Web site interviews current and former Disney World execs

The website Blooloop.com has become a top Web site for news about the global tourism business, and one of its most interesting features lately has been a series of interviews with tourism industry insiders – including a number of current and former Walt Disney World executives.

Yesterday, for example, the website posted an interview with Dan Cockerell, the Disney World vice president in charge of Epcot. In it, Cockerell talks about leading by example: “People don’t care what you say, they care what you do. Since our Cast is what makes our guest experience unique and they deliver the magic, I spend most of my time finding ways to support them in their roles and making sure they can be as successful as possible.”

Even more interesting and in-depth was an interview with one of Cockerell’s predecessors, former Epcot Vice President Brad Rex, in which Rex talked about things like employee morale and working on Sept. 11, 2001. He also discusses the scrambling that followed a power outage at the park in 2002: “By flashlight, we discussed critical needs and my first thought was the Living Seas aquarium. Without filtration, I was concerned we would start to lose our animals.  However, the designers had been smart enough to ensure the aquarium could operate for an extended period without power (some of the smaller aquariums needed an oil-free air supply, which we are able to provide). The most sensitive area turned out to be our Land greenhouses. Without air conditioning, the heat levels rose quickly, especially in the July heat and sun. Temperatures got so hot, sprinkler heads started to pop…”

The site also recently interviewed Steven Brown, a former Disney executive who worked on the company’s theme-park-ticketing strategies. Among the many insights from Brown: The importance of online ticketing initiatives; “Online, print-at-home ticketing is far more strategic than just an added guest convenience and a means of speeding up the front gate lines. Getting guests into the park more quickly means they can squeeze in an extra ride or maybe have time for another soda purchase.”

One other example: An interview with Lee Cockerell, the former No. 2 executive at Disney World (and Dan Cockerell’s father), who discusses, among other things, the challenges of cutting costs following Sept. 11 and an anonymous survey Disney developed for employees that asked questions such as “Do you trust your leader?” and “Would you work for your leader again if you had the choice?”