And now our kids can honestly answer that they have “been there, done that.”
Over the years I have always heard what a perfect vacation Disney World is. A clean place; family-oriented; something for everyone; and seemingly magical.
Several years ago, my friend, and now boss, Kris Stoner was leading a group of volunteers into a 3-day conference. She gave us all an inspirational talk taken from the leadership of Sam Walton (of Wal-Mart fame). She encouraged us to step into the conference with our eyes open for what was well-done. Not what was wrong or could be done better, but what was well-done.
So as we rode on the monorail into Magic Kingdom (I had last visited 28 years ago) on that first day, I decided to do just that. I had heard about so many things that are done well at Disney. I set out to see the things well-done that would (hopefully) make our experience great and leave us wanting for more.
Here is what I saw and experienced (with a tidy little acronym)
Disney Photo Pass: Whenever we were ready for a family photo we did not need to hunt down the most trustworthy tourist to hand off our camera to and hope they aim and zoom well. We just grabbed a photo pass employee, who took our photo with their camera, and sent the photo to our photo pass account online.
Inspiring: Whether it was the parting words of a guide at an attraction to dream big and live well, the cheerful disposition of employees, or simple quotes from Mr. Walt Disney himself posted around the park, there was always an inspiring message. 
Satisfaction of customers was an obvious value at Disney. When one host stopped to talk to us and figured out that Jack was not keen on fast rides, dark rides, or suspense-filled rides, she offered him a chance to win a golden ticket by answering questions from his favorite Disney movie. So after acing the quiz on Pirates of the Caribbean, his prize was ice cream for the family. And when we encountered a bit a frustration with unclear guidelines for child swap combined with fast passes, it was righted and Dave, Chelsea and Jack got a behind the scenes tour of Rockin’ Rollercoaster. 
Never were we disappointed in any of the attractions we chose. Whether it was visual appearances, the latest in technology or amazing special effects, we were always entertained and often wowed. (Well, except for the Prince Caspian attraction, but besides that one…) My personal favorite was the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor where animated monsters interacted with the live audience. A.MAZ.ING. and HYSTER.I.CAL.
Employees were all around. In the parking lot, there was never a question about where to park or where to catch the tram. Inside the park, if we had a question we could always spot a host. There was always a custodian in the bathrooms. Many times I saw a manager walking from one place to another with a litter-picker – just in case he spotted some litter. It was not left to just the “street sweepers” to keep things clean. Oh, and the characters. They were everywhere and so patient as family after family and child after child had their photos taken with them. 
I think Minnie got a little over-friendly with Dave… 
Yes, dreams really can come true. Seriously, what little boy wouldn’t love to face off with the dark side? (I don't think big boys were allowed...)
