A tradition is mostly known as a legacy that evolves through generations over and over. Disney calls their new-hire orientation “traditions” as oppose to orientation. It is not ironic that they call it a tradition. It is every cast member’s role to maintain, improve, and evolve the legacy that Walt Disney created years ago. The Walt Disney Company takes that legacy and what they do very serious and that is why they provide us- new cast members with such an amazing tradition experience and training. The Walt Disney tradition was an experience like no other and it is an event that I would never forget about.
At traditions, I had many personal benefits that included motivational moments, inspiring moments, and eye-opening moments. Not only was it bursting with wonderful moments, I also met students from different parts of the world and got to connect with a wonderful cast member. Many of the motivational moments came from hearing the stories of the instructors, who told us about where they began their own journey and where it has taken them. For example, one instructor started in the college program with children activities and is now a full-time instructor. The inspiring moments came from the videos we watched during the tradition. The videos show us how well of a job cast members do to immerse the guests into the Disney magic and how happy it makes the guests. That definitely inspired me to be the best I can be and go above and beyond because every gesture really goes a long way in the memories of our Disney guests. The eye-opening moments that I experienced were when getting to watch and see in person all the different roles the company has to offer. We were given a tour of Magic Kingdom and also watched videos of cast members around the parks and different operations of Walt Disney World and resorts. The number of different roles and careers that you can embark throughout your Disney journey is amazing. It demonstrates that the company not only makes magic for its guests but it also goes above and beyond to make any kind of magic necessary for its cast members.
After my traditions class, I have used everything I learned to create magic around the parks and resorts. During my on the job training, I began to use one of the four keys which was courtesy. I immediately began to call cast members by their name and greeted them when I saw them. I also started to practice immersing the guests into the magic. When training for housekeeping I encountered a kid who was wearing a buzz light year shirt. I asked him if he was having a “Buzzy day”.
After reading the article Create Company Loyalty with New-Hire Trends by Tasha Freidlein I can truly understand what her point of view is. She mentions that the way you bring a new hire in determines if they stay or not. Being that the Disney Company does such a wonderful job bringing in their new cast members it helps me envision why cast members love working for the company. Many and almost all love the company so much that they have worked for over 30 years in the same place and still love what they do. It is amazing that Disney makes this happen for everyone and that explains its success.
This was a very well written article. You are absolutely right about the traditions process and what is expected of new-hires. In the article, it was evident how important it is for things to be done right in the beginning if you want a certain result in the end. Disney definitely takes the cake when it comes to employee retention. I was so surprised when I first started to see that people had been in the same role for extended periods and were still happy. In the future I will have to adapt some of the Disney magic to ensure I can have employees that are willing to be that loyal.