An Opportunity To Learn No Matter Where You Go

As my kids go back to school I am reminded of the fact that everyday you aren't learning something is a day wasted. There is always something to educate yourself with and one of the things I really enjoy in life is finding little things from books, movies, sports or businesses that form connections and I can bring into my life, family and work. Even from something like taking a vacation to the Happiest Place On Earth. I've read a number of things about Disney and I am well aware of their attention to detail, but every visit I find new things that simply amaze me.

The first from our most recent trip was from a bell hop that greeted us when we first arrived. I chatted with him for a moment as they unloaded our bags from the bus and he talked about how he retired and moved down to work at Disney three days a week because he loved that every day he was able to serve the families visiting to make their vacation as magical as possible. Listening to him reinforced my goal to one day be able to do the same. What was most interesting though was our paths crossed again about 10 minutes after our conversation. I was in need of a stroller to be retrieved for us and he said that he would be right with me but that his training required that he stay with the customer he is currently serving until they are completely taken care of, then he can move on to the next. The idea of finishing one thing before moving is a lesson we all could use more of as we are pulled in many directions and often live in a world where the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

The second wow moment came when we visited the new Pandora - The World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom. The first thing that you notice walking into this land is the floating mountains, which look amazing, but what gets me is the engineering to create a mountain range that stands 156 feet tall and are held up by 3 legs that are concealed to look like vines. Yes a basic tripod, but the sheer size seems unimaginable, especially considering that it not only supports it but there are electrical circuits that run through it for the bio-luminescent effects at night and whatever plumbing is necessary to create a waterfall that seems to come from nowhere. If you have seen the movie Avatar it literally feels like you are walking on the same planet depicted in the movie.



Whether you agree with all of the principles of Disney and decisions they have made, you can't deny their attention to detail. One last thing I recently came across, which is just another example of the lengths they go to in order to make sure everything is perfect. In the movie Tangled, people have taken a still shot and blown it up to discover that you can see the reflection of Rapunzel in Flynn's eyes (see the image here). I can think of many times in my work that I do something that is "good enough" and I move on. The artists that make the movies want to make sure every detail is perfect. While it would be incredibly easy to move on and say it is good enough they know there is a standard they have to live up to that is part of Disney's culture.

They aren't the only company that values attention to detail, which is exactly the point, there are lessons to be learned all around us. When we take the time to ask questions, study, dig in and desire to learn something it can be a lot of fun.

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