Inside the Magic Kingdom

View other editions of Inside the Magic Kingdom.
View books by Thomas Connellan.

A Management Seminar at Walt Disney World - Rated
A number of years ago, I had the pleasure of leading a group of our clients to do a site visit at Walt Disney World to study the best practices employed there. During that session, I was struck that people who had been at Disney World as customers many times had failed to appreciate the management lessons of how the results are achieved.

This wonderful book gives you an experience very similar to the one that my clients and I had on this visit. You will find out about the incredible attention to detail that provides the potential for a flawless customer experience, the fabulous underground city beneath the Magic Kingdom, the remarkable recruitment and training methods used to produce the show with such a fine cast, and the principles of personal responsibility that make it all work.

All of this is summarized into 7 simple lessons that you will have an easy time remembering. Each is rooted in Disney examples that will stick with you, making good hooks for remembering the principles.

But this is not just another In Praise of Disney book. The author spends considerable time taking the principles and suggesting how they should be applied in other kinds of businesses, both large and small. This is done both through having 5 executives taking the tour, each from their own perspective, but also by providing some guidance at the end about how to use the lessons.

The format of the book is somewhere between management fable and analyzed case study. Since it is neither and both, you will probably find this to be pleasant reading. I know I did.

Enjoy and apply! Then give yourself a trip to Disney World to do advanced study as a reward! Disney offers many seminars and educational opportunities to extend the lessons offered in this book. How to sign up for these is outlined in the book.

In light of shareholder dissatisfaction with how current management is running the theme parks, it would be interesting to see if the same high standards are being deployed today as are described in the book. The last time I was at Disneyland in California, it needed a good scrubbing and a new coat of paint.

Great ideas, but the Disney organisation described is a myth - Rated
Inspirational, professional, aspirational - just a few words I would NEVER use to describe Disney's theme parks.

While the anecdotes and stories in this easy-to-read book left me nodding like Donald Duck, it's sadly something that senior management at the Walt Disney Company itself also ought to read.

I so wanted to believe the story about painting the railings everyday, or cast-members' pride in giving customer a happy experience. But anyone who's visited either the Paris or Florida parks recently knows that there are massive gaps between the ideal and the reality.

Treat this book is a guide to how a fictional company with excellent customer service as a core value should behave - just don't kid yourself that's it's fact.

Fabulous book! A Great Help for EVERY company! - Rated
To read a book in a day and a half says a lot about the book to me. I could not put the book down. Being an incredible Disney fan, I found even more ways for me to enjoy the experience the next time I go. I also found a renewed spirit for giving extraordinary customer service. Working for a brokerage firm, I realize that it is not just place the trade and hope that that contact gave value to the customer. It is taking each individual contact and ensuring added value to that customer's experience. This book is a definate read for everyone in the customer service field. If you are in business, then you ARE in customer service. Take the time and read this book and then read it again, you won't be disappointed.

Extremely enlightening and refreshing - Rated
this book offers an entirely new dimension to the term "customer satisfaction" with amazing ease and detail. I can hardly wait for my next visit to Disneyworld, because I know it will been seen through a different set of eyes.

A must read for anyone in customer service!!!! - Rated
Although a fictional story Inside the Magic Kingdom provides an excellent insight as to what makes Disney the most magical place on earth. Customer service at its finest.