Category: Buzz Worthy?

Disney’s Wide World of Sports venue

Disney Institute speaker retirement party
Two Disney Execs on the right: front right, Jeff James (at the time VP, Disney Institute), and Lee Cockerell directly above Jeff James’ head. Lee is our former EVP, WDW Operations.

Disney’s Wide World of Sports venue was my boss Wayne Gagne’s pick for retirement party venue.

Without hesitation, i suggested Disney’s Contemporary Resort’s top floor, The Napa Room.

The Napa Room overlooks (West to East):

  1. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
  2. Disney’s Magic Kingdom Theme Park
  3. Disney University (DU)
  4. Disney’s River Country Water Park
  5. And obviously, it’s in Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Watch how the corresponding numbers add up Disney Career years:

  1. Spent two tours of duty, six years total at “The Grand”
  2. First role on College Program, Jungle Jeff, in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland, 1982
  3. First three days of career spent at DU. And, Traditions Facilitator 1988
  4. First role upon returning as Permanent Cast Member, River Country Lifeguard
  5. First role in Resort Hotel Operations at Contemporary – ultimately a 15-year career in resorts before Disney Institute called

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This website is about our BODY. To read today’s post about our SPIRIT, click here.

Walking in Fantasyland

Disney Legacy name tag in Fantasyland
Walt Disney was happy for me on this important day. Walt’s voice whispering, “Take a bow Jeff. Take a bow. You deserve it.” Thank you Walt.

To this day, it is surreal to reflect on how deeply and broadly Disney-life and personal life intertwined. One life really. A Disney life.

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This website is about our BODY. To read today’s post about our SPIRIT, click here.

Do not marry your sofa

Apple Watch fitness screen
The pace includes multiple stops to do assorted exercises. Logged 7.5 miles before returning home.

Do not marry your sofa.

Marry the miracle you call your body.

A sofa is a place to sit, not a place to live.

A Fortune Podcast, Leadership Next, interviewed Adrian Gore who founded an insurance company in South Africa two years after Nelson Mandela left prison. His company, Discovery, aims to incentivize people with lower premiums based on better personal health. The healthier you are, the less you pay. Yesterday, he shared these compelling statistics:

4/4/60: Four behavioral choices (including not valuing the future) lead to four conditions which drive 60% of deaths. Eating badly, physically inactive, smoking, and drinking.

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This website is about our BODY. To read today’s post about our SPIRIT, click here.

Slow down to speed up

Disney Pixar Luca toy characters
Disney Pixar Luca toy characters near Pollock Mountain.

What drives this? The opportunity to pair a visionary leader with the world’s best Customer Service architecture (and most engaging teacher).

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This website is about our BODY. To read today’s post about our SPIRIT, click here.

Pixar’s UP similarity

Carl and Ellie toys from Pixar UP
The heart-shaped image on a rock, on a rocky trail, in the middle of one-million acres of nothing but rocks is a miracle to be spotted. Yet Cheryl spotted it.

Pixar’s UP inspires people differently, like most movies do.

Pixar’s UP is a favorite for reasons that are too intricate to describe in this post, or maybe ever.

One thing is easy to explain, i have lots of photos with Carl and Ellie.

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This website is about our BODY. To read today’s post about our SPIRIT, click here.