Disneyland

Disneyland

I made my first trip to Disneyland 😦 I now realize this should have happened years ago, but better late than never. And for my 3 year old daughter (her first), it was truly the magical kingdom, the happiest place on earth. Of course, it was Hong Kong – so smaller than the others, hot and humid, but it was still spectacular. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, the Princesses, the shows, the rides…all great.

To my media brain, Disneyland was an eye-opener in commercial and brand excellence…truly superlative. Everything works like clockwork…in fact it is so organized, it’s frightening. Everyone smiles, the rides are orderly, the cast members perfect, the service terrific, the expense subtle, the sales pitch everywhere and nowhere. All you see is the happiness…you don’t see the supply chain that feeds & services this gargantuan enterprise…the delivery trucks, the make-up rooms, the food catering, the maintenance and upkeep…all that is invisible. What you see is “expensive” merchandise and food – which you inevitably buy, and the “free”characters, rides and shows that you inevitably enjoy. And then the fireworks display to wrap up a magical day…time to go home.

I would love to see what happens when the park shuts. Who and what emerges from the shadows and the woodwork…cleans up, restocks and gets organized for another day of an identical, magical  Disney Experience…like Clockwork!!!