The Walt Disney Company is forever leading the hospitality industry as the paradigm that countless other businesses strive to emulate.
The principles of innovation and imagination Disney consistently touts are what entrepreneurs and business owners everywhere admire most and yearn to recreate for their own working environments. But pinpointing just how to do so can be difficult. That’s where Disney Institute programs can help.
Disney isn’t hiding away any special trade secrets. True to the Company’s caring commitment, Disney Institute programs exist to better educate and equip folks with all the necessary skills and know-how for applying the best business techniques and practices across the board. The goal is to motivate others to establish their own uplifting and engaging workforce of employers and employees alike. But what is the Disney Institute exactly, and who is it for? We at Inside the Magic are answering all these questions and more surrounding this superb Disney-based business training and learning option.
Related: Disney Confesses to ‘Deceptive Business Practices,’ Lawsuit Settlement Reached
What is the Disney Institute?
Disney Institute programs are designed to instruct and educate professionals from various industries on individually applying the same time-tested successful methods Disney has been continuously and effectively implementing in Parks, Resorts, and other hospitality sectors for decades. Whether you’re in retail, healthcare, the military, or employed by a government agency, the same “Disney difference” in values and principles can be utilized for any job.
Disney Institute training has many formats, including seminars, workshops, presentations, and enrichment/training events. Even so, learning goes beyond the classroom and entails gaining insight and experience through some of the Walt Disney Company’s most dynamic leaders and facilitators. The focus is on leadership as a way to inspire and align working teams rather than dominating them. It’s also about engaging the workplace culture through design rather than default. And in the essence of true Disney spirit, there’s special emphasis on excellence in service through considering the smallest details.
When Did It Start?
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner established “the Disney Institute” in 1996, having been partially inspired by the Chautauqua Institution in New York. It originally existed as a brick-and-mortar institute comprising Resort-like buildings based on Disney World property in Bay Lake, near Orlando, Florida. Eisner hoped that this specific incarnation of a Walt Disney World Institute onsite would establish a new personal development-based vacationing/learning opportunity for Guests. The public campus closed in 2003, and the site was reimagined as Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort. Even without a permanent physical edifice to operate out of, the Disney Institute continues to present ongoing onsite programs at both Disney World and Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, at various times throughout the year and different hotel locations.
Related: Disney Legend Michael Eisner Still Teaching Bob Iger
Different From Disney University and Disney Imagination Campus
Disney Institute offerings are not to be confused with those other “scholarly-sounding” Disney programs, like those presented via Disney University or Imagination Campus. The Disney Institute exists to provide training done the Disney way to business-minded professionals and adults 18 and over who may benefit. Disney University is a global internal training program exclusive to Disney Cast Members. Imagination Campus provides youth-based training programs and educational insight to aspiring school-aged kids through engaging workshop opportunities and hands-on experience at Disney Parks. Click here to learn more about the latter.
Related: Answering Important Questions About Disney Dreamers Academy
What Disney Institute Courses and Programs Are Offered?
Disney Institute programs are offered through several diverse platforms. Some take the form of professional development courses onsite at various Disney destinations. Others are provided as private engagements for meeting and convention groups or as advisory services for entire companies and organizations.
The duration for a given Disney Institute program ranges from one-day to multi-day engagements. Convenient, self-paced Disney Institute online courses are also available to those who cannot travel to certain events or individuals and organizations looking for a slower-paced, easy-to-digest training initiative.
Related: You Can Take an Online Class All About Walt Disney World!
Is the Bob Iger MasterClass Included?
Disney CEO Bob Iger recently released a MasterClass offering in which he leads prerecorded classes on business strategy and leadership. These classes are separate from Disney Institute programs, although they do serve as an additional recommendation to any Disney business-minded training initiatives you may consider. Click here to learn more about Bob Iger’s MasterClass.
Related: Disney CEO Bob Iger Asked To Step Down
What is the Cost of Attending Disney Institute Programs?
Unfortunately, there aren’t any Disney Institute free courses available, and costs vary based on what is provided at a given time and the duration of certain programs and sessions. While financial aid isn’t offered, special pricing and discounts are available to Disney Institute alumni, teachers, nonprofit employees, and members of military and government employees.
Note that the final course costs do not cover travel expenses or lodging. However, there may be a limited number of discounted rooms available to Disney Institute course attendees onsite at the Resort in which a program is scheduled to take place. Attendees are provided with all information regarding room rates and making reservations upon receiving registration confirmations through email.
What Are the Rules and Requirements for Attending?
Any interested individuals aged 18 or older are welcome to sign up for a Disney Institute program that appeals to them. You need not attend as a group participant. These programs are designed for anyone and everyone interested in learning skills and valuable insight into the Disney approach to business. Perhaps you’re looking to form your own startup, or you’re a college or trade school student. Don’t let your lack of an accompanying workforce team stop you from attending.
The first step for enrolling in a Disney Institute program is to browse the available offerings. You must create an online account through the MyDI portal before registering for any courses or programs that appeal to you.
How Do I Find Out More?
There’s still much to learn about the various course offerings, locations, and other options on how the Disney Institute can better serve you and your business-minded endeavors. You can learn more online by visiting www.disneyinstitute.com.
Have you or someone you know ever enrolled in a Disney Institute program? We’d love for you to share your experiences with us in the comments.