Disney Revolutionizes the Vacation Industry

Approximately 52 million people visit Walt Disney World each year and its annual profit comes to about $12.6 billion. How did Walt Disney transform his amusement park into a bucket list vacation destination for families from all over the world? The simple answer… marketing.

Disney has revolutionized the vacation industry as it broadens its marketing strategies to include almost any activity you can imagine. Disney has magical amusement parks, thrilling water rides, gourmet restaurants, five-star hotels, luxurious cruise lines, private islands, collectible merchandise, and so much more. Whether it is the walking foods-of-the-world tour in Epcot, opportunities to meet your favorite Disney characters, or thrilling rollercoasters that will have people shouting: “We HAVE to do that again!”, there is surely something for everyone at the parks. Most importantly, Disney gives the assurance of a trip filled with memories that are sure to last a lifetime.

Disney acknowledges that the amusement park experience might not be for everyone, so they have introduced a variety of activities that attract a more diverse customer base using a myriad of marketing strategies. Some people love all the fanciful facades and creative foods. However, others prefer a nice massage or relaxing by the hotel pools. My family is up at the crack of dawn to beat the crowd to the gates when the park opens. We are the first in line for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and we stay until the park closes. We go every year and find an experience that keeps each trip interesting and unique.

Marketing Disney Plus

With the recently increased popularity of streaming services, Disney entered the game strong with Disney Plus. In addition to the plethora of nostalgic movies and shows aimed at younger audiences, they also market their platform to a variety of demographics utilizing some of the most popular movie franchises in history like Marvel, Star Wars, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Using these marketing strategies, Disney Plus has become one of the most successful streaming service as people looking to escape the stress of the pandemic can find relief in uplifting films and tv series.

Online Marketing Strategies

Disney has been at the forefront of online marketing which has enabled them to subliminally reach the 16-24-year-old crowd that, on average, spends 3+ hours a day online. Disney has over 72 million followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter combined. That’s a lot of potential customers who might not regularly watch TV or read print that Disney can influence daily. Through magical commercials, Disney is able to interact with starry-eyed children without access to social media who beg their parents for the trips they see on TV.

Targeting the interests of Children

Disney’s marketing strategies were also revolutionary as they began to target the interests of children as well as adults. Children make up 22% of the US population and have an increased impact on family decisions than previously recognized. Through movies, TV shows, stuffed animals, and apparel, Disney has built brand loyalty starting with infants and continuing through adulthood.

“The Happiest Place on Earth”

The Happiest Place on Earth” is Disney’s well-known slogan which basically encapsulates everything that Disney is and tries to be. Who doesn’t want to go to the happiest place on earth? Disney evokes this happiness through nostalgia, happy stories with happy endings, and wholesome characters. Marketing “happiness” is what keeps visitors flooding through their gates every year. Including my family, and Julie’s family!

Travel, whether it be across the state border, or across the ocean, has more benefits than many people realize. By broadening your perspective by taking in other cultures, you will have more success in both your work and personal life.

Here are some advantages you gain by stepping out of your comfort zone and taking that trip you’ve always wanted to take:

It changes the way you see the world.

We’ve all heard that traveling into a culture different from your own opens your eyes to the outside world. As cliché as this sounds, it is 100 percent true. You can read about different cultures and people as much as you want, but nothing will give you the same knowledge and experience as actually immersing yourself into that culture.

It helps you empathize with others. 

As we all know, it can be difficult to step into someone else’s shoes when we have little to no information about how they live, how they think or what they believe. No matter where your travels may take you, you will always come in contact with someone who is different from you, and learn a little about who they are and where they come from. This skill is especially important in the business world. Knowing who you are communicating with and understanding their outlook on different issues can be the thin line between success and failure in any business deal.

It gives you a unique kind of confidence.

The confidence one gains when immersing themselves in someplace new and unknown can only be created through traveling. It’s too easy to get overly comfortable in one’s own life, and forget that there are unique and exciting experiences to be had. Working through problems, overcoming language barriers, other issues that arise when traveling, builds a special kind of confidence in a person that helps carry them through their daily lives.

It teaches you how to fit your entire closet into one suitcase.

On a lighter note … this is a challenge that I have personally faced, and am sure others have as well. If you’re going to travel for two weeks, it only makes sense to pack 14 outfits, right? Wrong. A skill that has taken me a long time to master, and one I am most proud of, is my ability to assess an itinerary and pack strategically.

Have I convinced you yet to take that trip you’ve always wanted to take? Do it! You will be glad you did.

Marshall Feltus is the jr. roquera at Front Porch Marketing. You can follow her on Twitter at @marshallfeltus. She can be reached by email at marshall@itsfrontporch.com.