I was at Disney World last week and as usual was blown away by the level of excellence they have to create a great experience for all their guests. I noticed 10 things churches could learn from them:

1. No beeping – Driving on the Disney property is an amazing experience. No one beeps. It showed me that when people are happy, they get along 🙂
2. Nothing is more important to people than their kids – I’m amazed at the lines people will stand in and the overpriced food they will eat all for their kids. I wonder what would happen if churches really took children’s ministry seriously.
3. They make feeling special common – The cast members at Disney made us feel special every day we walked on the park. They were so kind to my daughter and gave her stickers. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it was so nice and made us feel as though we were the most important there.
4. Intentionally Creating experiences – Disney thinks through every part of the experience (music, decor, lighting, etc…) in their parks, hotels, and restaurants.
5. Going out of their way in special circumstances – We went to a Disney restaurant and it was totally booked, but they had a cancellation and got us in without us waiting even 5 minutes! That’s how you create raving fans!
6. Committed staff is tied to a big vision – They can’t create a great experience without a staff that’s committed to executing that vision.
7. Constant change is accepted when people think the change will be better – I was amazed by the number of things that were getting remodeled (Ghiradelli’s chocalote was one of them). But they have proven over and over again that when they change things it’s always better.
8. They know the little things are what get remembered – Every time I leave Disney it’s 4-5 little things that bring me back. The big things matter, but it was little conversations with cast members and my daughter meeting the Little Einsteins that I’ll reminder.
9. If they can’t do it with excellence they don’t do it – Disney doesn’t do anything halfway. If they can’t bring it 100%, they don’t bother doing it.
10. They make you want to come back – Disney has a 90% retention rate! Talk about great assimilation!

If you’ve never read Be Our Guest, let me encourage you to pick it up! It’s a fantastic read that explains the Disney magic!