A New Era of Leadership at Disney Experiences and the Disneyland Resort

0:13
Welcome to Daps Magic, Disney and
0:14
positive stuff. I'm Mr. Daps and I'm
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excited to talk to you this week about
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all of the big changes coming to Disney
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Experiences. We have a lot of news to
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cover and uh this is going to go fast, I
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have a feeling. But before we get into
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all of that, take a moment to subscribe
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if you haven't. If you haven't yet,
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please rate this podcast. We'd love to
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have your rating and we'd love it if you
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would share and join the conversation at
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Dapsmagic HQ so we can talk more about
0:41
all of the changes coming to Disney
0:43
experiences, particularly from the
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perspective of the Disneyland Resort.
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With that in mind, let's get into the
0:50
news. This week it was announced that
0:52
Thomas Masloom will be taking over the
0:55
role of Disney Experiences chairman from
0:58
his current role as the Disneyland
0:59
Resort President. Now this is a big
1:01
change for many people cuz he just came
1:03
a year ago and really the effects of his
1:06
tenure as Disneyland Resort President
1:08
are just beginning to be felt. Replacing
1:11
him is Jill Eststerino who is currently
1:13
president and manager of Disney Parks
1:16
International. This means she oversees
1:18
Europe and also Asia.
1:21
But first, let's talk about Thomas
1:23
Masloom. For the last year, he has been
1:25
building what we call the Masloom era
1:27
here at the Disneyland Resort. He's
1:30
really done this by focusing on three
1:32
core principles: quality, simplicity,
1:35
and trust. He's really focused on those
1:39
three things. And with that, he's tried
1:41
to reach new guests, keep the current
1:44
guests happy, and also really take care
1:47
of the cast members because he
1:49
recognizes that they're the glue that
1:51
hold all of this together. He really has
1:53
a focus on human connection. As we got
1:57
to speak with him a couple of weeks ago,
1:58
that was something that came up
2:00
frequently was the need for human
2:02
connection. The magical moments happen
2:04
through human connection. And a lot of
2:07
different perspectives
2:09
and opinions came back to magic comes
2:13
from human connection. Whether it's
2:15
through the invisible magic of
2:19
engineering and maintenance and stuff
2:21
behind the scenes or entertainment or
2:24
even the customer service component. All
2:26
of it comes back to human connection.
2:30
He's also been focusing on making the
2:31
Disneyland Resort more accessible for
2:34
young families. He's done this through
2:36
changing the timelines of when things
2:38
are being constructed or when
2:39
construction is happening and enabling
2:41
Monsters Inc. Mike and Soulie to the
2:43
rescue to stay open longer. In fact,
2:45
it'll remain open through all of 2026
2:48
because of this. And at the same time,
2:50
not having to delay whatever internal
2:53
schedule Disney has for Coco, for
2:55
Avatar, and even the Eastern Gateway,
2:57
which is all coming. And it'll be very
2:59
exciting to see how this happens.
3:02
But that's just the start of what's
3:03
happening. What we've also seen is a
3:06
cultural shift. We've seen Disneyland
3:08
going from a era of recovery and
3:12
reopening that came after the pandemic.
3:14
and with all of the ups and downs that
3:16
came with that into an era truly of
3:19
kindness and hospitality.
3:21
And as we listened to Maslin talk a
3:23
couple weeks ago, there was lots of
3:25
discussion as he returned to that
3:27
simplicity core value of trying to take
3:31
all of these different elements of the
3:33
Disneyland Resort and help them
3:35
harmonize so that they can really offer
3:37
something that's simple and quality that
3:39
guests can enjoy. And that's been
3:42
something that's been very interesting
3:43
to see and to realize as we've been
3:47
going to the parks and then hearing it
3:50
come from Thomas Masloom and his
3:51
leadership team at the Disneyland Resort
3:54
recognizing, oh, this is what I've been
3:56
experiencing and it's not some fluke of,
3:59
oh, we're recovering after the pandemic.
4:01
This is an intentional thing that's
4:03
being worked on and really focused on.
4:07
And because of that focus, it is growing
4:09
and it's getting better. And and that's
4:11
something that's very exciting as Thomas
4:13
moves into this next role because his
4:16
next role he'll be seeing over
4:17
overseeing all of the parks, all of the
4:20
cruise line, Disney consumer products,
4:22
lots of exciting things that will now be
4:25
under his purview. He is going to be
4:28
focusing on the future of all of the
4:32
things that we regularly experience that
4:34
are outside of the Disney entertainment
4:37
world and the Disney ESPN world.
4:40
Although all of these worlds are
4:41
starting to um get closer and closer
4:43
together as synergy works and and they
4:47
really try to make it a more immersial
4:50
immersive storytelling uh experience for
4:54
guests whether it's through sports,
4:56
whether it's through entertainment or
4:57
through experiences. They're trying to
4:59
connect them all and really help the
5:02
guest and the viewer uh connect with the
5:05
brand. And so what we're going to see is
5:09
these things that we've seen locally
5:11
happening, the focus on human
5:13
connection, the focus on quality, on
5:15
simplicity, those kinds of things,
5:19
those are going to grow because in his
5:22
new role as Disney Experienc's chairman,
5:25
he can now implement that vision and and
5:28
build that trust that has been built in
5:31
the last year and actually many years at
5:33
Disneyland Resort between Disney and its
5:36
guests. He can continue to build on that
5:39
from the perspective of looking at all
5:42
of the parks at looking at all of the
5:45
ships, all of the, you know,
5:48
interactions that come through Disney
5:50
consumer products, video games. Like
5:52
there's going to be so many different
5:54
parts of the Disney experience that
5:57
Thomas Masum will now be able to really
6:01
have his fingers on and have his vision
6:04
for of building that quality, building
6:07
that that effort towards harmonizing
6:09
towards simplicity and then building the
6:12
trust with the the guest or the
6:13
consumer. And that's something I think
6:15
that's really going to be exciting. And
6:18
and for guests at the Disneyland Resort
6:19
that are currently bemoning the fact
6:22
that Thomas Masloom is moving onward and
6:24
upward, I think we can take comfort in
6:26
the fact that he's not going anywhere. I
6:29
think we can also take comfort in the
6:30
fact that he's taking over from Josh
6:34
Diamaro who is the current chairman of
6:36
Disney Experiences who's moving on to
6:39
the role of CEO who also is very in tune
6:42
with the need for human connection for
6:44
quality for great not just good enough.
6:48
Uh you everybody's heard the story by
6:50
now of Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run,
6:53
how he acknowledged that people like it
6:55
but they don't love it and people need
6:57
to love it. And as we're moving into
6:59
this new era of Disney experiences,
7:02
which will be the Masloom era of Disney
7:04
experiences under the whole tomorrow
7:06
area of the W tomorrow era of the Walt
7:09
Disney Company, we have a lot to look
7:11
forward to because yes, there's there's
7:15
business choices that we may not always
7:17
agree with or like, but the bigger
7:20
picture of these people and these
7:23
leaders are something to be excited
7:25
about. they value people. That doesn't
7:29
mean like you can value someone and not
7:31
always agree with them. And I think
7:33
that's an important distinction to
7:34
remember as we're looking at the future
7:36
of the company and as we end enter this
7:39
new era. And and what we've seen with
7:41
Josh Dearo and what we've seen with
7:43
Thomas is both of them are very people
7:47
centric. They really value the people in
7:50
front of them. If you've talked to
7:51
either of them, you know they are zoned
7:53
in on you while you talk and you are the
7:55
only person in the world to them in that
7:57
moment. And that's something that's good
7:59
to know because that means it's a part
8:01
of their decision-making process.
8:04
It's not just about how we can make a
8:07
quick buck. It's not just about how we
8:09
can like they're not going to try to
8:11
pull one over on us. they are going to
8:13
try to provide a quality experience or a
8:16
quality product that guests are going to
8:18
love and want to return for. Um, and I
8:21
really think that's probably the path
8:22
that's going forward because when you
8:24
think of what Thomas was really focused
8:26
on at Disneyland Resort was current
8:29
guests, future guests, and cast members.
8:31
all people centric things, but he
8:34
recognized that if you invested in these
8:36
three things, you were going to
8:39
really create a healthy business
8:41
environment. And and I think that's
8:44
that's a really important thing to note
8:46
that that's where his focus is. And I
8:48
don't think that changes when he moves
8:49
on to Disney experiences. Just as Josh
8:53
Diamaro that you meet today is the same
8:55
guy that I met in 2018 2019 whenever he
9:00
was a Disneyland resort president before
9:02
he went on to Walt Disney World Disney
9:03
Experiences and now the role of CEO. And
9:07
those are things to keep in mind because
9:09
I think at the end of the day you have
9:12
to really
9:14
either be bought in on leadership or not
9:16
at all. And this is where the business
9:19
and the consumer relationship is so
9:22
important. If you buy into the the the
9:25
leadership of the Walt Disney Company or
9:27
Disney Experiences or even just
9:29
Disneyland and you think it's it's run
9:32
by the right people and heading in the
9:34
right direction, to me, that is a great
9:37
way or a great place to spend your
9:40
money. If you don't think it's being run
9:43
by the right people and you don't think
9:45
it's heading in the right direction and
9:46
you do think things are going, you know,
9:49
being handled in a wrong way, then I
9:52
wouldn't spend my money there. You I've
9:54
been told throughout most of my life
9:55
that people show what's important to
9:57
them by where they spend their time and
9:59
where they spend their money. And every
10:02
dollar that you spend is a vote for the
10:05
world that you want. So, as you're
10:08
thinking about, do I like where where
10:10
Diamaro and where Masloom and Esino are
10:13
heading, if you like that, I would
10:16
continue to spend money there and show
10:18
up to the Disneyland Resort or Walt
10:19
Disney World if you if you go there. And
10:22
if you don't like it, you should
10:23
probably vote with your pocketbook and
10:26
and tell Disney like, "Hey, I would like
10:28
something different." Because one of the
10:30
other thing that's defined the Masloom
10:32
era at the Disneyland Resort really is
10:34
the ability to listen. It was made very
10:38
clear to us at this business update
10:40
event a couple weeks ago that they live
10:44
and breathe by guest feedback. Every
10:48
letter, every email, every feedback
10:51
piece of feedback is read and evaluated.
10:55
And these are the things that help
10:57
inform the decisions that are made for
11:00
the future of of Disney. So if you don't
11:04
like something in a very gracious and
11:06
kind way, reach out to Disney and tell
11:09
them so. If you love something, same
11:11
thing. Tell them so. I think it's very
11:14
often very easy as fans to complain
11:18
about the things we don't like and take
11:20
for granted the things that we do. And
11:22
one of the things I would encourage is
11:24
always if you like it, say something
11:26
about it. If you see a cast member that
11:28
does something great or just makes for a
11:30
magical moment, go into the Disneyland
11:33
app and and do that guest compliment
11:35
thing because if they're not getting the
11:38
feedback from you that's positive,
11:42
they're going to have to base the feed
11:43
or base their information and base their
11:46
decisions on the feedback from whatever
11:48
is coming in. And and that really is
11:50
something to keep in mind is we have a
11:52
responsibility as guests and Disney fans
11:54
as well. That's to be a part of that
11:56
conversation and to be a positive part
11:58
of that conversation. You know, it's
12:00
very easy to just shout at a wall. Is it
12:03
going to change the world? Probably not.
12:06
But when you have a dialogue and a
12:07
conversation, that's where things can
12:10
change. That's where you can start
12:12
really making connections. And through
12:13
that human connection, which going back
12:15
to that is where really the world can
12:18
change. like that is a positive way to
12:20
change the world. You can build things
12:22
up instead of tear them down because I
12:24
do think at the end of the day, we all
12:26
love Disney and we want it to be better.
12:28
I think that's true for the cast
12:30
members. I think that's true for
12:31
leadership and I think that's true for
12:33
us as guests. I don't think anybody goes
12:36
to Disney thinking, you know, I wish I
12:39
could ruin it today. I can't imagine a
12:43
cast member saying that. I can't imagine
12:46
a an executive that I've ever met, even
12:48
the ones that maybe weren't as as
12:50
popular and and made less than savory
12:53
decisions, but I don't think anybody is
12:56
out to ruin the company. I do think
12:59
people have different perspectives on
13:01
what's going to make Disney the best
13:04
Disney it possibly can. And and that's
13:06
where being a Disney fan is so exciting
13:09
and so interesting. It's also where it's
13:11
going to be very interesting to see what
13:15
the Masloom era of Disney experiences
13:17
looks like, what the Diamaro era of the
13:20
Walt Disney Company looks like, and and
13:23
what the Jill Esino era here at
13:26
Disneyland Resort looks like. It's going
13:28
to be an exciting time because we have a
13:30
bunch of new things coming in. As we
13:33
have these new things coming in, we also
13:35
have a new leader coming in. One that I
13:38
would tend to guess most people to
13:40
Disneyland Resort simply do not know a
13:42
whole lot about. But what I can tell
13:44
you, Jill Eststerino has a very long
13:47
history with the Walt Disney Company.
13:48
She has been around for 35 years. I
13:50
think over 35 years actually. She's
13:53
coming from a role where she has
13:55
overseen Disney Parks International.
13:58
That means she has seen things like
14:00
World of Frozen come to Hong Kong and
14:03
soon to uh Disneyland Paris, Zootopia in
14:06
Shanghai, Fantasy Springs at Tokyo. How
14:09
much of us absolutely love Fantasy
14:11
Springs at Tokyo DisneyC? It's
14:14
absolutely beautiful. And you look at
14:16
the things that have happened under her
14:18
tenure as president and manager of
14:20
Disney Parks International. And that's
14:22
something to be excited about because
14:24
these are the types of projects that
14:27
were that were teased through the whole
14:30
process of pitching and approving
14:32
Disneyland forward. This is the
14:34
direction that Disneyland's moving in
14:36
the future. Yes, we have Coco in the
14:38
near future. Yes, we have Avatar in the
14:40
near future. Yes, we have a new parking
14:42
lot, which we're all actually very
14:44
excited about in the near future. I will
14:47
love getting into the parking lot that
14:48
much quicker and hopefully uh into the
14:50
parks that much quicker, but she has
14:54
done things from a bigger perspective.
14:57
Whole lands, that's a really exciting
15:00
thing. And as I look at World of Frozen,
15:03
it's absolutely beautiful. Like my
15:06
nieces and nephews absolutely love
15:08
Frozen. I appreciate it because of them.
15:10
I recognize it's got fantastic music,
15:12
great stories, all of that stuff.
15:15
It's not my favorite Disney film and for
15:18
no other reason than I have other
15:19
favorites. You know, I grew up with
15:20
Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin and The
15:22
Lion King and the kids that were my age
15:25
when those movies came out today when
15:27
Frozen's coming out have the same sort
15:29
of of connections and feelings and that
15:33
that emotion that just comes out when
15:35
you think of Frozen and Anna and Elsa
15:37
and Olaf and Kristoff and all of those
15:39
characters. And so you start thinking of
15:43
Jill Eststerino coming to the Disneyland
15:45
Resort and you start thinking of the the
15:48
expansions that could be coming to the
15:50
Disneyland Resort as well in the coming
15:52
years. Yes, we have individual
15:55
attractions and areas coming that that
15:57
may not be as grand of scale as
15:59
something like World of Frozen or
16:01
Zootopia yet.
16:04
But don't you think maybe she's the
16:06
right time or the right person at the
16:08
right time to start bringing in some of
16:11
those things that were concept art in
16:13
the Disneyland forward proposals. And I
16:18
would also like to think that maybe
16:21
the ducks are all in a row now. You
16:23
know, we've got Josh Diamaro in the top
16:26
job as CEO. You've got Thomas Masloom as
16:30
Disney Experienc's chairman. I don't see
16:32
either of these two roles changing super
16:35
quickly. Like in a perfect world, Josh
16:37
will be in that role for the foreseeable
16:40
future. 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, who
16:43
knows? Uh, you know, it's it's anybody's
16:45
ball game, but I would think at least 5
16:47
to 10 years. And you start thinking,
16:50
well, he's probably going to be
16:52
hopefully happy with his team. So, maybe
16:54
we get 5 years of of Thomas Masloom in
16:58
this role. Maybe we even get five years
17:00
of Jill Estino in this role of
17:02
Disneyland Resort President. And it
17:04
creates a a stability
17:07
for fans to really have a connection
17:11
with the Disneyland Resort President to
17:13
know the direction that the company is
17:16
headed spec specifically, excuse me, for
17:19
Disney experiences because that's kind
17:21
of the main focus of the regular
17:23
Disneyland Resort guest, I think. and
17:25
and that's probably the point that
17:27
connects the most for them. And as we're
17:31
moving into these next years, maybe all
17:34
of the changes of the previous years,
17:36
cuz there's been quite a few, I think we
17:38
could acknowledge, but maybe that's been
17:41
leading to stability
17:43
now for the Disneyland Resort that maybe
17:45
hasn't been there in the past. you know,
17:47
Thomas for only a year, Ken for a couple
17:49
years, uh, Rebecca Campbell for a blink
17:53
of an eye, before her, Josh Dumar, like
17:55
there's been quite a few through the
17:57
years. And one thing I will say is is
18:00
everybody's been kind of moving around
18:02
and moving up and moving to other
18:04
places. And it's very possible that now
18:07
we're looking at an era that is also
18:10
defined by a little bit more stability
18:13
for the Disneyland Resort and maybe even
18:16
all of experiences in general. And and
18:19
that can be an exciting thing to see.
18:22
Um, you think of of Natasha Rafalski in
18:25
Disneyland Paris, who's been there for
18:26
several years right now and and it seems
18:28
like the the Disneyland Paris fans
18:31
really have a connection with her and
18:32
love her and love seeing her at events.
18:35
And I think it would be a fantastic
18:36
thing to see something like Jill
18:38
Eststerino coming to the Disneyland
18:40
Resort and having that same relationship
18:42
with the fans and the local community as
18:44
they're moving forward in this new era
18:47
of growth for the Disneyland Resort.
18:49
Really the closest I can compare it to
18:51
is when they added Disney California
18:54
Adventure in Downtown Disney
18:56
25 years ago to the Disneyland Resort. I
18:59
think this could be that time and it
19:00
could be a new era like that where we
19:03
really do get to see uh what can happen.
19:07
Another thing to keep in mind with this
19:09
Jill Estino is not going to be leading
19:12
in a void.
19:14
We are going to see, I think, a
19:17
continuity of leadership, perhaps unlike
19:19
we've seen in recent years or ever, for
19:23
the Disney parks.
19:25
It seems to me that Thomas and Josh are
19:28
like-minded people. It also seems to me
19:31
without having met her met her, and I
19:33
will admit I haven't met her yet. I look
19:35
forward to doing that, that Jill will
19:37
bring the same thing to this new
19:40
leadership role. uh she really seems to
19:44
be connected to not just Disneyland
19:47
Resort, but also Southern California,
19:49
which is where she she's been before.
19:51
She actually worked in the Anaheim area
19:53
before, working in marketing years ago
19:56
before she started working overseas. And
19:58
so, I think there is a connection there.
20:00
And there's always something special
20:02
about the Disneyland Resort that just
20:04
connects with leaders, connects with
20:05
everybody, I think, as Disney fans and
20:07
Disney lovers when they come to the
20:09
happiest place on earth. And I think
20:11
that's going to be something to look
20:13
forward to and to to watch in the coming
20:16
weeks, months, and years as Jill Estino
20:20
makes her mark on the Disneyland Resort.
20:22
And the things I will personally be
20:25
looking for is are we still seeing those
20:29
main kind of key principles of quality,
20:33
of simplicity, of trust. Will she
20:36
continue Thomas Maslam's initiatives to
20:40
really continue to up the quality level
20:43
of what the Disneyland Resort offers? So
20:45
much of it is related to hospitality. If
20:47
she comes in and she's talking about
20:49
human connection and hospitality and
20:51
quality and things like that and then
20:54
acting on it, that's exciting to me. If
20:58
she's also focused on keeping things
21:00
simple, like it has gotten pretty pretty
21:03
complex to go to the Disneyland Resort.
21:05
I had a friend come out from Minnesota
21:07
that had never been to Disneyland before
21:09
and she texted me months before she came
21:11
and she said, "What do I need to know to
21:13
go to Disneyland?" And and I practically
21:15
wrote her a book. Like I was like,
21:16
"Well, you need to know this, you need
21:17
to know that, and reservations and and
21:20
park hopping and lightning lanes and oh
21:23
yeah, there's food reservations and oh,
21:24
do you want character deck?" Like,
21:26
there's just so many things that we
21:29
don't think about for us regulars when
21:31
we go to Disneyland that really can be
21:34
overwhelming for a first time guest. And
21:36
so my hope is that Jill continues the
21:40
initiatives that we're seeing with
21:41
Thomas of trying to make it simpler,
21:44
trying to make it more accessible for
21:46
families. I always think of my some of
21:49
my favorite memories as a child was
21:52
getting to come to Disneyland. We didn't
21:53
do it very often. It was once every
21:55
couple of years and getting to go to the
21:59
happiest place on on earth for one day
22:01
of our vacation. And that one day you
22:05
just lived off of. And usually there was
22:07
like one moment or something from the
22:09
day that you really connected with. But
22:11
you think of the people and the families
22:14
that come and they save up and they and
22:17
they wait and they keep saving and they
22:19
they want to have that perfect visit to
22:22
the happiest place on earth.
22:24
I love the fact that the Disneyland
22:26
Resort under Maslam's leadership has
22:29
been focusing on making that as simple
22:31
and as easy as possible. Even going as
22:34
far as making a a a meal for kids that's
22:37
$5.99 that they get a hot dog, you know,
22:39
like they're they're little things that
22:41
really end up making the biggest
22:44
difference. And I think that's something
22:46
to be very exciting about or excited
22:49
about as we move forward into this new
22:52
Jill Essterino era of the Disneyland
22:55
Resort. Another thing to just keep in
22:57
mind as we're moving into this new era,
23:01
there are going to be different
23:03
opinions.
23:05
We need to look at ourselves as Disney
23:07
fans and say, "Hey, are we a part of the
23:10
the problem or are we a part of the
23:11
solution? Are we treating cast members
23:15
and executives and other guests with
23:17
kindness and being a part of that?
23:20
Creating a quality, you know,
23:22
environment for other people to to
23:24
experience Disneyland in or are we
23:26
detracting it from other people? Are we
23:29
helping make the most happy or the
23:31
happiest place on earth a happy
23:33
environment? Are we detracting from it?
23:35
Are we building people up or are we
23:37
tearing people down? And and I really
23:39
think that's something we need to be
23:41
thinking about as we really enter a new
23:44
era of the Walt Disney Company. It's had
23:46
a lot of ups and downs the last few
23:48
years. It's been cutthroat. Like there's
23:50
been times where you you sit and watch
23:52
the shareholder revolts and and the
23:54
activist shareholders and you kind of
23:55
wonder, hm, is this going to be the time
23:58
that that some activist shareholder
24:00
comes in and takes away that thing that
24:03
we love so much and and changes it to
24:06
something that that we don't recognize.
24:09
You know, there's a difference we have.
24:11
You know, there's a reason we like
24:12
Disney versus other companies. And and
24:16
so I think as guests we have that
24:19
responsibility to really be a part of of
24:22
helping with the quality, helping keep
24:25
things simple, you know, helping build
24:27
that trust. Like are we being reasonable
24:30
with our expectations? Are we viewing
24:32
this through the lens of this is a
24:34
business or are we viewing it through
24:36
the lens of, oh no, this is a public
24:38
park. I deserve this. Because I think
24:41
when we view it through the lens of a
24:43
public park, one, nobody would ever
24:46
expect amazing characters, amazing food,
24:49
amazing attractions, amazing
24:51
entertainment, you know, worlds that we
24:54
can go to from a galaxy far, far away,
24:56
or maybe with our our favorite Avenger,
24:59
or maybe we want to go for a Sunday
25:01
drive with some of our favorite Pixar
25:03
cars. But nobody would expect that at a
25:06
public park. And I think quite often as
25:08
guests we take the perspective of we're
25:12
entitled to this. Disney needs to give
25:14
me this. It it's it's a public service
25:18
when really this is a business. It
25:21
always has been since day one. You know
25:23
Walt Disney was always trying to figure
25:25
out a way to break into the business to
25:28
diversify the business. Like there's so
25:30
many stories you hear him tell of how he
25:32
was always trying to better the
25:34
business. And yes, he had the creative
25:37
elements and that was a big reason he
25:39
was doing the business and and it was
25:42
one of those things that fed each other.
25:44
But we do need to remember it is a
25:47
business.
25:48
there is responsibilities and and um
25:54
there's other things that Disney has to
25:57
take into account beyond is it cheap, is
26:01
it accessible, is it, you know, is it
26:04
doing everything the customer wants? And
26:06
and I think there's probably also an
26:08
element of this of Disney works within a
26:11
a system that it didn't create. It's a
26:16
part of it. it's a leader in it, but the
26:19
business system that we live in and in
26:21
the world we live and breathe in really
26:23
is, you know, something it's like a
26:25
massive ship. It takes a long time to
26:27
turn it one way or the other. And and
26:29
sometimes I think the the problems that
26:32
we see or that we don't necessarily like
26:35
with decisions Disney makes or how they
26:37
do things or whatever that is really is
26:40
a problem with a bigger system that's
26:42
that's you know worldwide versus a
26:46
problem specifically with Disney. And
26:49
yes, we can voice our our displeasure in
26:51
a kind and uh dignified manner, but we
26:56
also shouldn't hold the the opinion that
27:01
we're deserved something that we're
27:02
entitled to this because we're really
27:04
not. This is something we pay for and we
27:07
get to do because of the money we paid
27:09
for and and along the way we decide is
27:12
it worth the value of what we paid or
27:14
not. And going back to what I talked to
27:16
earlier, if you don't think it is and
27:19
you don't think Disney is doing you
27:20
right, don't spend your money there.
27:23
Don't don't ruin it for everybody else,
27:27
but don't spend your money there. vote
27:28
with your vote with your wallet and and
27:31
let's make the world a little bit better
27:33
in a kinder way and change things from
27:36
the perspective of of kindness and
27:39
positivity and grace as opposed to
27:41
tearing things down. Especially when we
27:44
may not know the full picture. We may
27:47
not know all of the perspectives of how
27:50
decisions are being made or who's making
27:52
these decisions or maybe something that
27:54
we don't even know that's a part of
27:55
these decisions that are being made. I
27:58
also just think at the end of the day,
28:01
Disneyland has always been about making
28:04
people happier. And I think that's what
28:06
we need to focus on. Does it make you
28:08
happier cuz you went there or doesn't
28:10
it? We don't need to nitpick. We don't
28:12
need to tear people down. and and we do
28:15
need to be a part of making it and
28:17
keeping it the happiest place on earth.
28:21
So what does this look like for the
28:22
future? We have got a lot to look
28:25
forward to. We're going to see the
28:28
continuity of care. This is going to
28:31
come down from the very top. We're going
28:32
to see Josh Diamaro caring about people.
28:35
We're going to see Thomas Masam caring
28:37
about people. We're going to see Jill
28:39
Eststerino caring about people,
28:40
particularly the cast members. And I
28:43
think this is something that's very
28:44
important because cast members really
28:46
are the glue that hold everything
28:48
together. If you don't have great cast
28:50
members, you're not going to have a
28:51
great experience. So many of the
28:53
experiences that we know and we love and
28:55
we cherish and their core menus, core
28:57
memories through the years come from
29:00
experiences we had with cast members.
29:02
And I don't think that's going to
29:04
change. In fact, I think we're going to
29:05
see even more of an investment in cast
29:07
members. Yes, there will be training.
29:10
Yes, there will be a cultural component
29:13
of this and hopefully there will also be
29:16
more benefits that are that are added to
29:18
the cast members as they navigate a very
29:21
tricky world. And it's it's only getting
29:24
trickier as we move forward. But I think
29:27
as you get that investment in people,
29:29
you're going to have happier cast
29:31
members, you're going to have happier
29:32
guests, and you're going to have a much
29:36
healthier business for the Walt Disney
29:38
Company. We're also going to see new
29:41
attractions, new parking lot, new areas
29:44
coming to the Disneyland Resort as Jill
29:46
Esteno comes in. We're also going to
29:49
learn, I presume, a lot of fun things at
29:52
D23, the Ultimate Disney fan event this
29:55
summer. And and now we know that there's
29:58
a very good chance that it will be
29:59
Thomas Masloom doing a big big part of
30:02
the Disney experiences presentation. And
30:04
that's going to be something to look
30:05
forward as well. But my big DAP's take
30:09
on all of this is that the Disneyland
30:12
Resort and Disney but Disneyland Resort,
30:14
it's really moving away from a period of
30:17
recovery into a period of bold growth.
30:21
And that's exciting. It's a period of
30:25
growth for cast members. It's a period
30:27
of growth for the resort physically,
30:29
like as we get these new parking lots
30:31
and and attractions and experiences and
30:34
Bluey's best day ever in just about a
30:36
week.
30:37
And that gives me lots to look forward
30:40
to and lots to be optimistic about. We
30:43
have the right people in the right
30:45
places at the right time to really see
30:49
what can happen with the future of
30:52
Disney. When you put a whole slate of
30:55
leaders that have a similar mind, that
30:58
have a similar value and have a similar
31:00
vision for where Disney and the Walt
31:03
Disney Company can go. And that's
31:05
something to be very optimistic about.
31:08
So my question for you, what are you
31:10
excited about with Jill Eststerino
31:12
coming? She's bringing a lot from the
31:15
international parks. What would you like
31:17
to see her bring to the Disneyland
31:18
Resort? Likewise, what would you like to
31:21
see Thomas Masloom take from what he's
31:23
done here to that higher level of Disney
31:26
experiences? There's going to be a lot
31:30
to digest and to watch and to cover in
31:33
the coming weeks, months, and years. And
31:35
I'm super excited to cover it with you,
31:39
to discuss it with you, and to just
31:42
watch all of this come and be Disney
31:44
fans together as we focus on Disney and
31:47
positive stuff. And so as we do look to
31:50
the future and as we move into this new
31:52
Masloom area era of Disney experiences
31:55
Diamaro area era of Disney and Esino era
31:59
of Disneyland Resort I encourage you to
32:01
stay positive,
32:03
keep kind and keep looking forward to
32:06
the future. We have so much to look
32:08
forward to. It's going to be great. And
32:11
if you would like to talk more about
32:12
this, connect with me on social media,
32:14
subscribe to us on YouTube, then head on
32:17
over to Dapsmagic HQ and let us know
32:19
what you'd like to talk about or respond
32:22
to this episode as well. We will have a
32:25
blast doing it. And it's going to be a
32:28
very fun era to be a Disney fan, I
32:32
predict. But that is all the time that I
32:34
have for you on this episode of DAPS
32:36
Magic Disney and positive stuff. Please
32:38
leave me a writing. Please subscribe.
32:41
Please join me over on Dapsmagic HQ.
32:43
We'll talk more about this. But for now,
32:46
keep kind, stay positive, and we'll see
32:49
you in the parks.

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