Who’s Up For A Disney Cruise?

Disney…

What does that name mean to you? Mickey Mouse?  Trips to Disney World?   Animated films?  I could write a long list of Disney characters, themes, and movies, but I wanted to share with you another aspect of Disney – some of the business lessons you can learn from Disney.  First, Disney is known for its great attention to small details.  It is reported that even Walt himself would pick up a piece of trash if he noticed it in one of the parks.  Having been to the Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom in Orlando, I can certainly vouch for how clean the place is.  Now the crowds that’s another matter.

I was blessed to take my wife and two youngest boys on a Disney Cruise this past Spring Break.  The cruise line continues Disney’s reputation for handling small details and having great customer service.  We had been on a Disney Cruise before but this time I noticed some of the signs on the ship.  I have included pictures of a couple below.  These could be very generic “Hamburger Grill” like signs. But notice they incorporate their branding.  They incorporate a character.  They make a dumb old sign look almost fun.

Do you ever think “luxury” when you think of Disney?  We didn’t splurge on a fancy room, but we did sign up to use what they call the “Rainforest Room” in the spa.  You can go there and use the sauna, steam room, and various Rainforest showers.  You then can relax on hot stone lounges while looking out at the ocean by two hot tubs.  They claimed they only sold approximately 37 of these, which I found  hard to believe until we were actually there and rarely saw anyone using it.  In business, this package is called an “upsell”-something additional you can offer already captive customers.

Another upsell occurs if you want to dine in the fancy “Pollo’s” Italian restaurant.  You have to pay an extra fee to do that, and once there you are offered additional upsells of wine as well as an optional tasting menu. The food at the restaurant was pretty incredible considering we were on a cruise ship!

The cruise line stops at Disney’s own private island called “Castaway Cay” off the Bahamas.  You can take snorkeling trips, enjoy the beach, and generally relax along with 5000 of your closest friends from the ship.  Since our teenage boys were in their own group, my wife and I headed for the “grown-ups beach” where you can totally relax without any of the crowds.  The people working the ship and the island were all so friendly, prompt, and eager to please, including my new best friend – Jack Sparrow.

We did have a snafu with our snorkeling trip.  We were scheduled to go snorkeling in the morning so we could relax for the rest of the day, but our trip time was cancelled.  They rebooked us for the afternoon but it just turned our day upside down.  Due of the new order of things and we lost an extra hour at the beach.  However, the Disney people knew of the trouble this had caused and sent a package of snacks and a bottle of wine to our room because of the inconvenience it caused us.

I could write a much longer piece about Disney, but for now I just wanted to share a few nuggets. 

• In your business, pay attention to the details. Have your people do the same. Offer luxury upgrades and upsells when you can.
• Incorporate your branding in fun and creative ways.
• And if you ever have a “client snafu” consider a small note or gift to make up for it.

By Tim Turner- CEO of Torrid Technologies