This summer has not only brought a completely new theme park to the Orlando tourist scape, but within it, two impressive theatrical shows within its park's gates. At the same time, Disney's Hollywood Studios has opened two theatrical shows within its studio gates. In a showdown, we'll look at Le Cirque Arcanus in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter--Ministry of Magic as well as The Untrainable Dragon from the Isle of Berk--both premiering at Epic Universe. We'll also take a look at two new shows that just premiered at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After and The Little Mermaid Musical Adventure. From queue to finale, from performers to technical staging, we'll look at which of these fare best and are worth your time. The competition is tough, so join us as we look at these four new theatrical shows in two very unique Florida theme parks.

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More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available! 

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You. 

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

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Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com

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Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

There is so much to love about Universal’s new Epic Universe. And if they get it to work, it will be even better. Many have already done podcasts early on and shared what they loved or didn’t love about the park. Reviews of favorite attractions, food, souvenirs and so forth are out there. My wife and I, two of my daughters and my son-in-law have all attended, and for the most part, we had not only a solid experience, but we look forward to the time we can go back again. It’s definitely a place worth repeating.

I look forward to an opportunity to share our family’s review of the experience, but my focus is not so much from a guest point of view but from a park design and operational focus. And there’s so much here that is working. I will look at issues of park layout, scale and scope, thematic approach, interactivity, operations and more. Since this is Disney Insights, we want to consider these approaches in comparison to best practices Disney employs.It’s not just a critical look at the design and operation of Universal’s new park, but a new focus on what is working and what is not working at Disney.  So join us as we explore lessons good and bad from Universal Florida’s Epic Universe.

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More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com

_________________________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

We are on the monorail heading to the Magic Kingdom to canvas many updates from the Emporium to Big Thunder, from the Astro Orbiter to the new DVC lounge, McKim's Mile House. In the process we'll check on all sorts of construction activity, visit a number of shops throughout the park, and take in Gaston's Tavern, where we try out some new tasty treats. Join us on the Magic Kingdom Update here at Disney Insights.

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More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com

_________________________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Yes! We predicted yesterday that Disney was going to announce a new park in Abu Dhabi, and that announcement has come to pass! "A whole new world" is coming to this corner of the world. With over four billion guests having visited some six Disney theme park destinations around the world, let's look at this newest Disney resort in Abu Dhabi, which will be the seventh in the world. This was part of its 2025 2nd quarter presentation, and the announcement dwarfed everything else. Why build here, and exactly where is it going? What will make this different than anything ever built before? How will it be built and managed? Let's explore what's new coming to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

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More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com

_________________________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Breaking news this morning as rumors about that Disney could be announcing a brand new theme park slated for United Arab Emirates. The possibility is that an announcement could be made Wednesday morning, May 7th, but some sources suggest this may be happening and in time with the 2nd Quarter 2025 announcements from Disney happening at the same time. Check it out!

_______________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com

________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

We continue our celebration of Disneyland's 70th anniversary. We started this series at Disneyland with a look at Tomorrow. We now wind the clock backwards and start at the entrance of the park. Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland is a remarkable place. It is the only land in the only park that had an apartment for Walt Disney where he stayed regularly to "walk in the shoes of his guests." That kind of immersion allowed him to see new possibilities in how to create "The Happiest Place on Earth". I have walked this street for over 60 years and I want to share just how really special it is. It is not only the red carpet to any Disney fan, but we see how these places amaze not just from the guest view, but from a leadership view point. It's a perspective that permits you to see how you can build your own employees and create a great customer experience. Join us as we "Walk Down the Middle of Main Street, U.S.A" to see how Walt Disney personally touched this park, and how its design is a message for organizations big and large.

_______________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com

________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

While it’s been more than 5 years since Disney has opened up a brand new park in Shanghai, there is something to be said for the enormous transformation that has been underway for Disneyland Paris as a whole, and in particular, Disney Adventure World, formerly known as Walt Disney Studios Paris. Since Avengers Campus first opened, work has been spent on improving existing rides and shows, as well as creating whole new lands and attractions. Some 90% of the park’s original offerings will have been redone, and its foot prints will be nearly doubled in size. And beyond this, Disneyland Paris is very much re-shaping its resort experience and completely redefining the look and feel of its retail-dining space, Disney Village All these efforts and announcements come at a time when Universal has announced a new park in Bedfordshire, England with a targeted date of opening in 2031.

_______________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com

________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

Since debuting in December just a few months ago, The Disney Treasure has been the talk of the cruise line experience. Part of a new class of ships, and a sibling to the Disney Wish, this Disney Cruise Line offering has become very popular. We're fortunate to have Chris Konecny, also known as DCLCruisingDad, to share with us his family's experience aboard this eight day, seven night journey. We talk about getting there, getting on, and having a ton of fun. We discuss a little bit about its destinations to include Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Falmouth, Jamaica. But we especially talk about what makes this ship so spectacular, from food to entertainment; from decor to crew. And Chris offers some great tips for making your next trip even more enjoyable. So join us for tips and insights from Disney Cruise Line's Disney Treasure.

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More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com

________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

We visit Walt Disney World to check out Disney's Hollywood Studios and to get an update about everything going on in the park. We canvas the entire property, check out some retail plus food & beverage. Did we mention meeting up with all 7 of the Dwarfs?! Where Star Wars first showed up in this park (and it's not Star Tours)?! How about the best fried chicken in Disney's parks?! Or the cremated remains of Don Onar's Parents?! Join us as we share little known secrets about the park, and talk more about its future!

________________________________________________________

More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com

________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!

As if little announcements would keep attention away from the opening of Epic Universe, Disney keeps dropping posts and instagrams about what's on their docket in the next months to come. We'll take a look at this, and give insight to what it means. Disneyland has a big 70th anniversary coming, but what of The Walt Disney World Resort? We'll share what we've learned and what it means, especially in the context of a FastCompany article where Disney experts shared what it means to create the "Disney Bubble". Then we'll share about another time when Diagon Alley opened at Universal here in Orlando and how Disney pivoted to create a Frozen Summer. Disney needs to save summer, is this possible? We'll look at how in a matter of weeks, Disney turned around the summer of 2014 and made come alive. Join us as we look at whether the bubble can same Disney's Summer, along with Disney announcement insights.

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More Disney Insights can be found below!

The Wayfinder Society--Disney Insights Patreon Page--More Disney Insights to interact with, while supporting the podcast. Here we bring the best in Disney both in terms of the magic of the parks as well as the business behind the magic! And now as part of Disneyland's 70th anniversary, we have a new interactive Disney Insight Fact Discovery, which unlocks scores of fascinating details few know about. With text, images, video and audio, we explore these realms whether you are right on the streets of the "Happiest Place on Earth" or enjoying it virtually from your own couch at home. Join today!

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com

________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena. 

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Contact us today, and let us help you on your Performance Journey!