There is a lot of change happening at The Walt Disney Company currently. Josh D’Amaro, the Chairman of Disney Experiences, will be taking on the role of CEO later this month. Dana Walden will be taking the role of President and Chief Creative Officer when D’Amaro takes this role. When they do, Disney will begin a new chapter. This chapter will be the first in quite some time to not be written by outgoing CEO Bob Iger. This chapter will undoubtedly lead to changes throughout the company.
Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a morning and lunch with Disneyland Resort President Thomas Mazloum and some of his team. I, along with other members of the media who regularly cover the Disneyland Resort, got a look at where the Disneyland Resort is, where it has come from, and where it is going. This was done through the lens of Mazloum’s leadership (you can hear about it in this podcast). The discussion throughout the morning included the core values Mazloum brings to the Disneyland Resort business, the business priorities, and then different ways these priorities are being acted on.
The three main areas that were the focal points for these priorities were hospitality, engineering/maintenance, and entertainment. As the morning progressed, we heard about how each of these focal points supported his overall vision.
After spending several hours with this group of people, asking questions and hearing answers, and now having a week or two to digest all of it, I have come up with some thoughts about this meeting with the Disneyland Resort President and his team. These are big picture thoughts that don’t really get into the weeds or specifics. These are thoughts that give me an idea as to what the future could hold for Disneyland Resort and also The Walt Disney Company.
Connection
Thomas Mazloum is a guy who has a passion for what he does and the people he does it with/for. If you’ve ever had the chance to speak with him, he gives you his complete attention. While he has his own personality, the focus when talking to a person reminds me very much of his current boss, Josh D’Amaro. Both Mazloum and D’Amaro focus on people and connection. They also demonstrate how important this is through example.
As Disneyland Resort moves into an era that is taking hospitality to a new level, both of these leaders already model what it means to make a connection with another person. This leads to my first thought: the future of Disneyland Resort and probably The Walt Disney Company will be about human connection. Disney will still, at its core, be about stories. However, it seems like there will also be an effort to not just tell these stories, but help people connect with the stories and the storytellers like never before.
This makes sense to me from a business standpoint. It also makes sense to me as a consumer. In both cases, I like it a lot. I also like the thought of how that could change both the corporate culture at Disney and also the culture of its guests. Both have a lot of potential, and it is exciting to think about the possibilities.
Quality
Throughout the morning, I observed that there is a real passion for the quality of what is being done throughout the Disneyland Resort. This ranged from the thought process around the current guest experience to what would make for an excellent experience to draw in new guests. On top of this, there is also a focus on creating a quality cast and cast member experience.
It was interesting seeing this focus up close and personal. I had noticed a focus on this at recent media events and also in the parks. One thing that sticks out to me is how more effort is being put into making quality merchandise. I have noticed the frequent use of embroidery and more durable materials in different sweatshirts or other apparel. This is just one example of where I had noticed a quality change without being told it was intentional. I’ve also noticed it with attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which simply doesn’t seem to be down all the time.
This makes sense as Disney moves from being really good to really great. I think of the story that was shared recently about Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run and Josh D’Amaro admitting people like the attraction, but they don’t love it. Disney’s goal is to provide experiences and things that people will love, it seems.
Keeping it Real
Through the years, when I have encountered Josh D’Amaro and had the chance to chat with him, I’ve always felt that the conversations were real and also authentic. That morning, with Thomas Mazloum and team, added to that feeling. I’m using both authentic and real separately, even though they could often be used interchangeably.
First off, let’s talk about authenticity. Both Josh D’Amaro and Thomas Mazloum seem like authentic people. Conversations with them seem genuine, and they say what they mean. I respect this and am thankful for it.
Second, both of them keep it real… even when it isn’t convenient. I’ve heard both D’Amaro and Mazloum argue their points for why the park reservation system should stay in place, with guests/members of the media who clearly disagree. They are firm but kind when making their points. Beyond keeping it real with things like this, in the morning’s meeting, Mazloum acknowledged that there have been lessons learned from things that didn’t go as intended. As a leader through the years, I was always looking out for the law of unintended consequences, and then when one inevitably hit… I would do my best to learn from whatever happened. During that meeting, I saw Mazloum acknowledge that they had learned from things that didn’t go the way they initially intended or when the law of unintended consequences struck.
It was a breath of fresh air to hear the honesty and humility that came with this. Things weren’t said in a condescending way towards anyone. It simply came across as this is what had happened, and they were going to learn from these experiences to make the future better than the past or present. This seemed quite admirable to me.
Keeping it Simple
Finally, another big takeaway I had from this morning was the concerted effort to keep things simple, or to harmonize things. It is very easy to see how complex the Disneyland Resort or even The Walt Disney Company is. It is very hard to provide simplicity or harmony from all of these different complexities, business segments, and variables. However, that is the goal.
I personally think that when things can be made simpler, they can also be made more successful. This is no easy task. The world is complex. Business is complex. Customers are complex. However, there is a lot of opportunity in aiming for simplicity.
A simpler business means that it is more accessible for guests and future guests. It also means that employees/cast members can focus on mastering their core competencies and being the best at what they do.
This seems to be what Disney has been building toward since the return of Bob Iger to the CEO role. It also seems that Josh D’Amaro and Thomas Mazloum are both in lockstep with this goal. Look at the overall organization of The Walt Disney Company, and one will find three main segments: Experiences, Entertainment, and ESPN. The definition of what Disney is about is quite simple as well. It’s all about storytelling.
As Disneyland Resort and Disney continue to focus on harmonizing the complexity into simple systems, actions, and offerings, I can only guess that this will make for a better guest and consumer experience. This will also lead to more growth for the company as well.
Leadership
My final takeaway, at least for this post, is that the leadership of the Disneyland Resort is currently in a really good place. I like that the caliber of people who are leading the Disneyland Resort (and Disney in general). I like that these are people who value other people and human connection. On top of that, I also like that they are focused on positive reinforcement and building people up for a better Disney experience. This is true for both cast members and guests.
One thing I’ve lived by for a long time is the axiom that “what you focus on grows.” As I look at the leadership at the Disneyland Resort, I have a lot of reasons to be optimistic. What is being focused on is positive, people-centric, and about improvement. There is a recognition that a stronger business will come with a stronger connection with guests. This is done through human connections, better experiences with attractions and entertainment, along with the incredible stories that can only be told by Disney.
Looking Forward
As we look to the future of the Disneyland Resort. There will be new attractions. On top of that, there will be new shows and experiences. There will also be surprises that may not be so welcome along the way. Some of these might be external, some of these might come from within. However, with the leadership that can currently be seen at the Disneyland Resort and Josh D’Amaro as CEO of The Walt Disney Company, there is still plenty of reason to have faith in the future of the resort and company. Good leadership leads to good results. I can’t wait to see what those results will be.
More coverage of this event with Disneyland Resort President Thomas Mazloum:
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