Disney as an Experience Product in the Tourism Management

If there is one brand that knows how to keep its customers happy is Disneyland. The sentiment can be replicated in the ever-growing demand of the Disney experience. The squares and resorts of the organization accounted for over 30% of its total revenues with the media networks generating slightly above 40% in 2016 (Manheim 14). The same year also saw new 12 million individuals visit the freshly opened Shanghai Disney Resort as well as better levels of attendance in various parks in the United States.

Providing a greater customer experience might appear like a stress-free undertaking for the Disneyland, but the organization utilizes more to make visitors happy than the Mickey Mouse pancakes (Manheim 18). Therefore, this paper intends to assess Disneyland as an experience product in the tourism management industry through using the four realm of experience approach. The Disneyland as a product will be evaluated regarding different characteristics and determine whether there are areas that necessitate improvements as well as opportunities for further development.

Background Information

The experiences of tourists are shaped through a progression of visiting, enjoying and learning events in a setting that is away from home, and the experiences are internally produced. Every individual creates their own experience based on the values, backgrounds, beliefs as well as the attitudes that are brought to the situation (Jurowski 1).

Gilmore and Pine conceptualized the four realms of tourism involvements with the fluid boundaries. Experiences were labeled contingent on their situation in a vertical pole where one endpoint designated lively partaking and the other designated a passive partaking on a pole that was horizontal. The experiences were then categorized into four realms which included education, aesthetics, escapism, and entertainment. Educational practices were the ones that fell into the dynamic absorption quadrant. In the type of experience, the participant dynamically absorbs involvements as a psychological state. For instance, holiday at art galleries can fall into the education classification since the visitors might learn about art (Jurowski 1).

Similarly, passive absorption involvements are the ones that appeal to the intellects. They are labeled as aesthetics experiences as even though the mind is engrossed in the setting, it is not altered as an educational involvement. Visiting a historic site can be categorized as an aesthetic experience because the participants are appreciating but are not getting aggressively involved. Escapism involvements encompass active participation and involvement to the point where the participant affects the outcome of the experience. Active camping and playing golf are activities in which the energies of the visitors disturb the results of the involvement. The final realm is passive absorption experiences where the participant does not upset the incidence and setting and appreciates activities such as attending a concert in a given event (Jurowski 2).

Disneyland and Four Realms

Educational Experience

There is also a section of Turtle with Crush in Hollywood Land. In this section, participants learn about the ocean and the turtles and are then allowed to enter the aquarium in the Disney Animation structure for animated conversation with Crush which is the surfing sea turtle from Disney. Besides, there is also learning experience that is available on insects and arachnids in a Bug’s land that is Disneyland California adventure (Xu 607).

In this experience, participants learn how ants, termites, stink-bugs among other insects use different mechanisms to protect themselves. Through this experience, the tourists can also discover the way bugs pollinate flowers to assist flowers and vegetables grow and how the insects keep the planet clean by disposing of waste. The tourists can also explore the different cultures of the world in the World Showcase Pavilions of Morocco, Canada, Italy, Germany, China, Norway, and the United States. The tourists and the children will be able to learn about the languages, diet, and dressing code of each country. There is also an animal kingdom area that children can learn about conversation efforts that are being made across the globe as well as the function of Disney in the efforts. Scientists are breeding endangered species, and on-site researchers are there studying the behaviors of animals (Xu 607).

The education realm is the organization manifests itself through innovation which also part of the Disney philosophy. The impartial is to promote creative fancy in the organizations’ human resources to attain outstanding business performance and products. The innovation as an organizational culture contributes to the formation of reasonable products in the global market. The corporation can address new encounters and business occasions in the industry. For instance, by imaginative innovation, the corporation can integrate new know-how in the new products that already exist to gratify the developing trends of the clients. The strategies of the organization are geared in the direction of using the novelty for commercial growth that is long-term (Xu 608).

Aesthetic Experiences

In Disneyland, history comes to life when watching Great Moments with Lincoln. Lincoln as the sixteenth president of the United States was the first completed human audio-animatronic figure. The figure was created in Walt Disney in 1964 and has since been updated with recent advanced technology. The figure is lifelike, and one can imagine watching the real Abraham Lincoln deliver a speech. Therefore, the participants and young children are made to understand that the man delivering a speech is a robotic figure (Xu 609).

Before entering the theatre, the role of Lincoln in uniting the United States and bringing an end to slavery must be made clear. The artifacts and artwork of Lincoln in the lobby will assist the families in learning about this important historical figure. All these are made possible by the organizational culture that involves excellent storytelling. The history of the organization and the products in the park, entertainment, and global mass media are a story to tell. Through the cultural factor, the business facilitates the behavior of the workers to utilize their involvements in making the theatre products of the organization unforgettable to the customers. The cultural typical is clear in the organization movies and other relevant programs as well as the parks and the resorts. Therefore, storytelling is a social attribute that enhances the strategic organization for the excellent brand image of the organization (Xu 610).

Escapism Experiences

Disneyland is all about fun, but a visit to that place can also be educational. Animation academy in Disneyland is a place where artists from all walks of life come to draw various Disney characters on a daily basis. A Disney artist gives step by step guidelines for creating an illustration that would make Mickey proud. Participants are then given a souvenir sketch that they created themselves. One never know, maybe one can be inspired to become a Disney artist. The animation class is free and imminent demonstration of how the favorite Disney characters were brought to life in the classic films that are animated. The experience does not only teach children the art technique used such as shapes and shading but also the hard work that goes into each creation of Disney (Lanier et al. 31).

Entertainment Experiences

Many visitors to Disneyland often chow down on the similar unremarkable fast food that is found at old-fashioned enjoyment parks. However, there are also fantastic restaurants in the Florida resort and a chance to make their trips more outstanding (Mannheim 23). Disney World’s best table service restaurants include moderately and high-end priced restaurants such as Jiko, The Cooking Place at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Disneyland also has some counter-service restaurants which include Sunshine Seasons at Epcot and Flame Tree Barbecue. After a few years of yo-hoping, the ride is still one of the greatest in Disneyland. Surprisingly, this was a ride before it stimulated the prevalent movie series that featured Johnny Depp. The Disney Imagineers then included Depp’s appeal and other film references back into the ride (Mannheim 23).

Pirates of the Caribbean are still a crown jewel among the attractions of the Disneyland. Through this, one might also develop an interest in learning the past of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The Haunted Mansion is also part of the classic attractions which are mentioned alongside the Pirates of the Caribbean. While many people tend to associate Disneyland with only Cinderella Castle and Tower of Terror, there are also famous water parks that a participant may be negligent to overlook (Mannheim 25).

The Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are among the most remarkable, thrilling, and fun water parks. However, the Typhoon is given a slight nod since it is reminiscent and fanciful seaside village theme, dense and attractive canopy of flora, and tranquil river give it the edge over the Blizzard Beach (Mannheim 27). If one can handle the thrills, no trip to Disneyland would be comprehensive minus a visit to the Twilight Zone Themed attraction. At its center is the Tower of Terror which is relatively a simple drop tower ride which is a staple at numerous enjoyment parks. Nonetheless, the intricate effects and themes take it to an entire changed zone. The sequence in which the elevator cars move horizontally is wonderful and freaky at the same time. One might save a few coins by staying off the property after all the entertainment, but that means they would be robbing themselves of the full Disneyland experience of staying in some of the best hotels such as the Animal Kingdom, Grand Floridian, and Wilderness Lodge (Mannheim 29).

Disneyland has an organizational culture that is a set of customs that influence the motivations of the characters of the employees. The culture guarantees that workers reflect the standards that align with the clients’ expectations and preferences in the parks, mass media, and the resorts. For instance, the support of employees in good narration aids in management and satisfaction of the clientele concerning the movies, television programs, and other products. The achievement of Disneyland is an indication of the tactical arrangement between the company philosophy and the cultural traits of the objective market, especially in the United States (Mannheim 33).

Areas that Needs Improvements

The company has put little weight on family-oriented topics. The corporation concentrates on domestic orientation through various cultural characters of community and decency. Conversely, the emphasis appears to limit the business modification and growth. For instance, the organization cannot freely offer adults-only amusement brand and culture. For that reason, the organization needs to advance the culture by progressively integrating support for some deviation from such family orientation. The support is likely to allow extra suppleness for commercial endeavors for non-family oriented products for some parts of the global market (Lanier et al. 34).

EPCOT needs improvement since it is a very difficult park to navigate around. Visitors tend to get lost when trying to get to World Showcase for Maelstrom and trying to get to the Living Seas. A complete overhaul would be best at EPCOT although the chances of this happening are very few. Therefore, these are some of the ways that EPCOT can improve. The rides in Future World are presented like Magic Kingdom’s lands (Dash 58). The central hub is slightly beyond Spaceship Earth. It is very challenging to navigate due to intense walking distance between the rides. It takes close to 15 minutes to get to the Living Seas. EPCOT also needs to move Wonders off of Life over to the other side of the park. Due to the reason that it is rarely open, it is in the same topic range as Living Seas, the land, and Imagination; it would be good in the less popular area of the Future World. The Universe Energy also needs to be replaced by the old Horizons ride or perhaps the World of Motion (Dash 59).

Opportunities

Resorts and parks comprise more than 30% of the valuation of Disney, and there is an opportunity for revenues for the hotel properties to continue with their uptrend in the future. The themes parks are also one of the most drivers of Disney hotel processes (Dash 61). The attendance at the parks has been increasing over the years, and Disney carries on working on new themes and rides to entice visitors into its parks. The organization is working on creating Avatar Land and bringing Star Wars attraction to its theme parks. The individual disposable income of the United States has been on an increasing trend over the last years. The GDP of the country is also experiencing a robust momentum with estimated growth of 2% in 2020. As the global economies and that of the United States improve, tourism is likely to increase hence driving the overall growth in Disneyland. The attendance growth will drive the demand for the Disney hotels that are located in the theme parks (Dash 63).

Globalization is a critical factor in the profits of Disney with the company present in new markets such as South America and China. Therefore, the organization needs to increasingly respond to the global tastes by either attempting to create works that appeal globally or establishing products with certain regional appeals (Sehlinger 23). Given that the organization is an entertainment company, the fortunes of the organization, therefore, depend on the anticipation of shifts in the taste of the public which is something that is unpredictable. As with several entertainment organizations, much of the revenue of the company can be generated from a few blockbusters, but it is impossible to predict what will become a blockbuster. Therefore, it is important for the organization to uphold a diverse portfolio of entertainment products through acquisitions and internal developments (Sehlinger 28). ESPN is a very critical segment for Disney and constitutes close to 30% of the organizational value. There has been a rising cost in the subscription of ESPN programs due to the rise in demand. The trend is expected to continue in the coming years, and it is clear that the demand for sports in the coming years will drive the growth of ESPN as a Disneyland product (Sehlinger 29).

Moreover, the changing technology is disrupting the entertainment industry. While revenue can be generated by releases of films in the movie theaters, people contemporarily obtain entertainment on a broad range of platforms which include entertainment systems, video games, and mobile entertainment and traveling to theme parks (Sehlinger 30). Disney has no choice but to cater for all these platforms by either having strategic partnership in place or by acquisitions (Sehlinger 33).

Conclusion

By evaluating Disneyland products using the four realms tourism, it is apparent that Disneyland products cover all the four realms of experience. The organization has a wide range of outlets that are edifying to the participants. A good example is the Animal Kingdom where the participants can learn various tips of conversation. There are also other categories such as aesthetics and escapism that are present in various places within the organization. However, entertainment as an experience realm covers a broad aspect of Disneyland products. For enhanced services, the organization needs to focus on the entertainment sector and improve on various platforms such as resorts, parks, and media entertainment.

Works Cited

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Jurowski, Claudia. ”An examination of the four realms of tourism experience theory.” International CHRIE Conference-Refereed Track. 2009.

Lanier Jr, Clinton D., and Ronald D. Hampton. ”Experiential marketing: understanding the logic of memorable customer experiences.” Memorable Customer Experiences. Routledge, 2016. 29-44.

Mannheim, Steve. Walt Disney and the quest for community. Routledge, 2016.

Sehlinger, Bob, et al. The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2017. Unofficial Guides, 2016.

Xu, Jing Bill. ”Perceptions of tourism products.” Tourism Management 31.5 (2010): 607-610.