Disney is making significant changes to its cast member program to restore the guest experience. The company's theme parks are known for their magical atmosphere, and cast members are the key to creating this experience. However, the 2020 closure had a significant impact on the cast member turnover, and Disney is now working to recover and improve the guest experience.
During a recent business update, the president of the resort and his leadership team discussed their focus areas for the future, with a key area being hospitality and changes to the cast member experience. This report provides an in-depth look at these changes and the plans to improve the guest experience.
Disney Cast Member Changes Rolling Out Now
Thomas Mazloum, the president of the Disneyland Resort, and his leadership team met with media to share their current focus for improvement at the resort. They have already implemented changes to attract young families, park hopping and park reservations, ride closures, and security improvements. Mazloum emphasized the importance of cast members, who are the glue that holds everything together, and the need to simplify the guest experience.
Disney Ride Closure ALERTS, Major Changes, Secrets Revealed
The 2020 closure had a real impact on the operations of the park in the following five years. Cast members were furloughed, and many chose to retire or not return to the parks. The over a year-long interruption meant that the parks would need to staff up with new talent.
Brenai De Haro, Director, Operations & Integration at Disneyland, shared detailed information about the current state of the cast member experience and their plans to improve hospitality for guests. She emphasized the need to retrain cast members who were hired during the reopening and to extend the length of Traditions training to embed hospitality in the culture.
Reintroduce SERVICE Model For Hospitality
They used to teach the SERVICE model to all cast members, but it was put away before the closure. Now, they are reintroducing it to retrain leaders and create a baseline of hospitality.
Created 13 Statements of Intention Around Cast Members
They came together with cast member leaders to create 13 intentions around the cast member experience. These intentions range from being friendly and approachable to anticipating needs and going beyond what is expected.
Create Proactive Leaders
They ended by spelling out three specific focuses from leaders in training to create a hospitality environment. These focuses include solving for the guest, looking for and acknowledging the good, and leading in uncertain situations.
What do you think of the current Disneyland cast member experience? Is there any comment you would make? Share any story of a cast member interaction that you still remember with us in the comments below or on social media.
