Quality Management-MGT 2054

Individual Assignment-Case Study (20%)

Has Disney Developed a Theory of Quality Guest Services Management?

(Disney.go.com)

Has Disney Developed a Theory of Quality Guest Services Management? As you approach the
Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the recorded voice on the monorail
announces you are about to arrive at a “magical place” that appeals to both the young and the
young at heart. As you enter the park, the surroundings are truly magical. The flower beds are
beautiful, the grounds are clean, the buildings are spotless, and if you’re lucky, you might even
catch a glimpse of Mickey, Goofy, Tigger, or Winnie the Pooh. After a while, it is easy to start
believing in the myth—that this is indeed a magical place. But what is the Magic Kingdom—
really? At its essence, it is a carefully conceived, masterfully executed theatrical production. The
attention to detail is remarkable. Everything that happens in the park is carefully scripted, from
the way the Disney characters interact with children to the way guests are moved through the
park. For instance, if you stand at the base of Cinderella’s Castle and look back toward the
entrance to the park, you’ll notice a subtle difference between the sidewalks that lead guests
either to the right or to the left as they exit Main Street and enter the attractions area. The
sidewalk to the right is wider than the sidewalk to the left. Why? Because through years of
experience Disney has learned that people have a natural tendency to turn to the right rather
than to the left. By building bigger sidewalks on the right, Disney is better able to handle the
early morning crowds. Similarly, when you stand in line waiting to go on a ride, you’ll notice that
the line is designed to snake back and forth rather than extend in a straight line. Disney also has
learned over the years that lines appear to be “shorter” if they snake back and forth rather than
extend in a straight line. By reducing the perceived length of its lines, Disney is able to increase
customer satisfaction. Through this and similar examples, what Disney has done is develop a
“theory” (or theories) of how guests will behave in the Magic Kingdom and its other parks. As a
result, the company is able to “predict” how its guests will move through its park, how they will
jockey for position in line, and how they will react to a variety of circumstances. This knowledge
enhances Disney’s ability to deliver a high level of customer service. The lines move smoothly,
the rides are easy to board, the directions are simple and clear, and the souvenir shops are
right where they need to be, not by accident, but because Disney knows what works. Far from
being magic, it is carefully executed guest service management based on Disney’s “predictions”
of how its guests will behave. At times, Disney’s understanding of its guests seems almost
fanatical. For instance, at the company’s theme parks, most of the drinking fountains come in
pairs, one high and one low, to accommodate a parent and a child. The drinking spouts are
directed toward one another, so if a parent and child drink at the same time, the parent can
watch the child, rather than being turned in the opposite direction. That way, the parent and the
child both feel secure and can share a drink and a smile. In addition to anticipating how its
guests will behave, Disney also enhances the quality of its guest services by “setting the stage”
for good quality experiences. For instance, at the Polynesian Hotel directly across the Seven
Seas Lagoon from the Magic Kingdom, you can hear Hawaiian music playing underneath the
water in the hotel’s main pool. At the Wilderness Lodge, you’ll notice that pine needles cover the
grounds. The funny thing is, there are no pine trees nearby. The pine needles are periodically
brought to the property by Disney employees and spread out over the grounds. Other areas of
customer service and guest relations are equally as surprising. Can a company’s approach to
quality be based on “theories”? At the Magic Kingdom, it appears to be. By developing theories

This study source was downloaded by 100000782325725 from CourseHero.com on 10-15-2023 13:43:34 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/62805281/ORI-INDIVIDUAL-QUALITY/
 of their customers and other relevant activities, companies like Disney are able to enhance the
quality of their products and services.

Questions

1. Is Disney’s level of emphasis on anticipating the behavior of its guests appropriate, or does
the company expend too much effort in this area? Explain your answer. (8 marks)

One of the first amusement parks in the world is Walt Disney Land. The public was to see
carnivals and roaming circuses until the enchanted nation of Walt Disney World was opened.
Walt Disney Enterprises has based its legacy around the ideals of consumers and families that
are central to their continued success. Their ability to anticipate their guests 'needs and wishes
helped them to take their customers' happiness ahead of the crowd. When it comes to
predicting consumer habits of its clients, a company should never bring too much work into that,
basically helping a company to advertise itself accurately and realize that it needs its client to
buy. Consumer loyalty is the highest priority of any enterprise and eventually leads to the
company's success or failure.

http://www.ijm-apm.com/Uploads/Media/Journal/20170613140155_126.pdf

Therefore, consumer loyalty needs to be centered to achieve as much income as possible.

Disney's focus on predicting guest actions is beyond sufficient and staying important in
customers' minds and hearts is an intelligent approach. Disney is setting the pace at its parks by
predicting customer behavior in their parks to be able to fulfill consumer demands without
reducing the amount of business they can manage. It is either doing it this way or facing
confusion and the former are being selected. This is important to dream up hypotheses of guest
behavior, which are routinely reviewed to ensure that they remain valid. Consumer behavior can
be accurately predicted by doing so, and customer experiences can be continually enhanced by
testing periodically what works and what isn't. Properly creating a "mood" for each park
environment by playing the right music or setting the right ambience will go a long way towards
creating an immersive experience for visitors to the park. Walt Disney World is known for being
one of the first theme parks in the world. Before Walt Disney World's enchanted land opened
the crowd will go to see carnivals and travel circuses. Walt Disney Company has built its
reputation on the ideals of consumer and family, which is an important element to their
tremendous success. Their ability to anticipate their guests' desires and needs has allowed
them to be ahead of the crowd, in terms of customer satisfaction. When it comes to predicting
the behavioral preferences of their clients, a company should never expend too much time, this
is basically the aspect that helps a company to market itself effectively and realize what its
audience needs.

2. Is it appropriate to think in terms of developing a “theory” of how guests will behave in a

theme park or any other setting? If so, why? (8 marks)

Sure, to establish a concept of how visitors ought to treat themselves is appropriate. It benefits
both customers and the business by looking ahead and attempting to predict actions. Guest
expectations and desires are best fulfilled and businesses have an excellent image. The
organization has also been able through its concept to increase its relative interest. Disney has
structured its parks and products in a way that improves customer service by building their
guests' behavior around this theory. And thus, the perceived value increases. Every productive
company aims to produce goods or interactions of quality. Quality is a perceived value, as
taught in class; not the company, but the customer. Consumer satisfaction is a multi-

This study source was downloaded by 100000782325725 from CourseHero.com on 10-15-2023 13:43:34 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/62805281/ORI-INDIVIDUAL-QUALITY/
 dimensional term that reflects a balance between consumer perceived advantages and costs of
a supplier's deal (e.g. Woodruffet al., 1993; Zeithamlet al.,1996; Snoj and Gabrijan, 2000; Slater
and Narver,2000; Ulaga and Chacour, 2001).

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235277163_The_relationships_among_perceived_qua
lity_perceived_risk_and_perceived_product_value

If Disney establishes a theory of guest behavior, it can then build its parks around this
philosophy and give its guests the best possible experience.

3. Think about the last time that you visited a theme park. Were your expectations met? Did you
have a sense that the operator of the park attempts to “anticipate” the behavior of the guests? If
so, provide some specific examples. (4 marks)

A couple years ago, I was at Berjaya Times Square Theme Park the last time that I toured a
theme park. I never was in a Berjaya Times Square Theme Park until my expectations had
grown on the basis of my peers' information. The park offered fun and exciting tours, a wide
range of food choices and many clean toilets. A few things that I collected were that we had to
go through the gift shops to see the photographs from the ride, the toilets are always close by
the ride and time cards around the line so you knew how long you would have to wait. Next, I
was stunned when I entered the Galaxy Station in terms of design and serviceability. It was
beyond my standards. The Galaxy Station was divided into 9 subthemes where guests can try
the 9 different games. I have fully met my expectations. Throughout my stay, the park staff were
very helpful and friendly. The staff of the park were very welcoming and familiar with the history
and attractions of most parks. Only a few times I feel my actions were being anticipated.
However, it doesn't sound like an error, since I was confused at the time and an attendant
anticipated or inferred that I was confused and came to help me out. Furthermore, my family
and I had been lost several times and one of our staff kindly informed us how to reach our place
and anticipated our needs. This anticipation was welcomed and improved my experience in the
park. Other than that, provided with a rubbish can near the exit of a ride and every segment is
served by souvenir shops where my expectations were met.

This study source was downloaded by 100000782325725 from CourseHero.com on 10-15-2023 13:43:34 GMT -05:00

https://www.coursehero.com/file/62805281/ORI-INDIVIDUAL-QUALITY/
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)