What Did Walt Disney Expect From His Theme Parks?
What did Walt Disney believe a Disney theme park should feel like for its guests? And do those expectations still matter at Disney Parks today? In Episode 4 of The Walt Test, we go back to Walt Disney's own words, documented actions, original Disneyland plans, and the recollections of people who worked alongside him to discover five Disney Parks Guest Experience Standards. If you prefer to go back to the beginning episode in this series to review how the 7 of Walt's Guest Experience Standards were uncovered before proceeding with this episode you can do that by simply following this link: https://youtu.be/VKUVrshIx7M?si=Ao7DippCsRCrZus4 This isn't about guessing which modern Disney attractions Walt would like or dislike. Instead, we're asking a more important question: What kind of guest experience did Walt expect Disney Parks to create? The search takes us from Walt's visits to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen to the original 1953 Disneyland Prospectus, the creation of Disneyland, Walt's thoughts about themed lands and storytelling, the development of attractions including Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean, and his belief that Disneyland should be enjoyable for adults as well as children. From that historical evidence, five additional standards emerge: 1. The Whole Park Should Be the Experience 2. Each Land Should Create a Distinct World 3. Every Attraction Should Tell a Story 4. Adults Can Enjoy the Park Their Way 5. Every Park Moment Should Delight Guests Together with the seven Guest Experience Standards discovered in Episode 1, these give us 12 standards we can use to evaluate the guest experience inside a Disney theme park. And that's where The Walt Test goes next. In Episode 5, we'll take these standards into Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World and ask how well the park of today measures up against the guest experience Walt believed Disney should create. The Walt Test is our documentary series examining today's Disney Parks, Disney Resorts and Disney Cruise Line through Walt Disney's documented philosophy about the guest experience. If you enjoy Disney history, Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line and thoughtful discussion about the Disney guest experience, please consider subscribing to Nancy and Dan Travel to Disney. Question for you: Of these five Disney Parks Guest Experience Standards, which one do you think is most important in a Disney park today? We have worked hard to verify the historical quotations and sources used in this video. Historical records can sometimes contain conflicting dates, wording or attribution. If you know of a stronger primary source or spot an error, please let us know in the comments. Chapters 00:00 If Walt Walked Into a Disney Park Today 00:44 Why Disney Parks? 02:36 How We Found Walt's Standards 03:40 Standard 1 — The Whole Park Should Be the Experience 08:31 Standard 2 — Each Land Should Create a Distinct World 12:22 Standard 3 — Every Attraction Should Tell a Story 15:46 Standard 4 — Adults Can Enjoy the Park Their Way 19:03 Standard 5 — Every Park Moment Should Delight Guests 23:12 Walt's 5 Disney Parks Guest Experience Standards 23:41 What's Next — Putting Disney's Hollywood Studios to The Walt Test #WaltDisney #DisneyParks #Disneyland We share thoughtful, real-world Disney experiences — parks, resorts, and cruises — enjoyed at your own pace. New videos weekly. @NanDanTravel