How disconnected from reality is my old pal, George Kalogridis?
Here's a message to WDW's CMs from The Head Queen of the Kingdom:
A Message from George: Crafting Memories, Creating Dreams
May 13, 2016 in Walt Disney World
For several years now, Walt Disney World has been investing in steps to further elevate the Guest experience. We are not setting our sights on simply raising attendance; rather, we are concentrating on making certain that every Guest has an unforgettable experience—one that vastly exceeds expectations. It’s what Walt was talking about when he said, “… quality will win out.” And it remains true today.
In fact, this week, we’ve demonstrated it.
Last night, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, we hosted the Closing Ceremonies for
Invictus Games Orlando 2016—the world’s premier adaptive sports competition for wounded, sick or injured armed services personnel and veterans. During the four days of competition, athletes from 14 nations competed in sports ranging from wheelchair tennis, rugby, and basketball to swimming and track and field … and in doing so engaged the hearts of an entire world. If you witnessed the competition in person or on ESPN, you undoubtedly were inspired, and perhaps shed some tears of pride. And the venue we prepared for this event was absolutely world-class—a fitting tribute to the heroism of the competitors.
Add to this that, in just two days, we at Walt Disney World will—for the first time—have all four neighborhoods open in our retail, dining and entertainment district. We will also reveal the heart and soul of that district—the springs for which it is named. When completed,
Disney Springs will double the number of shops, restaurants and other venues for guests to explore, resulting in more than 150 establishments. And all will exist in an amazing location that speaks to the site’s backstory—from
The Ganachery, where items suggest the shop’s “roots” as a pharmacy, to
Morimoto Asia Restaurant, where conveyer lines of bottles and a rooftop sign hint that the building once bottled spring water.
Within these venues, that great Guest experience was delivered—and will be delivered—thanks to the spirit, vision and indomitable, can-do attitude of one of the most amazing groups of people on earth: the Cast of Walt Disney World Resort.
Your hard work, dedication and willingness to go above and beyond do us proud. They did so with a major event that had the attention of royalty and former heads of state. They do so as we unveil the newest neighborhood in a shopping, dining and entertainment district that will soon welcome literally millions of Guests. And they are evident in the way that our Guests love this very special place.
If you have been reading these messages for a while, you know that I usually close them with a call to action. This week, my call is this: be proud of what you have done and be proud of what you are doing. Few organizations in the world could pull off what you accomplish so seemingly effortlessly. Even fewer concentrate so intensely on the Guest experience, and that is a very big part of what makes Disney … Disney.
George A. Kalogridis
President, Walt Disney World Resort