A spoonful of sugar is the way to make increased customer data collection go down, and Disney plans to do it in the most delightful way, paving the way for more personalized customer connections and seamless service.
Walt Disney World is introducing MyMagic+, a collection of tools that will give guests a more customized and personal experience, depending on the information they give The Walt Disney Company. The tools include a new My Disney Experience website, a smartphone app and magic wristbands to wear throughout the park which contain each guest’s ID number which is linked to their credit card and any additional information they provide to make the Disney experience “more fantastical” for kids – and kids at heart.
For example, Snow White or Goofy will magically know the names of the children who come up to them and know if it’s their birthday or if they’re celebrating another personal or family milestone. Guests will be able to customize their Disney experience and make sure they’ll be in the front of the line for their favorite rides before they even step foot inside the park. Ride characters and features may soon be able to strike up a personal conversation with each guest. It’s all part of a master plan to deliver the ultimate customer experience, an art The Walt Disney Company is already well known for. For Disney’s benefit, they will know if their customers already bought Mickey Mouse ears, so they can suggest the purchase of a stuffed Tigger instead.
Bigger Smiles from Big Data
“Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” – Walt Disney
The ultimate goal of this improved customer experience is to not only retain guests, but keep them coming back more often, even as the choices for alternative or new vacation destinations grow. Says Tom Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in his blog post, Taking the Disney Guest Experience to the Next Level, “At Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, we continually push the boundaries of creativity and innovation to deliver the best possible experience for our guests. We’re always looking for ways to take what we do and do it even better.
“Over the past few years, we’ve devoted considerable time and resources to create a more immersive, more seamless and more personal experience for each and every guest who spends time with us.”
Will Customer Information Magic Work for Everyone?
There’s a great benefit in Disney leading the parade of customer personalization. Number one, people trust Disney. Number two, what kid between ages nine and 90 wouldn’t want Mickey Mouse to come up to them, put his gloved hand around their shoulder and call them by name?
If individuals are going to give increased information about themselves and their family members (especially their children) to any brand, there’s perhaps no better one to start with than Disney. Increased customer data collection and use definitely won’t fly with all brands at first. It will take the Disneys of the world to help customers ease into the magic of personalized customer experiences.
