I love the three lies and three truths. In my own spiritual walk I find that one of the hardest things to do, and one of the things that our pastor is always reminding us to do, is to believe what GOD says about who I am, not what the world says about who I am. God's truth is real truth, and God's love is not dependent on anything that we say or do, which is a lot different than what most of us experience on the human side of love.
I'm glad that you had a good retreat. I haven't been to a "men's event" for a long time, and your blog makes me want to participate in something like that again.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
My Disney observations
Your observations on Disney reminded me of a few of my own, and how much I love Disney.
They work unbelievably hard to maintain the magic at Disney. You'll notice that it's nearly impossible to actually see anything broken, worn down, or trashy. The place is spotless. The upkeep is impeccable. Even keeping the place clean is carefully orchestrated so as not to affect the magical sense of the park. You don't see, for example, a cart full of trash bags - that all happens underground. You don't see employees entering and exiting the park - they enter at a separate location out of the public eye. I remember when I went to Disneyworld with the OCHS band my sophomore year. When performance time neared, we had to EXIT the park, load up the buses, drive around to the employee entrance, get dressed, and then enter the park through a performance staging area. When we were done performing, it was the same in reverse. We were never allowed to be seen in our band uniforms apart from actually being a part of Disney's performance (actually performing). All of the preparation takes place out of the public view, so that you never see a Disney character out of character per se; you never see a dwarf with the head portion of their costume off for example. Everything is always perfect. It's just amazing.
Another thing that amazed me was the music in the park. You may have noticed that there is almost always music playing around you, and yet you can never find a spot where you hear two opposing music streams. Somehow they have coordinated ALL of that to be seamless throughout the entire park. Even during the parades, the music is seamless as it arrives and passes or as the various floats with different music pass through. For the life of me I don't know how they do it! Also, you just don't see speakers ANYWHERE. The audio sources are hidden. It's crazy.
The creative detail is perhaps what impresses me the most. Near one of the bakeries at Disneyland in California, right off Main Street, up on the second floor, there is what looks like an apartment. The sounds coming out of that "apartment", complete with window motion (shadows) is that Goofy is living up there - watching TV, showering, cooking etc. You could pass through there and not even know it.
I also remember waiting for a performance of one of their theatrical shows. A "maintenance guy" came out on the stage and really looked as if he was checking the lights, etc., for the show. But then he starts talking with some people up front in the stands, and eventually he's singing and dancing, and a few other "maintenance guys" wander in and join him, and boom! Without hardly realizing it, we were witnessing a planned pre-show performance to keep the crowd occupied. Again, I was just amazed. It felt like we were getting a special treat, when it was all creatively planned that way.
Lastly, (I can think of dozens of other examples) when we were at Disneyworld we spent a day at the "Blizzard Beach" Disney waterpark. How do you make a WATERPARK look and feel like a ski resort??? I have no idea how you would even want to attempt that, but Disney absolutely nailed it. It looks like a ski resort. The buildings look like they have snow on them, there are icicles on the roof edges, the big water slide looks like a ski jump, there are ski lifts to ride to the top, chateaus, icebergs in the water, etc. Absolutely blew my mind. And then there is "Typhoon Lagoon" (the other Disney waterpark) that somehow makes it look like it just got wrecked by a typhoon and yet it's still charming!
Seriously, their creative minds are through the roof. I am so impressed with Disney that I almost don't mind forking over the $150 that it costs to spend a day there! I'd like to see what they do to convey to every one of their thousands of employees that they have an integral part to play in creating the magic of Disney.
Christian Men's Retreat Learning
So while I was contemplating whether to go or not, Holly encouraged me and signed me up. Nothing like receiving that much needed nudge when you're on the fence!
Off I went, with anxieties and anticipations in tow ...
I'm really glad I went. What were my takeaways from the retreat?
- We are all broken. I met other men in the church who are at various stages in their walk with God. It was comforting knowing that I wasn't alone in my struggles to be a better husband, father, friend, colleague, neighbor and man of God.
- There is one specific quality and character trait that is a key attribute of living a God-centered life - HUMILITY. It will protect our relationships, safeguard our career, and enable us to experience life to its fullest. I learned that Jesus' teachings centered on humbleness more than any other character trait except one - love. I also learned that being humble always outpaces us. If you reach a point at which you are proud of your humbleness, then by definition you aren't being humble!
- Three lies and three truths:
- Lie #1: I am defined by my success.
- Truth #1: I am defined by God's love.
- Lie #2: I don't need close friends.
- Truth #2: God created me to live in community with others.
- Lie #3: I don't have what it takes, AND I have what it takes.
- Truth #3: God will provide what it takes.
Although I read as much scripture over the weekend as I had read in a month, I'll only offer one here because it is a fitting summary to my weekend spent at the retreat.
"He must become greater, I must become less" - John 3:30
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
The "magic" of Disney
I am fresh of my first and perhaps only visit to Disney World. Overall a great experience and one that was enjoyed and will be remembered by our family. I have a few takeaways about Disney, and perhaps about our family as well. Here we go!!!
1. The Happiest Place on Earth?
It is cool, and a ton of fun, but I'm not sure about the happiest place on earth billing. Many people have shared their experiences (more on that later) which invariably include a zombie march through the throngs of people in the middle of the night to see the fireworks illuminate the Magic Kingdom. Shortly followed by screaming, overtired kids who have endured so much fun they can't see straight.
For us, that's not our happy place. And I thought that melt down only happened later into the day. What I learned is that every 10-15 minutes, within earshot there will be some kids losing her/his mind over something. A toy not purchased, a treat denied, a ride or experience delayed, or succumbing to the heat and humidity. It starts about 15 minutes after the park opens. It probably ends about 90 minutes after the park closes, although we did not stay late enough to see the closing ceremonies any night.
2. Everyone has advice on Disney.
I remember very clearly when we were pregnant with Sasha, everyone had some advice. If they had kids they shared their experience and wisdom, and if not they shared the wisdom from their childhood experience or that of their parents. But make no mistake, there is nothing that brings out the unsolicited advice from others like having a child. EXCEPT Disney!
In the 4-6 month build up to our trip, we would casually share our family vacation plans. And invariably we received immediate feedback on what to do/not do. I was surprised although in retrospect I should not have been. Disney is such a big experience that it is a lot like having a child (and nearly as expensive!), everyone has done it or known someone who has. They've got ideas to share and are more than eager to do so.
Now lest we think that this is an unwelcome sharing of advice, we actually benefited tremendously from all the feedback we received. Our trip would not have been as enjoyable as it was if we had not listened to all the ideas of others and used them to craft our Disney plan. Which brings me to...
3. Have a plan or suffer the consequences.
Integrating all of that advice with the independent research we (by we I mean Sheila) did was a hefty task. Then to use all that information to craft our plan of attack for making the trip what we wanted was a part time job. So many items need to be planned in advance, and we are talking months not weeks or days. Sheila was all over every detail as we all know she would be. More than anything from the trip, I am thankful that due to all of her effort we had the trip we wanted. To have not gone through all of that effort would have left us scrambling for each experience, each meal, each transportation, each [fill in blank here]. For some maybe that works, but as the B3aW readership know that's not really how we run our railroad.
4. They think of everything.
For the last couple years I have read the Disney Institute blog which focuses on how Disney tries to create the best customer experience possible. I consistently find tidbits that I can apply to our business at MediRevv. I look at that information in a whole new way now having a personal experience at Disney. They really do think of everything. From ride queues, transportation, transaction efficiency, it all is super dialed in. I was incredibly impressed by it all and it made the inevitable lines, crowds, and weather which can be daunting a bit more enjoyable to see how the Disney engine manages these issues to drive the right customer experience.
5. It's a trip, not a vacation.
This was perhaps the best advice I received about our visit to Orlando. A week at Disney isn't a vacation. It is simply to intense, by any reasonable standard, to be a vacation as defined by most. I didn't come back refreshed, not energized. Not quite exhausted, but close. But having that perspective going in made it much easier to enjoy.
6. The Disney pay before you go model.
Most businesses are go/get then pay. It makes sense. Why would I pay the plumber before he fixes my leaky sink? Why would I pay for my jeans before I get to wear them? Experiences are typically the exception where you pay for the football or concert tickets in advance of going. But that's a minor expense.
At Disney? Hotel - in advance. Park tickets - in advance. Experience meals like breakfast with the Princesses - prepaid. We've been paying for this trip for six months! When you turn that around and think about it from Disney's perspective, they in many ways get to cash flow their business by using the proceeds from future sales. Running that expensive of an operation (70k employees are expensive!) is a cash hungry machine to say the least, but I imagine that a greater percentage of operating costs are covered by prepaid revenue than most businesses. That's a pretty awesome financial model for them.
1. The Happiest Place on Earth?
It is cool, and a ton of fun, but I'm not sure about the happiest place on earth billing. Many people have shared their experiences (more on that later) which invariably include a zombie march through the throngs of people in the middle of the night to see the fireworks illuminate the Magic Kingdom. Shortly followed by screaming, overtired kids who have endured so much fun they can't see straight.
For us, that's not our happy place. And I thought that melt down only happened later into the day. What I learned is that every 10-15 minutes, within earshot there will be some kids losing her/his mind over something. A toy not purchased, a treat denied, a ride or experience delayed, or succumbing to the heat and humidity. It starts about 15 minutes after the park opens. It probably ends about 90 minutes after the park closes, although we did not stay late enough to see the closing ceremonies any night.
2. Everyone has advice on Disney.
I remember very clearly when we were pregnant with Sasha, everyone had some advice. If they had kids they shared their experience and wisdom, and if not they shared the wisdom from their childhood experience or that of their parents. But make no mistake, there is nothing that brings out the unsolicited advice from others like having a child. EXCEPT Disney!
In the 4-6 month build up to our trip, we would casually share our family vacation plans. And invariably we received immediate feedback on what to do/not do. I was surprised although in retrospect I should not have been. Disney is such a big experience that it is a lot like having a child (and nearly as expensive!), everyone has done it or known someone who has. They've got ideas to share and are more than eager to do so.
Now lest we think that this is an unwelcome sharing of advice, we actually benefited tremendously from all the feedback we received. Our trip would not have been as enjoyable as it was if we had not listened to all the ideas of others and used them to craft our Disney plan. Which brings me to...
3. Have a plan or suffer the consequences.
Integrating all of that advice with the independent research we (by we I mean Sheila) did was a hefty task. Then to use all that information to craft our plan of attack for making the trip what we wanted was a part time job. So many items need to be planned in advance, and we are talking months not weeks or days. Sheila was all over every detail as we all know she would be. More than anything from the trip, I am thankful that due to all of her effort we had the trip we wanted. To have not gone through all of that effort would have left us scrambling for each experience, each meal, each transportation, each [fill in blank here]. For some maybe that works, but as the B3aW readership know that's not really how we run our railroad.
4. They think of everything.
For the last couple years I have read the Disney Institute blog which focuses on how Disney tries to create the best customer experience possible. I consistently find tidbits that I can apply to our business at MediRevv. I look at that information in a whole new way now having a personal experience at Disney. They really do think of everything. From ride queues, transportation, transaction efficiency, it all is super dialed in. I was incredibly impressed by it all and it made the inevitable lines, crowds, and weather which can be daunting a bit more enjoyable to see how the Disney engine manages these issues to drive the right customer experience.
5. It's a trip, not a vacation.
This was perhaps the best advice I received about our visit to Orlando. A week at Disney isn't a vacation. It is simply to intense, by any reasonable standard, to be a vacation as defined by most. I didn't come back refreshed, not energized. Not quite exhausted, but close. But having that perspective going in made it much easier to enjoy.
6. The Disney pay before you go model.
Most businesses are go/get then pay. It makes sense. Why would I pay the plumber before he fixes my leaky sink? Why would I pay for my jeans before I get to wear them? Experiences are typically the exception where you pay for the football or concert tickets in advance of going. But that's a minor expense.
At Disney? Hotel - in advance. Park tickets - in advance. Experience meals like breakfast with the Princesses - prepaid. We've been paying for this trip for six months! When you turn that around and think about it from Disney's perspective, they in many ways get to cash flow their business by using the proceeds from future sales. Running that expensive of an operation (70k employees are expensive!) is a cash hungry machine to say the least, but I imagine that a greater percentage of operating costs are covered by prepaid revenue than most businesses. That's a pretty awesome financial model for them.
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