3 Leadership Lessons I Learned from Disneyland (Number 2 is MAGICAL)
- Chase Livingston
- Feb 12
- 7 min read
“And as a reminder… no phones, videos, pictures, or recordings backstage.”
I nodded as the event operations team led me into the dim hallways of the Hyperion Theater at Disneyland.
I had been hired to speak at a youth leadership event in Anaheim, California, and while I fully anticipated Disney to be impressive…
→ I didn’t expect it to change the way I view leadership.
Behind The Curtain
“Mr. Livingston, before we go backstage to begin your mic check, let me show you to your dressing room.”
Wow, my own dressing room. I thought. This is nice!
On the mirror sat two water bottles and a handwritten sticky note: “Have a great show!”
Over the next few hours, I experienced a completely different level of hospitality.
“Your choice of microphone?”
“We added some fun lights for your intro.”
“Come listen to some fun music options we curated for you.”
It might sound simple. But what I didn’t realize immediately was:
It was ALL INTENTIONAL.
I felt the little theatre kid in me get excited with every passing moment. Soon, I would rush the same stage where Disney classics such as Frozen and Aladdin had run.
As I sat in the dressing room preparing for the Stage Manager to call for places, I noticed a small flyer on the mirror labeled:
WORLD CLASS GUEST SERVICE
As I read through the values, I had to jot them down:
Smile
Eye Contact & Body Language
Respect & Welcome
Value the Magic
Initiate Guest Contact
Create Service Solutions
End With A Thank You
I wrote these down not because I thought they were great (they are),
But because I had single-handedly experienced each of them from everyone since I arrived.
Here’s the punchline: It didn’t feel like an act. → It was as real as it gets.
That’s when it hit me:
Disney didn’t just operate an amusement park.
They engineered culture.
Leadership Lesson #1: Culture is Crafted
Disney employees aren’t called employees.
They’re called “Cast Members.”
From the Custodial Staff to the Ride Operators, they’re not treated like someone doing a job; they’re treated like someone performing for an audience.
Disney is about far more than food, rides, and people dressed in costumes.
It’s about crafting a MAGICAL EXPERIENCE.
Was Disney paying people so well that they couldn’t help but smile and dance while they picked up trash? (No, really, that’s a thing. Look it up!)
Or is it because those who worked there truly BELIEVED everything that Disneyland represented?
So much that they were willing to honor and protect the magic…
What Walt Disney understood was that Language Shapes Identity.
Recent research from Harvard Business Review showed that identity-based culture significantly increases engagement and discretionary effort. That means, when people see themselves as part of a bigger mission (or helping create something magical), performance increases.
And they don’t leave this to chance…
Disney:
Defines what that looks like.
Train it from day one.
Reinforce it.
Protect it.
This is the importance of having clear values and not compromising on them… EVER.
A friend of mine who runs a successful Christian Summer Camp program told me this is exactly how they operate…
They train their team from the beginning with solid, clear expectations and deliverables. They have the old “three-strike policy,” and after that, the conversation is…
“We aren’t firing you because we don’t like you. We are relieving you because you choose to live outside of our norm.”
Not shocking, his team never has to worry about these conversations, because they respect, honor, and protect the culture that’s been crafted there.
Leadership Lesson #2: Imagination is an Advantage
I’ll be honest, and I’m going to create a strong divide with the following statement, but…
I’ve never really seen the appeal with Disney.
Sure, the movies are good.
But a crowded amusement park that can quickly cost more than a car's down payment?
That sounds more painful than a tattoo!
At least you can get a tattoo removed. With Disney, you have to live with the memory of “It’s A Small World After All” for the rest of your life!
But after speaking there, witnessing how the Disney team (or ahem... cast) operates, and experiencing the magic of the park… I’ve changed my tune a bit.
(Although it’s still not the tune of Its a Small World After All)
(Sorry, that song’s totally going to be stuck in your head now…)
If there was anyone who knew Visionary Leadership, it was Walt.
He could have created another theme park. → Instead, he built an immersive world.
I witnessed this when:
Radiator Springs lit up at night (just like in the movie!)
Or when I learned the fact the Pirates of the Caribbean ride came before the famous movie.
Guys, they had a Spider-Man animatronic doing acrobatic stunts on top of the Avengers Vault!
Listen, I’m a believer now: the place is WHIMSICAL.
Here’s where it hits the hearts of leaders.
They have a team of people who work for DisneyParks called “Imagineers.”
These are the creative minds who blend concept art and mechanical engineering with human psychology and emotional storytelling.
Their ultimate job? Leave people excited to come back again and again and again.
It’s exactly as Walt Disney said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in this world.”
That’s good news for Disney lovers.
It’s great news for leaders like us.
A 2023 study from IBM found that creativity remains one of the top leadership traits correlated with long-term organizational success.
But how much creativity have we written into the business plan?
How often do we discuss imagination as an essential core value?
What happens to an organization when contributors lose their creative ability?
Imagination isn’t something for children.
→ It’s a creative advantage that’s being left on the table.
That’s why the late and great playwright, George Bernard Shaw once said,
“Imagination is the beginning of creation.”
If we lose our creativity, then what are we left with?
That’s why the magic fairy dust that holds all this together (thanks, Tinkerbell), is everyone involved at Disney is committed to PROTECTING THE MAGIC.
Leadership Lesson #3: Protect The Magic
I asked one of the cast members who was helping me backstage how many people portrayed Mickey Mouse in the park. She simply tilted her head and smiled,
“Come on, Chase. There’s only one Mickey Mouse.”
I didn’t pry or ask any more questions after that, because I got it.
They weren’t hiding secrets. They were protecting something sacred.
We all have something sacred to protect.
Maybe it’s organizational values we deem essential.
Maybe it’s the mission and reputation we see as necessary.
Maybe it’s your family and the home environment.
These things are to be honored and revered.
Why? Because these are the things that truly make us who we are.
The question for leaders isn’t: “What are we building?”
If we were taking notes from “The Happiest Place on Earth,” it’s:
“What are we protecting?”
This is what we are trying to accomplish with Local Habit Coffee Co.
Of course, we want to grow and scale.
But what does it mean if we lose what got us there along the way?
Our primary goal has been to cultivate an experience where people can escape the Hustle and Grind of life to sit down and enjoy a quality cup of coffee.
Crafting a place that embodies:
Community
Adventure
Dreams
Luxury
We want to honor these things and keep them safeguarded as essentials to the brand. But if we lose any of that for the sake of increasing profits or going global, then…
We lose the magic.
What are you protecting?
For Disney,
It’s WONDER.
What they deem as sacred is the innocence of children.
The next generation. Our future.
The Real Magic
Because here’s the beautiful thing I discovered only days after I left and returned to my daily work…
While I was in the park, I encountered thousands of kids.
Teenagers and adolescence. The cool and the nerdy. Boys and girls.
Children of every age, sex, race, religious background, and socio-economic upbringing.
Some kids were season pass holders with plans to return later that week.
Other kids were there because their parents scraped and saved to let them experience the magic, but once.
Regardless…
The twinkle in their eyes when their favorite character crossed their path.
Or the smile on their face when a parade was passing through.
Or the excitement they experienced riding their favorite amusement.
It’s exactly what Walt Disney dreamed of when he first imagined the Wonderful World of Disney. Instilling the belief that “anything is possible” into everyone who came into the park.
It makes the words from Cliff Edwards’ famous song land just a little bit stronger,
“When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you.
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do.
Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true.”
We can take the core values of SERVICE that the cast members operate from, and our work, our business, our organization would improve.
We can remind ourselves of what we deem sacred, fight to protect it, and our lives would get better
But the one thing that’s more important now more than ever is:
We must keep dreaming. Keep imagining. Keep envisioning.
We don’t need more artificial intelligence. → We need more artistic innovation.
We don’t need more boardroom meetings. → We need more playtime and imagination.
We don’t need more work, grind, and hustle. → We need more dreaming with no boundaries.
The World of Disney has a lot to teach us. And I’m willing to bet that if we were to learn from the Man of Imagination himself, we might just become extraordinary leaders.
I’m eager to hear your thoughts…
Do you believe Culture is Crafted?
Do you deem Imagination to be an Advantage?
Are you Protecting the Magic in your organization?
Let’s make moves,
-Chase
PS – Planning an event, workshop, or PD around leadership, wellness, or personal growth? Let’s talk about how I can deliver actionable strategies for your students or team!
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