Disney's approach to quality service, we've seen how this principle comes to life through understanding guests deeply, establishing clear quality standards, and delivering service through the integrated systems of cast, setting, and process. As Walt Disney himself said, "You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world... but it requires people to make the dream a reality." Your path to creating magical service experiences begins with a single step: choosing one area of your service delivery to enhance. Perhaps it's developing a deeper understanding of your customers through guestology techniques, or creating a more immersive service environment, or optimizing a process that causes customer frustration. The power of Disney's approach lies not in its complexity but in its disciplined, comprehensive application. By focusing on excellence in every interaction, aligning your organization around a compelling common purpose, and integrating your service systems to create seamless experiences, you can transform ordinary customer interactions into magical moments that build loyalty, drive growth, and distinguish your organization in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

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Walt Disney Company

Note: The decision was made to consolidate all Disney publications under the name Walt Disney Company. This profile is for Walt Disney, the characters he created, and the company he founded. Any questions, please ask in the Librarian's Group.Walter Elias “Walt” Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist. Disney is famous for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. As the co-founder (with his brother Roy O. Disney) of Walt Disney Productions, Disney became one of the best-known motion picture producers in the world. The corporation he co-founded, now known as The Walt Disney Company, today has annual revenues of approximately U.S. $35 billion.Disney is particularly noted for being a film producer and a popular showman, as well as an innovator in animation and theme park design. He and his staff created some of the world's most famous fictional characters including Mickey Mouse, a character for which Disney himself was the original voice. He has been awarded four honorary Academy Awards and has won twenty-two competitive Academy Awards out of fifty-nine nominations, including a record four in one year, giving him more awards and nominations than any other individual. He also won seven Emmy Awards. He is the namesake for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in the United States, as well as the international resorts Tokyo Disney, Disneyland Paris, and Disneyland Hong Kong.Disney died of lung cancer in Burbank, California, on December 15, 1966. The following year, construction began on Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. His brother Roy Disney inaugurated the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971.The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) (commonly referred to as Disney) is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt Disney and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, the company was reincorporated as Walt Disney Productions in 1929. Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film production, television, and travel. Taking on its current name in 1986, The Walt Disney Company expanded its existing operations and also started divisions focused upon theatre, radio, publishing, and online media. In addition, it has created new divisions of the company in order to market more mature content than it typically associates with its flagship family-oriented brands.The company is best known for the products of its film studio, the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, today one of the largest and best-known studios in Hollywood. Disney also owns and operates the ABC broadcast television network; cable television networks such as Disney Channel, ESPN, and ABC Family; publishing, merchandising, and theatre divisions; and owns and licenses 11 theme parks around the world. On January 23, 2006, it was announced that Disney would purchase Pixar in an all-stock transaction worth $7.4 billion. The deal was finalized on May 5. On December 31, 2009, Disney Company acquired the Marvel Entertainment, Inc. for $4.24 billion. The company has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since May 6, 1991. An early and well-known cartoon creation of the company, Mickey Mouse, is the official mascot of The Walt Disney Company.--from Wikipedia

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