Leisure Studies trip to Disneyland Resort Paris
“In here you leave today and enter into a world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy...” Walt Disney
For the third year running, Wymondham College students have been visiting Disneyland Resort Paris and attending the annual Disney Business Convention held at the resort. This highly prestigious and educational convention has been in the past very successful and fulfilling – this year was no different! Twelve Applied Leisure Studies and Applied Business Studies students ventured across the Channel with Ms Gray and I to visually assimilate the work behind the ‘Magic’ that is Disney.
We set off leaving behind a stressful albeit successful departmental OFSTED Inspection the previous week and venturing to a Theme Park which houses Mickey Mouse and friends in France – it seemed like the ridiculous to the sublime. Nevertheless it was indeed a breath of fresh air.
After a short journey from Norwich and a ride on the Eurostar we soon arrived at the Hotel Cheyenne – a western themed hotel within Disney Village where we were greeted by a very large yellow dog in cowboy gear which when called responded to the name of Pluto. The girls of the group at this point were very excited - It was like a ‘distressed’ scene from High School Musical!
After a pleasant meal and a good nights sleep we were all ready for the ‘Magical’ Journey that lay before us. Students were issued with work packs and off they went cataloguing customer service provision, health and safety, use of ICT and marketing - of course not forgetting sampling the foods and rides! The evening was a time of reflection and to organise the information gathered during the day. Once this was done, Ms Gray and I plucked up the strength, put on our cowboy hats and striders, so to speak, gathered the troops and, watched the fabulous and entertaining Buffalo Bills Wild West Show. An evening of ‘Yee ha’ and ‘whoop whoop’ soon ended with a very tired group of teenagers and staff alike.
The final day saw us herded like cattle, a scene similar from the show the previous evening, and into an IMAX theatre where Disney Senior Management gave several presentations on how the corporation marketed their products and services globally, how they catered for all customer needs, and future developments within the cooperation and within Disneyland Resort Paris. It was a fascinating insight into this global business. We left the lecture and Park understanding the words of Walt Disney “You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world...but it takes people to make the dream a reality”.
The three days were soon over and both staff and pupils came away from Paris with an enlightening and fascinating insight into the global phenomenon that is Disney.
Stumble upon Digg
this del.icio.us
Read other articles in
Applied Subjects