JUST DROPPED A FEW CENTS.
IT’S BACK TO $120 RIGHT THERE.
>>> EDDIE SOTO IS WITH US.
HE’S A SPECIAL KIND OF GUY
BECAUSE HE’S A FORMER WALT
DISNEY IMAGINEER.
EDDIE, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW
TODAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, STUART.
GREAT TO BE HERE.
STUART: LOOK, THERE’S NO
FIREWORKS, NO PARADES, YOU’VE
GOT TO WEAR A FACE MASK, GOT TO
KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCE, AND THEY
ARE GOING TO TAKE YOUR
TEMPERATURE.
DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WILL COME IN
DROVES FOR THAT?
>> WELL, I KNOW I HAVE MY ANNUAL
PASSPORT, I’M ONE OF THE
DIE-HARDS, SO I’M GOING TO BE
THERE WITH A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE
BECAUSE I MISS DISNEYLAND SO
MUCH.
I DO THINK THAT THE MAGIC, IT’S
NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE A NICE DAY,
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MAGICAL DAY.
THAT’S WHAT THE JOB OF AN
IMAGINEER IS TO DO.
SO MEETING A CHARACTER
FACE-TO-FACE, THIS IS WHAT A
CHILD LIVES FOR.
THIS IS WHAT A PARENT SAVES UP
FOR YEARS TO GO ON THAT
VACATION.
SO EVEN THOUGH THERE’S AN
EXCITEMENT ABOUT REOPENING AND I
WANT TO GO TO DISNEYLAND, I WANT
TO BE THERE, AT THE SAME TIME,
THOSE LITTLE MAGICAL MOMENTS,
THAT’S HOW YOU MEASURE THE
SUCCESS OF A PARK.
SO SOMEBODY WHO IS PLANNING A
VACATION A YEAR FROM NOW, THEY
MAY SAY WHAT IS THE NEW NORMAL
GOING TO BE.
COVID IS KIND OF A MOVING TARGET
WITH ALL THESE REGULATIONS.
SO WHAT I’M TRYING TO DO IS WORK
WITH CLIENTS IN THE LEISURE
BUSINESS IN GENERAL TO SAY WHAT
WILL PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR AND NOW
APPLY THIS TECHNOLOGY OF COVID
AND MAYBE IT’S AUGMENTED
REALITY, WHO KNOWS.
DO THESE THINGS IN A WAY THAT’S
SEAMLESS AND IS APPEALING FOR
PEOPLE TO WANT TO COME BACK.
I THINK PEOPLE WILL FORGIVE
DISNEY BECAUSE WE JUST MISS IT
SO MUCH, WE LOVE IT SO MUCH.
STUART: IT’S A BRILLIANT
OPERATION.
CASE CLOSED.
THEY DO THINGS BETTER THAN
ALMOST ANYBODY ELSE IN THIS LINE
OF BUSINESS.
BUT TELL ME, WHAT KIND OF
MAGICAL MOMENTS WILL BE LOST
BECAUSE YOU GOT TO WEAR A FACE
MASK AND KEEP YOUR DISTANCE, GOT
TO HAVE YOUR TEMPERATURE TAKEN?
WHAT MAGIC MOMENTS DO WE LOSE?
>> YOU KNOW, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE
THE DOLLS OF THE SMALL WORLD SAY
IT ALL.
A SMILE MEANS FRIENDSHIP TO
EVERYONE.
WHEN YOU HAVE CAST MEMBERS WHO
USE THEIR SMILE TO TAKE THE
TEARS OFF A LOST CHILD’S FACE,
WHEN EVERYONE IS WEARING MASKS,
WHAT IT IS IS FANTASY
ENVIRONMENT, STUART, THEY ARE
VERY FRAGILE.
YOU ARE PAYING TO ESCAPE THE
REAL WORLD.
WHEN YOU BRING HOSPITAL
PRACTICES INTO A FANTASY WORLD,
YOU ARE WARY OF EVERYONE.
WHO TOUCHED THAT DOORKNOB, DO I
WANT TO TOUCH IT, YOU KNOW.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS, WILL IT
ENDANGER THAT MAGIC.
THAT’S WHY I THINK DISNEY IS SO
SMART.
THEY KNOW, PUTTING THOSE SIGNS
UP BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HAS TO
HELP.
WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON THE GUESTS
NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME TO HELP
SUSTAIN THAT.
SO IT’S A LONG ROAD.
THERE’S GOING TO BE HITS AND
MISSES, KIND OF LIKE PREVIEW
NIGHT ON BROADWAY WHERE YEAH,
YOU ARE WORKING OUT THE KINKS
BUT THE NEW NORMAL, THE 2.0 OF
WHAT’S A GREAT EXPERIENCE ON A
DESERT ISLAND RESORT, THAT’S
WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WIN IS
THOSE WHO FIGURE THAT OUT.
THAT’S WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO
NOW IS HELP CLIENTS FIGURE OUT
WHAT THAT 2.0 SHOULD BE AND
APPLY THE STUFF IN THE RIGHT
WAY, IN A SENSIBLE WAY, THAT’S
INVISIBLE.
STUART: YOU KNOW, I HAVE SIX
CHILDREN.
NINE GRANDCHILDREN.
WE USED TO REGULARLY TAKE THEM
TO DISNEY.
IT WAS THE MAGIC MOMENT THAT YOU
ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE
RELISHED AND WENT BACK FOR ALL
THE TIME.
I DON’T HAVE MUCH MORE TIME BUT
LOOK, WE’VE GOT TO GET PAST
THIS.
WE’VE GOT TO GET BACK TO A
NORMAL WHERE YOU DON’T HAVE TO
WEAR A FACE MASK, WHERE YOU
DON’T HAVE TO HAVE YOUR
TEMPERATURE TAKEN, AND I THINK
WE WILL GET THERE BUT I THINK
IT’S A LONG TIME COMING.
LAST WORD TO YOU.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, MARY POPPINS
SAID IT BEST, A SPOONFUL OF
SUGAR HELPS THE MEDICINE GO
DOWN.
IF YOU USE CREATIVITY LIKE WALT
DISNEY PUTTING THE MONORAIL OUT
TO SHOW HOW URBAN TRANSIT CAN
WORK, IF CREATIVITY CAN LEAD TO
THESE SOLUTIONS, WE HAVE TO DO
IT IN A WAY THAT’S SEAMLESS FOR
THE GUESTS TO MAKE IT A GAME,
MAKE IT FUN.
STUART: DISNEY CAN DO THAT
BETTER THAN ANYBODY.
>> IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE
CREATIVE.
A GREAT TIME TO BE A DESIGNER.
STUART: IT WAS A GREAT TIME TO
HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
WE ARE OBLIGED TO YOU.