Years and years ago, there was a TV show about companies that focused on excellence by running their businesses well and treating both their customers and their employees as if they were royalty. A small, family-run supermarket in Connecticut that made $1.5 million per week, when most large supermarkets at the time averaged $200K per week. A tool and dye company whose owner purchased the failing business in 1978 and increased profits by 700% (modern day-news: the supermarket, Stew Leonard’s, is still in business. Unfortunately, the tool and dye company finally closed up shop, undoubtedly because of the computerization of modern technology). Other companies that made names for themselves for their overall quality. Apple Computer. 3M. McDonald’s. I.B.M.
One of the companies the TV show focused on was Walt Disney World. “Employees, called Cast Members, are trained as if they were entering a religious order. Visitors are not tourists, but honored guests.” I remember seeing this episode when it was first run and was THRILLED to find it on YouTube not long ago. It showed Costuming, Traditions, THE UTILIDORS(!!!)…all kinds of cool stuff!
The WDW segment of the show has lots and LOTS of professionally filmed footage and includes, not only what the Magic Kingdom looked like in the mid-1980s, but also some fascinating backstage footage, all sanctioned by Disney and broadcast in 1984. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did back then (and still do now!). Enjoy!
Continue reading “Professional Video of Backstage at WDW (Mid-1980s U.S. TV Show, 100% OKed by Disney)”
