Disney World celebrated its 50th anniversary on October 1.
Disney’s incredible commitment to storytelling is evident in the details and intricacies of the park.
THREAD: Storytelling principles and secrets of The Most Magical Place on Earth:
Disney’s incredible commitment to storytelling is evident in the details and intricacies of the park.
THREAD: Storytelling principles and secrets of The Most Magical Place on Earth:
Storytelling is a superpower that's on full display at Disney World.
The park—which covers 43 square miles (2x the size of Manhattan!)—can teach us a lot about enhancing our own storytelling.
This thread breaks down the principles and secrets that make Disney World so magical:
The park—which covers 43 square miles (2x the size of Manhattan!)—can teach us a lot about enhancing our own storytelling.
This thread breaks down the principles and secrets that make Disney World so magical:
Imagineering is the engine.
The Imagineers—a group of artists and engineers—meticulously design every aspect of the storytelling experience.
The key principles:
(1) Suspended Reality
(2) Multisensory Experience
(3) Details Matter
(4) Make It Shareable
Let's cover each:
The Imagineers—a group of artists and engineers—meticulously design every aspect of the storytelling experience.
The key principles:
(1) Suspended Reality
(2) Multisensory Experience
(3) Details Matter
(4) Make It Shareable
Let's cover each:
Principle 1: Suspended Reality
Walt Disney was famous for his focus on suspending reality for his audiences—allowing them to fully experience his new reality while still being grounded in their safe reality.
This principle is on exhibit in several secrets of the park:
Walt Disney was famous for his focus on suspending reality for his audiences—allowing them to fully experience his new reality while still being grounded in their safe reality.
This principle is on exhibit in several secrets of the park:
The Tunnel Network
An intricate web of tunnels lies underneath the park, enabling characters to navigate to their respective “worlds” without ever appearing out of world or duplicative.
An out of place character breaks the suspension of reality, so Disney created a solution.
An intricate web of tunnels lies underneath the park, enabling characters to navigate to their respective “worlds” without ever appearing out of world or duplicative.
An out of place character breaks the suspension of reality, so Disney created a solution.
Forced Perspective
Disney uses forced perspective to create optical illusions that make objects appear different than reality.
Example: Cinderella's Castle, which has smaller bricks and windows near the top, making the castle look farther away and taller than it is.
Disney uses forced perspective to create optical illusions that make objects appear different than reality.
Example: Cinderella's Castle, which has smaller bricks and windows near the top, making the castle look farther away and taller than it is.
Purple Traffic Signs
Your departure from reality begins before you ever step into the park.
Purple and red traffic signs replace the traditional green and yellow—just another detail that creates a clear separation from the real world.
Your departure from reality begins before you ever step into the park.
Purple and red traffic signs replace the traditional green and yellow—just another detail that creates a clear separation from the real world.
Era-Appropriate Bathrooms
Disney takes the suspended reality to another level with its plumbing.
Liberty Square—a colonial world—is notably lacking in one thing: bathrooms.
If colonists didn’t have bathrooms yet, neither do the guests of the world!
Disney takes the suspended reality to another level with its plumbing.
Liberty Square—a colonial world—is notably lacking in one thing: bathrooms.
If colonists didn’t have bathrooms yet, neither do the guests of the world!
Principle 2: Multisensory Experience
Disney knows that one of the key strategic advantages of its parks is the ability to create multisensory experiences for its fans.
These experiences build relationship depth that is impossible to replicate.
Some examples on display:
Disney knows that one of the key strategic advantages of its parks is the ability to create multisensory experiences for its fans.
These experiences build relationship depth that is impossible to replicate.
Some examples on display:
Smellitizers
The Imagineers recognize the human sense of smell is closely connected with our formation of memories, so they built a mechanism to reinforce this process.
"Smellitizers”—hidden fans that blow scented air through vents in the park.
The effect: more memories made.
The Imagineers recognize the human sense of smell is closely connected with our formation of memories, so they built a mechanism to reinforce this process.
"Smellitizers”—hidden fans that blow scented air through vents in the park.
The effect: more memories made.
Amplified Sounds
Horses wear specially-designed horseshoes that make them louder when they walk on Main Street.
The Tower of Terror plays a recording of real screams on hidden speakers for guests walking by.
The splash sound at Splash Mountain is amplified by a splash machine.
Horses wear specially-designed horseshoes that make them louder when they walk on Main Street.
The Tower of Terror plays a recording of real screams on hidden speakers for guests walking by.
The splash sound at Splash Mountain is amplified by a splash machine.
Principle 3: Details Matter
To create truly immersive stories, Disney knows that the details really do matter.
The details might be difficult to spot—they hide in plain sight.
But for the trained eye, these details are observable throughout the park.
Here are a few examples:
To create truly immersive stories, Disney knows that the details really do matter.
The details might be difficult to spot—they hide in plain sight.
But for the trained eye, these details are observable throughout the park.
Here are a few examples:
EPCOT Rainwater
Imagineers worried that guests would get wet with water off Spaceship Earth's sides in a Florida downpour.
To avoid this, they designed the surface with one-inch gaps—as water hits the sphere, it's collected into a gutter system and routed to the nearby lagoon.
Imagineers worried that guests would get wet with water off Spaceship Earth's sides in a Florida downpour.
To avoid this, they designed the surface with one-inch gaps—as water hits the sphere, it's collected into a gutter system and routed to the nearby lagoon.
Trash Collection
A clean park is a key part of the pristine storytelling experience.
You're never more than 30 steps from a trash can.
Trash shoots around underground via the Automated Vacuum Assisted Collection System—“AVACS" for short.
Oh, and no gum is sold in the park.
A clean park is a key part of the pristine storytelling experience.
You're never more than 30 steps from a trash can.
Trash shoots around underground via the Automated Vacuum Assisted Collection System—“AVACS" for short.
Oh, and no gum is sold in the park.
A few other lesser-known details...
Disney World American flags are missing a few stars, so they aren't required to follow typical U.S. flag code.
An undetectable garlic scented repellant is used to deter mosquitos.
Disney World is a no-fly zone, keeping noise pollution low.
Disney World American flags are missing a few stars, so they aren't required to follow typical U.S. flag code.
An undetectable garlic scented repellant is used to deter mosquitos.
Disney World is a no-fly zone, keeping noise pollution low.
Principle 4: Make It Shareable
The greatest stories are built to be shared—this requires a relentless focus on high shareability.
Disney and its Imagineers have woven shareability into the foundational fabric of the park.
Two key examples:
The greatest stories are built to be shared—this requires a relentless focus on high shareability.
Disney and its Imagineers have woven shareability into the foundational fabric of the park.
Two key examples:
Cinderella's Castle
It's (almost) impossible to take a bad photo of yourself in front of Cinderella's Castle.
The castle faces south, meaning the sun is never directly behind it.
Result: no bad lighting for a quintessentially shareable photo in front of the iconic landmark.
It's (almost) impossible to take a bad photo of yourself in front of Cinderella's Castle.
The castle faces south, meaning the sun is never directly behind it.
Result: no bad lighting for a quintessentially shareable photo in front of the iconic landmark.
Colored Concrete
The unique colored concrete is another subtle driver of shareability of the experience.
The concrete creates more vivid photographs than traditional concrete—it also makes the green grass appear greener.
All intentionally designed for enhanced shareability.
The unique colored concrete is another subtle driver of shareability of the experience.
The concrete creates more vivid photographs than traditional concrete—it also makes the green grass appear greener.
All intentionally designed for enhanced shareability.
To summarize, the 4 key principles Disney uses to enhance the storytelling of its iconic park.
(1) Suspended Reality
(2) Multisensory Experience
(3) Details Matter
(4) Make It Shareable
Each holds lessons that we can all apply to improve our own storytelling abilities.
(1) Suspended Reality
(2) Multisensory Experience
(3) Details Matter
(4) Make It Shareable
Each holds lessons that we can all apply to improve our own storytelling abilities.
Follow me @SahilBloom for more threads on storytelling, business, and finance.
I’ll be doing a deep-dive on the storytelling principles of Disney in an upcoming newsletter. Subscribe so you don’t miss it! sahilbloom.substack.com
I’ll be doing a deep-dive on the storytelling principles of Disney in an upcoming newsletter. Subscribe so you don’t miss it! sahilbloom.substack.com
If you are a job seeker aiming to leverage improved storytelling in your career, check out my job board, where I curate roles at high-growth companies in finance and tech.
New roles every week! pallet.xyz/list/sahil/jobs
New roles every week! pallet.xyz/list/sahil/jobs
For more on Disney World secrets, check out these articles below:
rd.com/list/disney-em…
insidethemagic.net/2021/06/disney…
thedailymeal.com/travel/secrets…
rd.com/list/disney-em…
insidethemagic.net/2021/06/disney…
thedailymeal.com/travel/secrets…
The Imagineering Story on Disney+ is really good and worth a watch for anyone that is intrigued!
@RobertIger Would love to get you on our new show to discuss Disney and storytelling magic.
Another interesting tidbit:
The battle between Disney World ticket prices and inflation…
Opened at $3.50 per admission, which is ~$21 on an inflation-adjusted basis, but current prices are well north of $100+.
Storytelling = Pricing Power?
The battle between Disney World ticket prices and inflation…
Opened at $3.50 per admission, which is ~$21 on an inflation-adjusted basis, but current prices are well north of $100+.
Storytelling = Pricing Power?
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
