'Disney Parks, Experiences and Products' participated in this week's industry event IAAPA 2020, and it has given a fresh opportunity to hear from the company and its plans for the future.
Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro has shared some of his thoughts on 2020 and how the industry can reinvent itself for 2021. This is what he had to say:
Today, I had the pleasure of speaking at IAAPA’s Virtual Education Conference. As much as I miss the opportunity to come together as an industry for the annual Expo this year – I was nonetheless excited to gather virtually as we come to the end of a tough and undoubtedly transformative year.
This has been a year of unprecedented moments, disruptive forces, and new challenges. At the start of 2020, I could never have imagined something as devastating as COVID-19. I have never witnessed anything that has impacted our business, affected so many lives and brought so many changes to our industry.
But connecting today with other members of the attractions and theme park industry, and listening to some of their thoughts at the conference, has reminded me how resilient we all are. Our industry is hurting, but we are also hopeful.
And personally, I’m confident that brighter days are ahead of us.
The fundamentals: who we are, what we do and what we care about
From the adoption of new technology that allows guests to check in to their rooms, order food and enter a queue from their mobile phones … to the introduction of selfie spots and character cavalcades so our guests can interact with their favorite Disney friends, we’re finding new ways to deliver magical experiences as we reopen our parks in the age of social distancing.
The pandemic has changed us, and forced us to focus on the most fundamental elements of who we are, what we do, and what we care about. It reminded us of what is most important – while compelling us to adjust and innovate.
This year, even as our gates were closed, we saw our guests demonstrate their passion and yearning for our experiences through social media. We watched as our teams accomplished things in a few weeks that might normally take a year. We took what we once thought was unthinkable or impossible…and made it possible.
As I look ahead to a new year with new challenges and new possibilities, I’ve thought about what we as a company, as well as an industry, should learn from 2020 and apply to 2021.
What’s next and where we’re headed
At a recent town hall meeting with our talented Imagineers, I concluded my presentation with a simple call to action, “I dare you. I dare you to dream bigger, and differently. I dare you to throw out the dogma that has us sometimes acting incrementally rather than exponentially. I dare you say what you’ve always wanted to say.”
I dare you to ask: if we can navigate the challenges of this crisis – perhaps a little battered, but never beaten – what else can we do? Can we take what makes us special, reinvent it, and make something entirely new?
Here at Disney, that’s our opportunity. We can bring our world-class service, our ability to kindle connection and childlike wonder, and our experience immersing guests in meaningful stories and powerful franchises…anywhere.
In my talk this morning, I dared myself, I dared our team at Disney, and I dared the entire theme park industry to stand proudly and defiantly on the foundation that we have built. To embolden each other. And to move forward into the future and fly.
Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox