At Disney’s theme parks, Magical Moments are planned events.
“The Cast,” as Disney calls their park staff, are charged with a series of staged activities to enhance the guest experience and make it memorable.
For instance, each day a family is chosen to officially open the park, a child is asked to introduce each live show, characters round up children for a dance captured on video and broadcast throughout the park, and a young patron is asked to become a conductor on the Disney train and announce, “All Aboard!” on the loudspeaker.
It’s not just the children who love these Magical Moments. Those watching remember those experiences as well and spread the news about how “magical” Disney is.
More spontaneous Magical Moments are called Take 5s because they only take five seconds to five minutes to create a lasting memory.
The Cast is empowered and expected to do special things for guests: replace a spilled ice cream cone, escort a hungry child to the front of a concession line, have a character ask a child dressed up like them for their autograph, offer a Disney handkerchief to a child who is crying, provide an umbrella on a sunny and hot day for a visiting grandparent, and write a note to a child that couldn’t make it to the park.
These simple but heartwarming gestures and random acts of kindness leave an indelible mark on those who witness them. They make such a profound difference for so many park guests that they fill the place with positivity and happiness.
Some gestures are planned, but most are simply encouraged. Disney mostly leaves it to the Cast to decide how they want to delight guests. Given the joyful responses, team members can’t wait to do it and often find new and creative ways to surprise people.
Disney isn’t unique in their desire to delight and astonish customers. Nearly every enterprise would build more customer loyalty and increase their brand reputation if they engaged more like Disney.
Empowering team members to go out of their way to enchant customers with simple acts of thoughtfulness isn’t hard. Yet so many organizations don’t think to do it.
They should.
Kind and helpful gestures are universal in their impact. The customers, clients, patrons, students, and end-users of every enterprise appreciate them and pay them back with their interest and loyalty.
Asking team members to look for and seize opportunities to bewitch customers with simple acts of thoughtfulness makes too much sense.
All your “cast” is waiting for is to be set loose. It’s time to set them free to delight others.
