Disneyland Resort's Focus: Young Families and Immersive Experiences | Disney News Update

0:12
Welcome to Daps Magic Disney and
0:14
positive stuff. I'm Mr. Daps and I'm
0:16
excited to join you today as we continue
0:18
our conversation that started last time
0:22
about the conversation that I had with
0:24
the Disneyland Resort President Thomas
0:26
Masloom and his leaders. This was an off
0:29
thereord conversation and we have lots
0:32
of things that we learned from it and
0:33
today I want to focus on their focus on
0:37
young families. This is something that
0:39
goes back to the origins of Disneyland.
0:41
When you think of Walt Disney talking
0:43
and sharing the story about how
0:45
Disneyland came to about when he'd go to
0:47
Griffith Park with his young daughters
0:49
and think that there should be some sort
0:52
of an amusement enterprise that could
0:54
have something where both parents and
0:57
the kids could enjoy together. And 70
1:00
some odd years later that's exactly what
1:02
Disneyland has become. on Daps Magic,
1:06
Disney and positive stuff. We try to
1:08
focus on different aspects of the Walt
1:10
Disney Company and beyond anything
1:12
positive that really interests me. And I
1:14
hope that you enjoy having these
1:16
conversations and these explorations in
1:18
different parts in a little bit more
1:21
indepth ways than we do in other realms
1:24
of DAPS magic. You know, Geeks Corner is
1:26
a little bit shorter and uh articles
1:28
sometimes can get a little bit long and
1:30
and heavy to read. So hopefully this is
1:33
a format that resonates with you and you
1:35
like having these discussions with me
1:37
and with other people that I will be
1:39
bringing on in the coming months and
1:40
years. That being said, if you would
1:43
like more of these conversations, head
1:45
on over to dapsmagichq. You can do that
1:47
by going to dapsmagic.com/dapshq.
1:50
I know we really worked hard with a
1:52
creative URL for that one, but you can
1:55
head on over there. We have more
1:56
conversations there and we'd love to
1:58
connect with you there. You can also do
1:59
it on Facebook, social media, YouTube,
2:02
wherever it is. We'd love to connect
2:04
with you and have more discussions about
2:06
Disney and positive stuff as we explore
2:09
this wonderful community that we're in.
2:11
Also, if you haven't done it yet, make
2:13
sure to subscribe so you don't miss any
2:15
of the future podcasts that we have
2:17
coming up. And I'd love if you would
2:19
give a rating if you enjoyed this show
2:21
as well and share it with your friends.
2:24
The more the merrier, right? We love to
2:26
share these things. We love to have
2:28
deeper conversations and that really
2:30
comes with more perspectives because no
2:32
one person really holds all of the cards
2:36
on truth in their hand. And this might
2:38
be my
2:40
perception on something or my opinion on
2:42
something and I'd love to hear yours as
2:44
well. With that being said, let's look
2:47
at another element, I guess you could
2:49
say, of the conversation that I had with
2:52
Thomas Maslo and a few other members in
2:54
the media and his leadership team. This
2:57
really was about the Disneyland's
3:00
resorts focus on young families. He made
3:03
it very clear that moving forward, the
3:06
Disneyland Resort really wants to make
3:08
sure that it's connecting and that it's
3:10
accessible for young families. And
3:12
there's going to be things that you can
3:13
see coming throughout the year,
3:15
particularly 2026, but also well beyond
3:18
that really do show their commitment to
3:21
young families, which as I mentioned
3:23
goes all the way back to Walt Disney.
3:25
And this really is a balancing act that
3:28
the Disneyland Resort has to to walk. Uh
3:32
because yes, you want to focus on young
3:35
families, but you also want to be
3:36
bringing in new people all the time. And
3:38
so you have to balance the young family
3:41
fair along with the more thrilling
3:44
things, you know, something like uh
3:45
what's coming to Avengers Campus or uh
3:48
you know, throughout the parks, you
3:49
know, uh there's uh Incredic Coaster,
3:52
there's Space Mountain, there's
3:54
different things that, you know,
3:56
monsters
3:58
uh or not monsters, I was thinking
3:59
Monsters After Dark, but Guardians of
4:01
the Galaxy Mission Breakout, but they
4:03
have these different attractions that
4:05
maybe are a little bit too thrilling for
4:06
young kids And Disneyland Resort is
4:09
really also wanting to make sure that
4:11
it's cognizant of what the young
4:13
families need as well and offer that as
4:16
as they move forward. So, as we're
4:18
looking forward very soon, we will have
4:21
Bluey's best day ever at the Fantasy
4:24
Land Theater at Disneyland. Now, this is
4:28
going to be something that will really
4:31
resonate with young kids. Bluey is the
4:33
biggest show on Disney Plus. It's got
4:36
millions and millions and millions of
4:38
minutes that are watched by young and
4:40
old kids alike. And this is going to be
4:44
a day full of interactive theater, I'm
4:46
going to call it, at the Fantasy Land
4:48
Theater. It's not a traditional stage
4:49
show. It's not going to be a sit down,
4:51
cross your arms, relax, watch the thing
4:54
happen. This is going to be a experience
4:57
that runs throughout each day. that yes,
5:00
it has Blueie, yes, there are people on
5:02
the stage, but there's also so much more
5:04
happening around the Fantasy Land
5:06
Theater as well. In fact, I will be
5:08
curious when it opens on the 22nd of
5:11
March, how much of a theater it still
5:14
feels like. You know, we've had a few
5:16
things, whether it's uh the Pixar Play
5:19
Party, I think it was called. We've had
5:21
some holiday experiences in the Fantasy
5:23
Land Theater and they've started to
5:26
transform it from a theater to more of a
5:28
space where there's theatrical elements,
5:32
but it's really more about being
5:35
immersive for the guests when they come
5:37
in. In this case, it'll be for young
5:39
families and guests and those who happen
5:41
to be fans of Blueie, which I think is
5:43
just about everybody now. So, when you
5:46
visit Blueie's Best Day Ever, there will
5:48
be live music. There will be live
5:50
singers and performers. You'll obviously
5:52
have Blueie. And you will also have
5:55
interactive games. You know, you'll get
5:57
to play Keepy. You'll get to do other
6:00
things that you'll recognize from Blueie
6:03
on the screen in person. And there's
6:06
going to be different stations or areas
6:08
that you can go to for different
6:10
experiences. And not just necessarily a
6:12
photo op. It won't be the traditional
6:14
line up, take your picture, and move on.
6:17
Instead, it'll be a day full of
6:20
interactivity and fun and hopefully
6:23
something that that kind of uh
6:27
resonates with young families in a way
6:29
that maybe traditional theater doesn't.
6:32
And and it was interesting having a
6:34
discussion at this meeting a week ago
6:37
because there was a period of time where
6:40
there was a real focus on what do the
6:44
entertainment or what role does the
6:46
entertainment offering um of the
6:48
Disneyland Resort? Where where does it
6:50
really fit and what does it play? What
6:51
what is that role? And traditionally
6:54
we've had things like Aladdin the
6:56
musical or Frozen and even Blast as we
7:00
go back Step in Time. I'll just keep
7:02
throwing things out that have been on
7:03
stage. I won't go into fantasy on
7:04
theater because it will go forever. But
7:06
um we've had more traditional stage
7:08
shows and and I think they've been very
7:10
wellreceived. I've personally loved them
7:12
and I know many other people have as
7:14
well. However, the trend line is being
7:17
or the trend line is that younger
7:21
families and kids, one, no surprise, the
7:25
ability to sit there for 30, 45 minutes
7:28
for a 4-year-old is probably limited and
7:31
the focus, you know, the um attention
7:35
span for that probably not super great.
7:38
It's also something that's very passive,
7:41
like other than clapping or laughing or
7:43
something, but you're not a part of the
7:44
experience. You're you're watching it
7:46
almost like a live screen in front of
7:48
you. And so you're not being a part of
7:51
the story, you're watching the story
7:52
play out in front of you. And one of the
7:55
things that they've been very
7:58
intentional about is they really want to
8:00
make connections. Whether this is cast
8:04
member to ca to employ um cast member to
8:06
guest connections or maybe it's a
8:09
performer to guest connection. But
8:12
really it's all about that human
8:14
connection. And so when you make an
8:17
entertainment offering more immersive,
8:19
there's more opportunities for a human
8:22
connection. Uh, my thought right now as
8:24
I'm saying this is think of somebody up
8:27
on stage dancing, doing fantastic
8:29
choreography, and you and your family
8:32
are watching it from the theater. You're
8:34
sitting in chairs, you're watching it,
8:35
it's great. You clap at the end of it.
8:38
Fantastic. Now take that same performer,
8:40
move them down on the floor in front of,
8:42
let's say, the Fantasy Land Theater
8:44
stage, and instead of dancing and doing
8:47
this fantastic choreography by
8:48
themselves, they're now dancing with,
8:51
you know, little Timmy that's four years
8:53
old in your family, and all of you are
8:55
dancing together in maybe a circle or
8:57
maybe, who knows? And at the end of it,
9:00
there's high fives. There's a hey, I
9:02
just became friends with you kind of a
9:04
moment thing happening. And it's also a
9:07
repeatable thing because because you
9:10
have different guests and potentially
9:12
different performers each time, you have
9:14
a slightly different experience every
9:17
time you go to Bluey's Best Day Ever.
9:20
And I I really think that's probably
9:21
something that Disney's counting on is
9:24
making those human moments and those
9:26
human connections moving forward so that
9:29
one, there's repeatability. Two, it's
9:31
Bluey, so it's going to bring new people
9:33
in. And that starts creating a healthier
9:35
business model for the Disneyland Resort
9:37
as it looks forward or looks toward
9:40
keeping its current customers happy or
9:42
guests happy. And then also looking
9:44
forward to getting new customers or
9:46
guests so that there's always a healthy
9:50
uh momentum of movement. You don't ever
9:53
want business to get stagnant because
9:54
the moment you do then it's going to end
9:57
up dying. It'll stink. It'll die. It'll
9:59
go away. And that's the last thing any
10:01
of us ever want to have happen. And so
10:04
Disney's really being smart about this,
10:07
I think, because they've recognized that
10:10
there are three very important things
10:12
for the health of of the Disneyland
10:13
Resort business. And that two of them I
10:15
just mentioned with current guests,
10:17
future guests. The third and the most
10:20
important in some ways is the glue that
10:22
holds all of this together, which are
10:23
the cast members. And when you think of
10:27
it in the the arena of the Fantasy Land
10:31
Theater in Blue's Best Day Ever, the
10:34
cast members really are going to make or
10:36
break this. If you go in and you're
10:37
having a grand old time playing games
10:39
and dancing around with whoever these
10:42
performers and cast members are, you're
10:44
going to want to come back. If you go in
10:46
and it's it's kind of just hum drum and
10:49
the cast members just stand there and
10:52
yes there's great music on the stage and
10:53
and maybe funny moments and you got to
10:56
see Blueie but there's no no connection
10:59
made then you might as well just watch
11:02
Blueie on TV or you might as well watch
11:04
it on YouTube and as somebody that posts
11:06
a lot of content on YouTube from the
11:08
parks I will always tell you it's so
11:11
much better in person. you know, what
11:13
you get through the screen of our
11:14
cameras is is just a little bit of the
11:17
Disney magic that you get to feel when
11:19
you have those moments that are
11:21
happening around you and you're a part
11:22
of as as something like this happens.
11:26
And so as we're looking to a year or
11:30
more presumably of Disneyland Resort's
11:33
focus on young families, they really
11:35
have to keep that in mind is what's
11:37
going to attract those families, what's
11:39
going to connect with those families,
11:41
and what's really going to give them, as
11:43
they're saying in the title for this,
11:45
their best day ever. And so you're going
11:47
to have this immersive entertainment.
11:50
We've seen already some of this
11:52
happening, you know, kind of with Viva
11:53
Nabi Dodd or uh or the the Coco. I'm
11:57
forgetting the name of it, but like
11:58
there's been more of these
12:02
smaller, I would say, but more um reach
12:06
out and touch it almost entertainment
12:09
offerings and moments that uh have been
12:12
put throughout the parks. And and I I
12:14
think they're they're different and
12:16
they're totally working as you look at
12:18
how people line up super early for Viva
12:21
Na'vi. And presumably this thing is
12:23
going to be packed with Blueie as well.
12:25
They're also doing with Bluey's best day
12:28
ever. They're going to have food that
12:30
are related to the to the um to the show
12:32
and this experience as well. And as
12:35
we're moving forward, they're really
12:37
going to
12:39
strive to make the Disneyland Resort as
12:42
accessible and easy for young families
12:45
to experience as possible. And one of
12:48
the things I really appreciated moving
12:50
on from Blueie that the Disneyland
12:52
Resort is doing is it's recognizing that
12:55
Disney California Adventure really could
12:57
be offering more for young families. and
13:00
and that was really a big driver behind
13:02
the decision to keep Monsters Inc. Mike
13:05
and Soul to the Rescue open an extra
13:07
year. And this may not seem like a huge
13:12
deal for young families. You know, I
13:15
know certain fans are super excited
13:17
about this. They love the attraction and
13:20
and this is a big deal to them from that
13:22
regard. But I think the more important
13:26
from this perspective,
13:28
the more important piece of this is that
13:30
it creates one more experience that the
13:33
entire family can do together. You can
13:35
have, you know, the parents and the
13:37
young children all enjoying this
13:39
together. There's no height restriction.
13:40
And there's nothing going to be, you
13:42
know, unless one of the monsters is a
13:44
little bit scary. But, uh, this is
13:46
something that
13:48
provides an extra experience for
13:51
families to do together at Disney
13:53
California Adventure and and creates
13:56
more of a draw in the coming year for
13:58
those families to do that. So, we know
14:00
it's going to stay open for another
14:02
year, then it'll probably close.
14:04
Hopefully somewhere around then Coco,
14:07
that new attraction opens at Disney
14:09
California Adventure, which then would
14:11
kind of replace that um that
14:14
familyfriendly attraction so that
14:17
families and kids of all ages can enjoy
14:19
this together and create something that
14:23
also has high enough capacity that
14:26
enough families can do this as well,
14:27
which is also a very important thing.
14:29
And as they do this kind of juggling
14:33
game of like where can we create more
14:35
experiences for families, they full-on
14:38
recognize
14:40
that going back to the entertainment
14:41
piece, they can use entertainment and
14:44
other experiences that are kind of like
14:46
popup experiences to fill in some of
14:49
those gaps and create moments that young
14:52
families can enjoy and and really um
14:55
maybe make up for there being more
14:58
thrill rides at Disney California
14:59
Adventure and that's going to be a very
15:01
interesting thing to see how it plays
15:03
out and just pay attention I would say
15:06
in the coming year years to what
15:09
attractions are open and what
15:11
attractions are closed from a scheduling
15:14
standpoint. You know, right now they
15:16
have uh Jumping Jellyfish closed and
15:18
that's going to be open before they
15:19
close something else, I presume, that's
15:22
for uh familyfriendly
15:24
ages and or young family ages. And that
15:27
will be a very interesting thing to keep
15:30
in mind. And
15:32
eventually Monsters Inc. will close and
15:35
Avatar will happen and and that was
15:37
acknowledged as well. And it'll be
15:39
interesting to see how intense or not
15:43
intense the Avatar attraction is
15:46
following up on that too. Like will
15:48
monsters be replaced by something that
15:52
young kids can't go on or will this be
15:54
something that young kids can experience
15:56
with their families as well? Even if
15:57
it's, you know, I would assume it's a
15:59
little bit more intense. But, you know,
16:01
there is an attraction in uh Florida
16:03
that's very familyfriendly for Avatar. I
16:06
assume it won't be something like that.
16:07
I think it'll be something more. Um, but
16:11
as we move forward through the year,
16:13
start looking at the things the
16:15
Disneyland Resort is doing through the
16:17
lens of does this make it easier for
16:20
families to come to the Disneyland
16:22
Resort. And a big big big component of
16:25
this is the monetary component. And this
16:29
was something that was addressed as
16:30
well. And there's multiple ways the
16:32
Disneyland Resort is trying to make the
16:36
the financials easier for young families
16:39
to go to the happiest place on earth.
16:41
And I think for a lot of us, some of our
16:44
favorite Disney memories or Disneyland
16:46
memories come from when we were kids.
16:49
There are fewer things that are more
16:51
magical than getting to go to Disneyland
16:53
as a little kid. And maybe it's going on
16:57
Peter Pan for the first time and feeling
16:59
like you're flying over London or going
17:02
to Wonderland and seeing massive flowers
17:06
singing to you. Or if you're like me,
17:09
it's seeing that uh Main Street
17:11
Electrical Parade for the first time and
17:13
and seeing Elliot the Dragon disappear
17:17
right in front of you and then come back
17:18
and and all of the lights and the magic
17:20
and the music that comes with it. And
17:22
now young kids get to see Paint the
17:24
Night for a similar but more modern
17:26
experience. And if you haven't done it
17:29
recently, go to the Disneyland Resort
17:32
with a little kid and just observe and
17:35
enjoy the park experience through their
17:38
eyes. You know, don't go in with any
17:40
other agenda than, hey, I'm going to
17:42
enjoy hanging out with this family.
17:44
Maybe it's my family, maybe it's a
17:46
friend, but look at the Disney magic
17:49
through the eyes of a little kid. And
17:52
there's few things better than that.
17:54
Whether it's music, whether it's an
17:55
attraction, whether it's seeing their
17:57
favorite character, whether it's seeing
17:59
their favorite show, fireworks, you name
18:02
it. Seeing them light up and just be
18:05
fully
18:06
engrossed in the moment. Like those are
18:09
those are impossible to beat. They're so
18:12
magical. And one of the big hindrances
18:16
to that is the financial one. So, as you
18:19
look through the year, if you were to go
18:21
to disneyland.com/offers
18:22
right now, there's a 3-day uh California
18:26
ticket to make it easier for families in
18:29
California to be able to go to
18:30
Disneyland. And that came really out of
18:33
a recognition that already SoCal
18:36
families had gotten a pretty good use
18:38
out of that. But there's so many more
18:40
people in California that could be
18:41
getting a uh you know a better discount
18:45
and make it a little bit easier to get
18:48
to the happiest place on earth. Is it a
18:50
lot? Depends on your definition, but
18:54
it's cheaper than basically any other
18:56
way to get to the happiest place on
18:57
earth. This summer, there's a kids
19:00
summer ticket offer that's coming.
19:02
That's really, really impressive when
19:05
you think about it. It's basically as
19:07
low as $50 a day for these kids. And uh
19:10
you can get a park park hopper with this
19:12
as well. I don't actually know if you
19:14
need a park hopper with young kids. Uh
19:17
just from my own perspective, I think
19:22
just from an energy standpoint and a
19:24
focus standpoint, there is plenty to do
19:27
without a park hopper and and you can
19:30
really enjoy a day at either park unless
19:33
you're like racing through it. you
19:34
really want to have that ability to hop
19:36
back and forth, then go for it. But if I
19:39
were a tourist or a once in a great moon
19:43
coming to the Disneyland Resort with
19:45
little kids, I probably would do one
19:47
park at a time. Um, you know, that might
19:49
change or something. But, uh, this kids
19:52
summer ticket offer is basically
19:54
available all summer from like May 22nd
19:57
through September 7th, which means that
19:59
you can enjoy the end of the Disneyland
20:02
Resort 70th celebration. you can get the
20:04
beginning of the Halloween time
20:06
celebration that comes in August. And
20:10
that's just a a really, I think, decent
20:13
way to make tickets more affordable for
20:16
families. Are they still expensive?
20:17
Absolutely. You know, I look at the
20:20
prices for everything today and think
20:22
about the the life that I grew up and
20:25
lived. I'm like, I don't know how we
20:28
would do this today as a family when I
20:29
was a little kid. But I also know that
20:32
things that are important to you, um,
20:35
you save up for and you make it happen.
20:37
And then that makes that investment in
20:39
that that effort that much more
20:41
rewarding and magical once you've gotten
20:44
to experience. And and so there's that
20:46
one as well. There's hotel savings that
20:48
that if you want to stay at one of the
20:49
hotels, Disneyland Resort, you can get
20:51
up to like 25% off in in the coming
20:54
months and year. And then um, as I
20:57
mentioned before, the California deal.
20:58
The other thing that is coming to Design
21:00
Resort that I think is just a phenomenal
21:02
offering for families with young kids is
21:05
there's going to be a a new meal deal
21:08
for kids. $5.99.
21:11
You'll get a hot dog, you get like a
21:13
milk or a water, and you'll get like a
21:15
cutie. And um and honestly, that may not
21:20
sound a lot like a lot. It may sound
21:23
very simple, but when I think of coming
21:28
on a budget to the Disneyland Resort,
21:30
that also sounds like a lifeline. That
21:33
is something that's way cheaper than
21:37
other meals throughout the the park.
21:39
It's going to feed you. It's going to be
21:40
fine. Is it the most exciting thing? You
21:43
know, is it a Mickey Mouse waffle or
21:44
something? No. But it does get you
21:46
through the day. It does help save a
21:48
penny here and a penny there. and and
21:51
that can make a huge difference as
21:53
people make these trips that basically
21:56
make memories that are going to last a
21:58
lifetime. And at the end of the day,
22:00
when I think back of being a kid at
22:02
Disneyland,
22:04
I don't really remember any meal we ate.
22:08
I do remember getting a frozen banana
22:10
with my grandpa once and discovering how
22:12
frozen they really were. And that was
22:14
kind of a shock. And it was it was one
22:16
of those things where um I still haven't
22:19
had one to today because I wouldn't say
22:21
like it was a fun memory. Was it my
22:23
favorite experience? No. Um you know
22:26
there's there's things like that, but
22:28
that was really more about the family I
22:31
was with and the moment that was had
22:33
versus something I ate. And um through
22:36
the years like even there's been some
22:39
amazing meals I've had at Disneyland,
22:42
well Disney parks around the globe. And
22:44
even with some of the most incredible
22:46
food that was there, it's generally
22:48
about the people that we were with. It's
22:49
generally about the service of of
22:52
whatever restaurant we were at. And uh
22:55
yes, there is the food component, but I
22:59
go back to what I started with is
23:01
generally the strongest moments in my
23:04
memories come from connections either
23:06
with family or friends or with a cast
23:09
member or performer or something. like
23:11
it really is those human connection
23:13
moments that really last a lifetime. So,
23:16
uh I I think this is a nice uh handout
23:19
from the Disneyland Resort in terms of a
23:22
discount and I think it will make it
23:24
more accessible uh for families that are
23:26
on a dime. And I really appreciate that
23:28
they're focusing on that and and not
23:30
just catering to, you know, the
23:34
higherend offerings that, you know, you
23:36
can just throw money at things because
23:38
that's that's not everybody. And there's
23:41
a a healthy balance that I think needs
23:43
to be found that Disneyland is to their
23:47
credit, they're working at it and and
23:49
they've acknowledged that, you know,
23:51
there's been some laws of unintended
23:52
consequences that have happened through
23:54
the years and and there's been some
23:56
things that they would like to have
23:59
well, they'd like them to be better for
24:01
families and so that people can have a
24:02
better experience going to Disneyland
24:04
Resort and and that's I, you know, hat
24:07
tip to that because that's a a hard
24:10
thing to admit publicly to members of
24:12
the media that are sitting there looking
24:14
you in the face that that recognize the
24:17
ups and the downs of the Disneyland
24:19
Resort and Disney as a company and uh
24:21
and that's something that gives me a lot
24:23
of optimism for the future of the
24:25
Disneyland Resort and for people that
24:26
want to visit the happiest place on
24:28
earth. So, as you're looking forward,
24:32
maybe you're coming into, you know, what
24:34
can I do now? What can I look forward to
24:36
as I'm visiting the happiest place on
24:38
earth with my young family? You know,
24:40
there's always so many fun things that
24:44
can bring those magical moments to life.
24:46
You know, I mentioned a few of them,
24:48
whether it's Peter Pan, Alice in
24:49
Wonderland's Adventure, Snow White's
24:52
Enchanted Adventure, uh Enchanted Wish,
24:55
maybe messing up the uh the name of that
24:57
right now. This is why, you know, I
25:00
don't use a script. I have a few notes
25:02
up here, but uh I basically just go with
25:04
what's in my head and in my heart. But,
25:07
you know, small world, you can't go
25:08
wrong with that, especially if it's a
25:10
really young kid. You know, seeing them
25:12
light up to the to the animated dolls
25:15
and the music and the lights, like very
25:17
few things are better. Mickey and
25:19
Minnie's Runaway Railways, adorable. Uh
25:22
maybe they're into a little bit more of
25:25
the spookier things. So, Haunted
25:27
Mansion, Jungle Cruise is always fun
25:29
because you have all the the animals and
25:32
uh Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters is
25:34
great for, you know, maybe not super
25:36
tiny young ones, but it's not going to
25:38
do anything. You like they're going to
25:40
have fun seeing stuff even if they they
25:42
don't know how to use the laser blaster.
25:45
And then you've got Monsters, Inc.,
25:46
you've got Jumping Jellyfish, you've got
25:48
Little Mermaid. And there's other things
25:52
to have
25:54
memories made together throughout the
25:56
Disneyland Resort. You know, there's
25:58
Cavalcades, there's character moments,
26:01
there's in the morning, there's this
26:02
very sweet moment with the Straw Hatters
26:04
where often characters come out and
26:06
Mickey and Minnie and Pluto and Donald
26:09
Duck have little moments, not just with
26:11
the band, but also also with the guests.
26:14
and and one of them is Donald Duck
26:18
basically having a drum battle with a
26:21
kid that's picked from those who are
26:22
watching and it's absolutely adorable. I
26:25
think it happens midm morning on Main
26:27
Street. Uh, check the app for all of
26:29
this stuff because there's so many
26:32
magical things that happen that are so
26:35
easy to overlook and miss just because
26:38
there is so much in in the Disneyland
26:41
Resort and on the app. And you can find
26:44
the entertainment offerings by clicking
26:45
on the entertainment icon in the top of
26:47
the Disneyland app when you're on the
26:49
map. And it really helps add clarity, I
26:52
think, when you're going through all of
26:53
that stuff. And you can either look at
26:54
it in map form or I like to do it in a
26:56
list format. So you can see where things
26:59
are coming and when. Another big thing
27:02
that's great if you have little ones is
27:04
there's the Disney Junior Mickey Mouse
27:05
Clubhouse live over in the Disney
27:08
Theater in Hollywood Hollywood
27:10
Boulevard, I guess, at uh Disney
27:11
California Adventure. Awesome. It's a
27:14
blast. Um you know, I'm it's not for me,
27:17
but when I saw it, I was like, "Oh, this
27:19
is actually a lot of fun." And I want to
27:21
bring every kid I know here uh because
27:23
they can dance and sing along with
27:24
Mickey and friends and and it's just a
27:27
fun immersive positive environment. The
27:29
cast members get into it, not just the
27:31
ones that are on the stage, but you
27:33
know, the ones that are probably there
27:35
for guest control or whatever
27:36
hospitality. Um they're dancing along,
27:39
they're having fun, they're interacting
27:40
with the kids, and it's really, really
27:43
sweet. The other thing that's fun,
27:45
especially if you're just trying to get
27:46
rid of some energy for the kids, is the
27:48
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. And
27:51
that's a blast. Sometimes there's even
27:52
characters over there. And I think
27:55
little Mr. Daps would have loved if that
27:57
had been around. Um, you know, in the
28:00
afternoon just to get off some steam and
28:02
climb around and be in nature. It's it's
28:04
a beautiful area. It's fun. It's a
28:07
blast. And uh it's just a couple of the
28:09
options that that you can do as full
28:12
families. Then there's all of the
28:13
nighttime entertainment as well that you
28:15
can enjoy together. Whether it's Paint
28:17
the Night Parade or World of Color
28:19
Happiness or Fantasmic or Wondrous
28:21
Journeys Fireworks, all of those things
28:24
really do create opportunities to create
28:27
magical family moments together that
28:30
become those core memories that you
28:32
carry with you. And and I think the real
28:34
hope and goal, I'm assuming it was with
28:37
my parents and and hopefully it is for
28:38
parents now, is to create these moments
28:41
and these memories that kids carry on
28:44
with them through life. And from
28:46
Disney's perspective, these kids then
28:48
become lifelong guests that come back
28:50
through the years and bring their
28:52
families to the happiest place on earth.
28:54
And and then you've created that uh that
28:57
really happy community that also helps
29:00
keep the business moving forward. And
29:02
you know, it's one of those things that
29:03
I think as guests and fans we forget all
29:06
of the time is Disney is a business and
29:09
we need that business to be healthy so
29:11
that it can continue to offer the magic
29:14
that we've loved for the last 70 almost
29:17
71 years now for the uh the parks side
29:20
of things. And as we look forward to
29:24
this, it's it's really a
29:27
nice offering from a perspective of
29:29
young families that they're focusing on
29:33
this because it it it creates
29:35
accessibility. It creates the chance for
29:39
young families that may not be able to
29:42
otherwise financially go to the happiest
29:44
place on earth, create those magical
29:46
moments, meet Bluey, dance with Blueie,
29:49
have all of those fun things happening,
29:51
and then also just it creates hopefully
29:55
for Disney and and for those of us that
29:57
just love this place so much, it creates
30:00
lifelong
30:02
connections with with the park, with the
30:05
characters, with the cast members, the
30:07
performers, and other guests. Like, I
30:10
think just about anybody that's a Magic
30:12
Keyholder will tell you they've made
30:13
some of the best friends they have in
30:15
their life. You know, the family, the
30:17
friends that are family while at the
30:19
happiest place on earth. And these are
30:22
relationships you carry with you through
30:24
your life. And you go through the ups
30:25
and the downs, and you're there for each
30:26
other, and you celebrate, and you you
30:29
care for each other as you're going
30:30
through these things. And that's a
30:32
really special thing that really comes
30:36
thanks to having that that focal point
30:39
of Disney and and I think at its core
30:41
Disney has always been about families.
30:43
Disney has always been about positivity
30:46
and so it tends to attract generally uh
30:50
people who are focused on those things
30:52
as well. There's always the outliers,
30:54
but uh it gives a lot to look forward to
30:58
when you think of Disney creating this
31:01
focus and Disneyland Resort creating
31:03
this focus with young families. And it
31:06
probably also creates an opportunity
31:08
this year in particular as they're
31:11
gearing up to really dive into
31:13
Disneyland forward where there's going
31:15
to be a lot more happening. like this is
31:17
probably a very good time for families
31:20
to be like, "Hey, we've been thinking
31:22
about doing this for a few years, this
31:23
might be the summer we should do it or
31:25
this is the year we should do it." Um,
31:28
if as you do come to the happiest place
31:30
on earth if you are coming with young
31:32
kids, use the app, use cast members,
31:35
like there's so much good information
31:37
out there to learn what the best things
31:39
for you and your families are, what
31:42
those discounts are. you know, go to
31:43
disney.com/offers.
31:45
Check the different attractions that you
31:47
want to experience for heights. Um, they
31:50
have that on the Disneyland app, but
31:51
they can als you can also find it on the
31:53
Disneyland website. And and then really
31:56
start looking at the happiest place on
31:59
earth from the perspective of is it the
32:02
happiest place on earth for everybody?
32:04
Like, is it happiest just for the people
32:07
that like thrill rides? Is it happiest
32:09
just for the people that like
32:10
entertainment? Is it the happiest place
32:12
on earth for people that want to go with
32:16
their young families? And and I think
32:19
what you'll find out is that Disney
32:22
really is trying to be the happiest
32:24
place on earth for everybody. They're
32:28
trying to balance the different
32:30
demographics of the people that come and
32:32
they're doing their best to make that um
32:35
balance stay steady so that it doesn't
32:39
tip too far one way or the other. And
32:41
everybody really can go to the happiest
32:44
place on earth, walk away happier
32:45
because of it, which we love, and create
32:48
those lifetime memories as they're
32:51
moving forward. And and that was just
32:53
one of those things that
32:56
sticks with you a week out because I
32:59
can't say that I've heard through 21, 22
33:04
years, the next month, month and a half,
33:05
whatever, of doing DAP's Magic. I can't
33:08
say that I've heard a focal point being,
33:12
how can we focus on making Disneyland
33:15
easier for young families to get to and
33:18
more fun once they do get there or more
33:20
magical once they do get there? And it's
33:22
something I appreciate them recognizing
33:24
that they can grow with and focus on.
33:26
And even though I don't have kids, I do
33:28
appreciate the fact that they're making
33:30
it easier for those who do. And I like
33:34
the fact that the Disneyland Resort is
33:37
constantly analyzing and adjusting and
33:40
really focusing on creating aospitable
33:43
environment for the the thousands,
33:46
millions, however many guests that visit
33:48
every year to the happiest place on
33:50
earth. And I love that they're
33:52
recognizing that they they have work to
33:55
do, that they haven't necessarily been
33:57
where they wanted to be since the
33:59
pandemic. And and that's something
34:00
really exciting to me as well to watch
34:03
develop and grow. We might be doing one
34:05
more episode on this conversation that I
34:08
had with Thomas Masloom and his
34:11
executives. I also have a guest that I'm
34:12
working on that might be popping in too.
34:14
So, this might be something that we
34:16
return to in the future. But this is
34:18
where I want to hear from you. Do you
34:20
like hearing about these things that
34:21
we've heard about with the Disneyland
34:23
Resort President and his team? If so,
34:26
let me know what interests you the most,
34:28
what you'd like to know more about. I'm
34:30
more than happy to attempt to answer
34:32
questions, and if I don't know the
34:34
answer, I'll try to find it. But what do
34:37
you think about the Disneyland Resort
34:39
focusing on young families? What do you
34:41
think about them focusing on
34:42
hospitality? Uh, let me know in the
34:45
comments or reach out to me on social
34:47
media what you think about all of these
34:50
different elements and these focal
34:51
points and principles. The Disneyland
34:53
Resort is really striving to um, make
34:59
the best of the best under this uh,
35:01
Thomas Masloom leadership in the Masloom
35:04
era, I think is what I called it before.
35:06
But I'd love to hear from you. So, reach
35:09
out to me, leave comments, hang out with
35:11
us out on Dapsmagic HQ. You know, we
35:14
love having conversations virtually
35:15
there. And we even have a once a week uh
35:18
behind the scenes Daps Magagic HQ
35:21
exclusive show where, you know, anything
35:23
can happen. You never know. It's a
35:24
blast. But I hope you're having an
35:26
absolutely fantastic day. I hope you've
35:28
subscribed. I hope you've shared. And I
35:30
hope you've rated this podcast so that
35:32
we can know what you think of it and
35:34
what we could do better because we love
35:36
to share our love of Disney and positive
35:38
stuff with you. Make it a great week
35:40
everybody. Keep kind, stay positive, and
35:43
we'll see you in the parks.

Livestream Starting Soon

Disneyland Resort's Focus: Young Families and Immersive Experiences | Disney News Update

Daps Magic - Disney and Positive Stuff

Eric Jacobson | DISNEY THIS DAY | January 15, 1971

The Costumes of Lunar New Year 2026 | Mr. Daps Interviews Grace

Mickey's Surprise Party | DISNEY THIS DAY | February 18, 1939

Pixar Animation Studios | DISNEY THIS DAY | February 3, 1986

Fm2 & Intentional | Celebrate Gospel @ Disneyland Resort 2026 4K

Videopolis Show Moment | Disneyland After Dark: 70 Years of Favorites 4K

Disney Legend Al Taliaferro | DISNEY THIS DAY | January 5, 1931

Which Way Do We Go? - GEEKS CORNER - Episode #804

Howard Ashman | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 14, 1991

Mulan Parade | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 11, 2001

Line Dance Lessons with Woody and Jessie | Disneyland After Dark: 70 Years of Favorites 4K

Avengers Assemble! Show from the Disney Adventure Cruise Ship

Duffy and The Friend Ship, Full Show - Disney Adventure Cruise Ship

The Big Bang Theory: Where Is The Original Cast Now?...

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

Livestream Starting Soon

Up next in 10

Disneyland Resort's Focus: Young Families and Immersive Experiences | Disney News Update

Daps Magic - Disney and Positive Stuff