The Experience: The 5 Principles of Disney Service and Relationship Excellence

Foreword

Few companies truly understand the value of creating a great customer Experience—and no organization has ever done it better than Disney. More than any other vocational encounter, Walt Disney World left an imprint in my mind and on my life. As one of the original cast members at Disney World in 1971, and during my 25 years as a member of the management team, creating an Exceptional Guest Experience was the foundation of our culture, as it still is today. We set out to build the “Happiest Place on Earth” and to design an Exceptional Experience like no other company in the world. I felt honored to be a small part of Disney's success.

“We work while others (our guests) play” was the motto we lived as we created a destination for guests around the world looking to escape their day-to-day routines for a world of fantasy, family, and fun. As a manager in the Merchandise Division for Walt Disney World and later the Disney University, it was part of my job to help instill the importance of building an incredible experience for our Disney guests through encouraging the idealism of service above expectation. I've long felt that someone needed to write a book and reveal the principles of excellence used to build an Exceptional Guest Experience…and now they have.

In 1983, a number of key leaders from across Walt Disney World united to form a team that was designed to take the Disney Experience to the next level. Within that team was a young man who created a new position to assist ...