Disney Insights

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Celebrating All Things Disney with News, Analysis & Best-in Business Ideas on Life & Work from the Happiest Places on Earth!

Episodes

Monday Nov 24, 2025

Review! Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point

Monday Nov 24, 2025

Last week we took a look at the original Disney Magic Cruise ship and shared our four night experience from Port Canaveral to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Day 3 of that experience was visiting Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. There is so much to talk about here that I chose to use it as a separate podcast. We had a review from David Zanolla last year, but everything at that time was brand new and really just getting underway. This was an opportunity to see it about a year and a half later, and for me, I was surprised by how much our family really enjoyed this. From arrival to the beach; from lunch to Junkanoo, we'll share it all. And we'll talk a little about how it compares to my vacation from my vacation home--Disney's Castaway Cay. Join us as we visit and review Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.

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Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
(309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

This podcast and post is provided by J. Jeff Kober and Performance Journeys, which celebrates more than 20 years as a training and development group bringing best in business ideas through books, keynotes, workshops, seminars and online tools to help you take your organization to the next level.

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena.

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Wednesday Nov 19, 2025

Review! Disney Magic Voyage to San Juan Puerto Rico

Wednesday Nov 19, 2025

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to book a really good 5 day/4 night Disney Cruise Line deal that ultimately led to a remarkably great experience on The original Disney Magic. It's a trip where we left from Port Canaveral, visited Nassau and the new Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, and then disembarked after a day at sea in San Juan Puerto Rico. Our experience gave us great insights to new experiences as well as provided us a chance to revisit the original Disney Cruise Line ship. While we are saving Lookout Cay for our next podcast, there is still a lot to share about this trip, and it will give you some insights not only about this itinerary, but booking late, and about what it's like to come back to the original Disney Magic. Oh, and we're dealing with a grown autistic son--so yeah it's kind of a crazy trip. That said, climb aboard as we head on a Disney Magic Voyage with San Juan Puerto Rico.

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Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
(309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena.

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Wednesday Nov 12, 2025

Disneyland's 70th Anniversary: From Indian Country to Bear Country to Critter Country to Bayou Country

Wednesday Nov 12, 2025

No parcel of land at Disneyland has had more title changes than this little wedge of Disneyland. It's perhaps the smallest land in Disneyland, but it has a history that goes back to nearly the beginning. And it's a history few know much about. Most know it as Bayou Country today, and many know it as Critter Country, home to Splash Mountain. But before that it was Bear Country, and before that it went for some time not as Indian Country but as the Indian Village. We look at all four eras which include many well-known attractions, shops and eateries. As part of our 70th anniversary celebration join us as we head into the back country to experience this very special corner of Disneyland. You'll learn some things you may never have known about the Happiest Place on Earth.

________________________________________________________

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
(309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena.

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Tuesday Nov 04, 2025

New Zoo Review! Zootopia Better Zoogether

Tuesday Nov 04, 2025

As 2025 comes to hurling toward an end a new attraction arrives at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Zootopia Better Zoogether is now in the Tree of Life Theater and offers something new for this park which begs for more guests. And at a great time to do so, as this time of year is the best time of year to visit the park, which is free of heat, humidity and exhaustion. The new show replaces "It's Tough to Be a Bug" which premiered with the park, and was based on "It's a Bug's Life", the second film created by Pixar after Toy Story. This new show is based on Zootopia and Zootopia 2 and brings you into the dynamic world of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. We look at the origins, then experience the show during early previews, where we walk the queue indoor and out. Then it's on to see the show where we offer a spoil-free synopsis, with a comparison of what works and what doesn't. Beyond this, we look at what could be next for Zootopia and for Disney's Animal Kingdom. Join us for this New Zoo Review--Coming right at you!

________________________________________________________

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
(309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena.

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Tuesday Oct 28, 2025

Low Crowds at Disney? What Does the Data Say?

Tuesday Oct 28, 2025

Welcome! In this podcast, I read three quotes which share two things in common. First, they speak of low attendance in the park and how empty things are. Second, they were all written in 2024. I could share with you several statements like these that emphasize how empty the parks are. To many it sounds like statements heard these last couple of months around both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. But statements like these are actually from 2024. Were they true? Well, the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) shared their annual Global Experience Index for 2024. We'll look at what it has to say, particularly as we study the Disney and Universal parks in both Florida and California. The findings may not only surprise you, but they are probably an indication of the kinds of numbers we're experiencing here. To that end, we'll talk about what Disney is doing about attendance to include new announcements Disney has made for America's 250th Anniversary.

________________________________________________________

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
(309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena.

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Monday Oct 20, 2025

AI Possibilities at Disney Parks as Seen Through Rose-Colored Metas

Monday Oct 20, 2025

Disney is always looking for new ways to share stories. And increasingly those stories are trying to be more interactive, more immersive and more personalized. And at the same time, high tech companies are trying to be more interactive, more immersive and more personalized. One of those is Meta, or Facebook as many have come to know it. And as Mark Zuckerberg recently announced a new version of their Meta/RayBand eye wear, Disney has also announced that it will be partnering with Meta to create more interactive, more immersive, and more personalized experiences. With a pair of original Meta Glasses I recently received, I visited Disney's Hollywood Studios to test them out. The outcome is this: Meta Glasses are astonishingly smart while being amazingly stupid. This episode shows you how they accomplish both. But in the wake of it, offers some glimpse of what the future might do. So kick back and enjoy this episode as we explore the AI Possibilities at Disney through Rose-Colored Metas.

________________________________________________________

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
(309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena.

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Tuesday Oct 14, 2025

Attendance Trends, Price Hikes, and More--What in Disney is Happening Now?!

Tuesday Oct 14, 2025

There's lots of noise out there in the social media world about how poorly Disney is doing, as if it were in dire straits. This podcast today seeks to answer a couple of key questions: First, Is attendance really down and out in Walt Disney World? Second, why are there no big new attractions coming in the short term? Third, Why is it so expensive to come to Disney? Fourth, when will big new attractions like Monstropolis and Villains Land arrive? We look at the calendar to see hope in 2027 & beyond, but until then Disney has to fill in through 2025 and 2026. How will they do this? Join us in What in Disney is Happening Now?!

________________________________________________________

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
(309) 863-5469

_________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena.

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Tuesday Oct 07, 2025

The Magic of Disney Animation Part I: Bringing Animation to Florida

Tuesday Oct 07, 2025

Part of the heart and soul of what originated at Disney-MGM Studios in 1989 was The Magic of Disney Animation. For over a little more than 16 years, it was a place where guests could go to understand and for a time, even watch animation being created. To know the Florida animation studios and The Magic of Disney Animation attraction is to know the story of the last three decades of Disney animation in general. Disney animation is the greatest driver of what makes Disney, Disney. And now with the closure of Star Wars Launch Bay, it is being resurrected. Many guests complain how little of the original Disney-MGM Studios exist today, and yet, Imagineering answered to this by choosing to resurrect The Magic of Disney Animation. In a multi-part podcast series we will talk about this attraction, how it evolved, and what it is soon to become. In this podcast, we'll talk about what led to the development of this attraction, of what lay between it and the studio arches, and what this attraction was like when it first opened.

________________________________________________________

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
(309) 863-5469

________________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena.

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Tuesday Sep 30, 2025

Walt Disney World at 54! Remembering its Heritage

Tuesday Sep 30, 2025

This week we celebrate the 54th Anniversary of Walt Disney World. While the "hoopla" for non-milestone anniversaries is minor at best, There has been a great deal of efforts to recognize the heritage of Walt Disney World while still stepping forward into the future. Yes, there are lots of new projects and with that the farewell of many things that we hold dearly There are many facets of Walt Disney World that are no longer around, but there are many places where efforts are really made to cherish and remember its past. We look at new ways Disney has in recent years acknowledged its heritage. These references play homage to the resort's roots. Since this week is the opportunity to celebrate Walt Disney World's anniversary, join us as we remember its story and heritage.

________________________________________________________

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
(309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena.

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.

Tuesday Sep 23, 2025

A Magical, All Encompassing, Less Painful, and More Affordable Way to Tour Disneyland Resort!

Tuesday Sep 23, 2025

I've been asked many times how you plan a trip to Disneyland. This time, it came from my wife's brother and his wife, along with their son. So this one's for you! But it's for anyone who really wants to know how to best manage a stay at Disneyland. And I give great consideration to how folks used to visiting Walt Disney World might take this on. So this is also for you. And then we have our regular visitors. Hopefully there's something it for you as well! All said and done, let's talk about not only all the details of planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort, but how to maximize your days in the park. And let's consider the most fiscally responsible way to do this. I think you'll find this podcast to be perhaps your best preparation for visiting the Happiest Place on Earth. It comes with decades (too many to name) of experience. So let's head to Disneyland!

________________________________________________________

Disney Insights YouTube Page--Check it out and subscribe.

DisneyInsights.com--So many resources at our home site. Be sure to subscribe to receive notice of upcoming podcasts.

Disney Insights Facebook Page--Come join and interact in conversation with others.

My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!

Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.

Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.

________________________________________________________

Check out Zanolla Travel to book your next vacation!

David & Leah Zanolla

ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
(309) 863-5469

____________________________________________________________________

Performance Journeys

Want a Keynote Speaker? More than just nice stories, I offer proven insight and solutions having worked in the trench.

Need Consulting? I’ve worked for decades across the public, private and non-profit arena.

Need Support? We offer so many classroom, online, and other resources to help you improve your customer service delivery, leadership excellence, and employee engagement.