Regardless of your thought of them, Disney has one of the strongest, most positive brands in the world. And it's not an accident. They work very, very intentionally and diligently to manage their brand.
If you've visited Disneyland or Disney World, and have also ever been to a different theme park, then you get it. There's something different, perhaps even "magical," about Disney.
I've spoken with people who have worked for Disney. There are some pretty specific high expectations of employees, in regards to how they treat people, interact with each other, behave in costume, and on and on. A very high bar to maintain. Yet Disney also has a high employee retention rate - people truly enjoy their jobs, especially when working at "The Happiest Place on Earth."
I've personally been to Disneyland multiple times, first back in the 1980's, then multiple times with my family since 2002 (including one trip over to Disney World). Not once can I recall an employee who was having an obvious "bad day." Even when something has gone wrong (a ride breaking down, for example), I have seen employees handle things with amazing charm and cheer, doing their best to keep the experience upbeat. And typically succeeding.
I heard a story recently of one family's experience at Disneyland. They were walking along the path behind one of the attractions, a public but lesser used pathway, and saw one of the costumed characters (Goofy) coming out from a more main area along with his handler, by looks of things "done" with a public appearance and being led to where he could get out of costume. This was a hot summer day, and I can't imagine those outfits are all that well air-conditioned, so after doing his period of public appearance, I could understand him being eager to get out of that costume. Again, this was just Goofy and his handler coming around the corner and discovering a mom and dad with their four-year-old, along with a toddler in a stroller. Not another soul was in sight. Goofy could have quite understandably walked on by, and with no was else in the area, none would have been the wiser. But instead, Goofy took time to stop and engage with the four year old, making the child's day with just a brief minute of one-on-one time.
That's typical Disney.
That's what fits with their brand.
That's what employees willingly act like, whether anyone is watching or not.
And they do all this for a mouse.
Some might say, when comparing Disney to a Lutheran School, that surely we can't all be expected to be at the same level of consistency and effort as a major company like Disney can put out. We don't have their resources. We don't have their size of work force.
But I say we certainly can all do just as much, if not more, to represent the Anchor Lutheran brand in all we say and do. Specifically because we have someone we do our work for who is considerably more important than a mouse.
Thanks for all you do, and keep up the work of being Anchor Lutheran to the families we serve.
If you've visited Disneyland or Disney World, and have also ever been to a different theme park, then you get it. There's something different, perhaps even "magical," about Disney.
I've spoken with people who have worked for Disney. There are some pretty specific high expectations of employees, in regards to how they treat people, interact with each other, behave in costume, and on and on. A very high bar to maintain. Yet Disney also has a high employee retention rate - people truly enjoy their jobs, especially when working at "The Happiest Place on Earth."
I've personally been to Disneyland multiple times, first back in the 1980's, then multiple times with my family since 2002 (including one trip over to Disney World). Not once can I recall an employee who was having an obvious "bad day." Even when something has gone wrong (a ride breaking down, for example), I have seen employees handle things with amazing charm and cheer, doing their best to keep the experience upbeat. And typically succeeding.
I heard a story recently of one family's experience at Disneyland. They were walking along the path behind one of the attractions, a public but lesser used pathway, and saw one of the costumed characters (Goofy) coming out from a more main area along with his handler, by looks of things "done" with a public appearance and being led to where he could get out of costume. This was a hot summer day, and I can't imagine those outfits are all that well air-conditioned, so after doing his period of public appearance, I could understand him being eager to get out of that costume. Again, this was just Goofy and his handler coming around the corner and discovering a mom and dad with their four-year-old, along with a toddler in a stroller. Not another soul was in sight. Goofy could have quite understandably walked on by, and with no was else in the area, none would have been the wiser. But instead, Goofy took time to stop and engage with the four year old, making the child's day with just a brief minute of one-on-one time.
That's typical Disney.
That's what fits with their brand.
That's what employees willingly act like, whether anyone is watching or not.
And they do all this for a mouse.
Some might say, when comparing Disney to a Lutheran School, that surely we can't all be expected to be at the same level of consistency and effort as a major company like Disney can put out. We don't have their resources. We don't have their size of work force.
But I say we certainly can all do just as much, if not more, to represent the Anchor Lutheran brand in all we say and do. Specifically because we have someone we do our work for who is considerably more important than a mouse.
Thanks for all you do, and keep up the work of being Anchor Lutheran to the families we serve.