Disney Magic: Why It's Real

What’s your most memorable Disney experience?

After raising three daughters who all went through serious Disney Princess superfandom, let’s just say for my wife, Jessica, and me those memories include a whole lotta pink and sparkle.? Our family, perhaps like yours, has for years been traveling to visit Mickey and enjoying all his parks have to offer.? This past week, however, we found ourselves making the Disney pilgrimage for a different reason: to give our youngest daughter, Amelia, a chance to explore her dream.

Unlike her older sisters, Amelia, a soon-to-graduate high school senior, is not convinced she wants to go straight from high school to college.? Instead, she’s fascinated with the idea of joining Team Disney to become part of the group that creates the magic as opposed to the group who consumes it.? The obstacle, however, is that earning a spot on the Disney roster is no easy task, especially for a young high school graduate who, despite having a lot of enthusiasm, has little experience.? So what does one do when opportunity is scarce yet you want more than anything to live a seemingly impossible dream?? You wish upon a star, of course, but what else? You ask for help.

Over the years we’ve met a few people who are either on Mickey’s payroll or know someone who is, so after some outreach we had a small list of Disney cast members who might be able to offer advice.? I emphasize the words, “might be able to help” because no one on the list knew us or had any reason to make time for a random family from Pennsylvania.? Despite that, we decided it was worth the risk to travel 1,000 miles on a wing and a prayer, hoping that someone, anyone, would offer guidance.

As it turned out, Amelia’s leap into Disney’s unknown proved to be one of the most enlightening and rewarding experiences of her life.? She dined with a Disney Plush Analyst*.? She toured a Disney housing complex.? She spent an hour with a Disney VIP Guide who’d hosted – gasp! – Hollywood celebrities her dad has never heard of.? She interviewed an interviewer.? She spoke with a Disney executive who’s lived all over the world building new teams and parks.? Within a couple hours Disney’s volunteer cast of random connections transformed Amelia and her parents from uninformed to familiar, from intimidated to inspired.

Think about that… ?A diverse, busy group of professionals with no connection to one another and no connection to Amelia treated a young, unaffiliated high school student as if she were a top recruit vying for the CEO role.? To say Amelia, her mom, and I are filled with gratitude is the ultimate understatement.

Will Amelia land a Disney job?? We have no idea.? But I do know our family’s loyalty to the brand, already extremely high, is now through the roof.? As a business guy, it’s a humble reminder that Disney has a lot to teach the rest of us about building a powerhouse culture of respect and generosity.? Kind gestures to those barely beginning the totem pole climb build a bond stronger than millions in marketing ever will.

Here’s the takeaway:? Despite all that Disney pours into its attractions, its landscapes, and its fireworks, the best of Disney isn’t what we see in the parks, it’s what we just saw in its people.?

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Special Thank You to Kelly Miller and her dad, Cory Miller , Carson Blake Guillory, MSHRM , Dave Nowak , David Fields , and the AWESOME Rebecca P. Morgan, PhD. for bringing such clarity to Amelia’s dream.

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*Yep, a professional role focused entirely on the economics of Disney’s stuffed animal merchandise line.? Fun fact: Stitch is a serious money maker!

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