Inside the Magic Kingdom by Tom Connellan

I heard that there's going to be a new Disneyland coming out in China, so before I 'lose' my title, let me just state: I've been to all the Disneylands in the world. So obviously I have a great interest in Disney and how it works.

And if you're looking for an easy-to-read introduction to the Disney business way (this book was written in 1996 so it may not be true of the company anymore), Inside the Magic Kingdom is a good book to read.

The author uses real-life incidents and incoporates it into a fiction narrative about a group of five business people who come to Disneyland to learn about its business practices. Basically, everything can be summed up into 7 principles:

1. The Competition is anyone the customer compares you with
2. Pay fantastic attention to detail
3. Everyone walks the talk
4. Everything walks the talk
5. Customers are best heard through many ears
6. Reward, recognise and celebrate
7. Xvxryonx makxs a diffxrxncx

And of course, there are many examples of the legendary Disney customer service. They make Disney sound like an awesome company (I'd like to work there!) and a role model for other companies to imitate as well.

I admit to not caring much about the characters, but I did think that the story format made the "lessons" easier to digest. The book isn't dry at all, and can be finished in one sitting.

This book is for anyone who cares about customer service, or just wants to make their company memorable.