Tags
Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service, Disney Institute, Disneyland, Downtown Disney, reality
Saying “goodbye” to Mickey and Minnie…in my only clean shirt!
Well, gentle readers (I’ve always wanted to say that), I’m back from my week of adventures in the Magic Kingdom. And it feels good to be back, even though it feels like I will be doing laundry for days! Disneyland and its environs are a wonderful place to relax and people watch, and I could describe some get-ups that would curl your hair. Several times I had to resist the urge to jump up and shriek, “Don’t you have a mirror at home?” or “Does your mother know you left the house looking like that?”
The souvenir I brought home for myself was the Disney Institute book “Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service” (with Theodore Kinni). I’m not sure why I shrink from buying a tee-shirt or piece of jewelry, but don’t hesitate to plunk down $25.00 for a book, but I snatched this one up on my first visit to Downtown Disney. Reading about the conscious decisions and guiding principles that make Disney properties’ customer service second to none made me a more observant and appreciative observer of Disney’s “practical magic”.
And magical it is! Every detail works with every other detail to create a perfect package. I watched the fireworks display three nights in a row sitting outside the Disneyland Hotel, as well as once peering out our hotel room window. That was wonderful (I love fireworks), but last night I watched the show as it was meant to be seen: at Disneyland, hearing the music that fit perfectly with the bursts of light and sound. I think I could show up there at 9:25 p.m. every night and never tire of the wondrous beauty.
But now I am back to reality — to dirty dishes and laundry and library books that need returning, but also to the loving hugs and “we missed you, Grammy” that accompany my every day routines. And I am happy. Happy to be able to have my Disney adventure, and happy to return home.
