Guests who come to the Disney resorts and are amazed by the theming and attention to detail found throughout the theme parks. But many of those details are more than decoration—many honor those who make the dream a reality every day at Disney. In subtle as well as not-so-subtle ways, you find many forms of recognition to those who create Disney magic.
If you are an avid fan of Disney, you are probably familiar with the windows on Main Street. Found up and down the Magic Kingdom parks of all Disney resorts are tributes to important individuals who have played a significant role in creating and maintaining some of the happiest places on Earth. Some names are obvious. At Walt Disney World, Walt Disney’s name graces not only the window above the train station, but the window facing the castle above the ice cream shop. His father’s name, Elias, adorns a window above Uptown Jewelers. You can find less familiar names like Dick Nunis, Tony Baxter, Ron Miller, Ken Anderson and Joyce Carlson, each with a story to tell. And many of the cast members know the stories of some of them. Their relationship to the company is obvious in some cases—Bob Jani has a drawing of a float from the Main Street Electrical Parade, while Bob Phelps’ window notes him as a Tailor to the Presidents. Obviously, his role in costuming animatronics like those from the Hall of Presidents comes to mind.
Around the parks you find other tributes made to key imagineers, leaders, and others. Up on the mighty Matterhorn in Disneyland, hiking gear and crates note the role of Frank Wells, former president of the Walt Disney Company who was an avid outdoorsmen and climber. A coat of arms above the trophy room at the Pirates of the Caribbean in the Magic Kingdom notes Marco Daviso, or Marc Davis, who played a key role in the design of that attraction. The cemetery at the Haunted Mansion honors in epitaph form the names of key Imagineers who created that attraction, such as Claude Coats, Wathel Bender, and Leotta Toombs. And even the Staten Island-style ferry boats are named for General Joe Potter, Richard F. Irvine, and Admiral Joe Fowler—all former Disney executives.
More formal than either of those two are the Disney Legends, honored on the grounds of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. Here in bronze are the hand prints of many of those who have made Disney what is has ultimately become today. The awards program was established in 1987, but a plaza with the bronze plaques was dedicated on October 16, 1998, on the 75th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company. Additionally, Disney created a smaller plaza during the opening of the Disney Studios in Paris to celebrate those in Europe who had made great contributions to the organization over the years.
All of these are lifetime honors. They are some the highest forms of compliment paid to those who have labored many years with the Walt Disney organization. Those honored come from every corner of the company. Masatomo Takahashi made Tokyo Disneyland a reality. Buddy Baker created some of the great Disney music Barbara Walters came from ABC News. Those who are unfamiliar to most of us, along with beloved stars of television and screen like Annette Funicello and Julie Andrews, are all equally honored beneath the pillars of the seven dwarfs at the Team Disney building.
But what about everyone else? There are scores of thousands of other cast members who also contribute meaningfully to the organization. How does Disney honor them?
Traditionally, cast members have been recognized for their years of service. Each milestone—five years, 10 years, 15 years—comes with some ceremony and award. The longer you were with the company, the nicer the tribute. Tributes go as far as your 60th anniversary with the company. That tribute was established for John Hench, who, in 1999, celebrated his 60th anniversary at Disney. Most people can’t imagine being in one place more than 25-30 years; to work twice that length is indeed amazing. When you reached the 10-year mark, you are invited to a banquet at a Disney resort, where they celebrated your years of service. And you received a plaque and/or statue that goes with that milestone.
In the 1990s, management started to rethink their approach to recognizing cast members. Was it possible that you could honor someone at 20 years for their service, when their service wasn’t all that good? Shouldn’t there be an award for those whose performance was excellent, regardless of the years of service they rendered? From those questions came the Partners in Excellence Award, which was tied to Disney’s own Leadership Excellence program, introduced at the same time.
Leadership Excellence revolved around achieving results. Those results were a sort of three-legged stool comprising the following criteria:
- Cast Excellence – One who excels at this criteria collaborates with others and works effectively as a team player. This is done by recognizing and appreciating diversity, communicating effectively, modeling Disney heritage, and promoting innovation and change.
- Guest Satisfaction – Cast members should deliver magical and memorable experiences for guests and clients. These individuals make Guests feel special; treats other cast members as Guests; and works to create Disney magic.
- Business Results – Cast members should achieve business results that continue to enhance Disney’s position as the world’s premier entertainment and hospitality organization. They are productive, produce quality work, identify growth opportunities, and are aware of lowering cost effectively.
Candidates are nominated by fellow cast members and management. Managers can nominate candidates, and candidates can nominate managers. Once nominated, they must clearly demonstrate their skills in not just one or two, but all three of the above areas. They are evaluated by a team made up of an area leader and the cast members who work closely with that individual. Generally speaking, less than 2 percent of the entire cast receives this nomination. They are considered the “Best of the Best.” Those awarded receive a certificate, an invitation to a very nice celebration held in honor of all the recipients for that year, and a pin to wear on their name badge.
You’ll recognize the pin on the name badge. It’s similar to a very familiar statue found in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle and Cinderella Castle. It’s the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse hand-in-hand. The name of the statue is “Partners,” which coincides with the name of the award. At the banquet, each recipient receives a smaller version of the “Partners” statue that they can take home and display. It is indeed an honor to receive the Partner’s in Excellence Award, because it represents your performance in all areas of the company.
Many guests line up in front of the Partners statue to take a picture of themselves with Walt, Mickey, and the castle in back of them. But for cast members, it serves as a reminder that they themselves should always strive as a partner of the company to be the very best they can in their day-to-day work.
What do you do to recognize the “Best of the Best” in your organization? In a future article, we’ll look at informal means of recognition, but meanwhile, consider your formal methods for honoring others. In addition to honoring milestones, how do you recognize great performance? How do you do it in a way that’s more than a token watch or common plaque? Know that recognition is important, and that great leaders take the time necessary to recognize the work of others. So here’s to making magic in your own organization by recognizing the work of others.
