3. In-park additions that aren’t upcharges

As we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of great experiences coming to Walt Disney World, like the upcoming Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser resort. The problem is many of these new experiences require paying extra for access.

I am certainly hoping the best for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, but there’s no question some guests are frustrated by the idea that some of the best ideas intended to be part of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge have instead been rolled into an experience so expensive, a majority of Disney guests will not be able to afford it—things like interactive missions with cast members throughout the land, Star Wars Datapad standing affecting cast member interactions, and new entertainment experiences. We love Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, but two of the land’s most noteworthy experiences—Build-a-Droid and the lightsaber building experience at Savi’s Workshop—are both upcharges.

Disney could do much to improve the perceived value of a Disney ticket by continuing to integrate new and creative experiences into the parks that don’t require an extra upcharge. These don’t necessarily need to be rides—rides are great, but they involve expensive construction projects. A mix of personal, interactive experiences, fresh entertainment options, and self-guided attractions could make for some really rich additions to Walt Disney World.

New experiences don’t have to be complex. Consider Epcot’s festivals—all four introduce a range of new experiences to Epcot, always including a few fun things that don’t require any extra cost. Guests are going to spend on special food and souvenir items, which helps cover costs. Another great example would be expanding integrations with the Play Disney Parks app throughout the resort. We would love to see an expansion to the Star Wars Datapad game in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! Small additions like these could go along way to increasing guest satisfaction.

4. Expanding character experiences

This one will remain a challenge until we are truly out of the woods with the pandemic, but it remains a noteworthy issue—anything Disney can do to make character interactions more personal will prove a win right now. It also is an area we continue to see encouraging forward movement on from Disney.

We understand this one has been particularly difficult for Disney to navigate. Keeping both guests and cast members safe is crucial, and Disney has come up with some wonderfully creative solutions for getting characters out in the parks. Random character cavalcades were so well-received, many guests are hoping they remain a permanent part of the Disney experience.

While social distancing continues, Disney will have to continue being very creative with searching out ways to make character interactions meaningful. Judging by what we've seen this month, they are doing a laudable job with this, but there is still ground to reclaim. This one will depend entirely on when things are safe for cast members again, but when it is, we do think expanded character offerings will do a lot to inject some magic back into the Disney experience.

5. Empower cast members to make magic

We’ve said it before—Disney cast members continue to need a lot of love and grace during this season. There’s no question it has been a challenging year for those in the travel industry. It’s hard not to notice the signs of cast member fatigue while visiting Disney parks right now.

One of the frustrations voiced by some cast members has been that the shift of seasons has made it difficult to make “pixie dust” magic moments for guests. Some of this has been due to pandemic restrictions, while other issues stem from the arrival of paid systems like Genie+ where Disney has a stake in encouraging guests to spend extra.

One of the simplest ways Disney could inject magic and value back into the Disney parks experience is in empowering cast members to make these magic moments and creative decisions again. It may even be worth revisiting something like The Year of a Million Dreams, when Disney cast members were empowered with a selection of pixie-dust “dream moments” they could hand out to random guests throughout the day. Some of these were as simple as giving a sticker, special card, or pin, while others involved substantial prizes like walking in a parade or staying in the Cinderella Castle suite.

Even if you weren’t directly party to a pixie-dust moment, the spontaneity of it created a wonderful energy of the unexpected throughout Disney parks. Being able to make these moments happen more often won’t only improve guest satisfaction—it very well could improve cast member morale if executed correctly.

And the final one...