Meeting Magic in Orlando

“Happily Ever After” — a nightly show.

As the summer reached its midway point, I traveled — along with throngs of families bound for Orlando — to see the most famous set of animated ears in the world. My experience would differ from the 50 million or so visitors to Disney World each year, though. As a guest at the Disney Meetings and Events Media Showcase, I was there to see another side of Disney, the one responsible for producing memorable business gatherings.

The showcase kicked off on a fitting day: Around 2,500 miles away, the resort’s older sister property was celebrating its 70th anniversary. When Disneyland opened in Anaheim, it marked the company’s bold move from making movies to hosting in-person entertainment. Now, seven decades later, Disney’s Sunshine State outpost is diving even deeper into the experiential world with the launch of a reimagined Disney Creative Studio — a one-stop shop where meeting planners collaborate with a team of Disney’s event architects on entertainment, content, AV, and more.

‘Do They Get an ROE?’

When our group arrived at the physical studio, I was a bit underwhelmed by its exterior. Tucked away in a relatively empty corner of the 25,000-acre property, the nondescript office building lacks the postcard-worthy appearance of the Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom. But our tour proved that the real magic is waiting behind the doors, where three vocalists were rehearsing a song from Pocahontas, a team of designers washed, pressed, and sewed character costumes, and the floral department arranged bouquets for a portfolio of upcoming weddings and events. The studio is a well-oiled assembly line that knows how to fashion a meeting from start to finish.

It’s not a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach, however. Our group was introduced to Disney’s discovery process for learning everything about a group — who they are, what matters to them, why they’re coming together, and how they’ll be able to maximize their time together. “We know how important ROI is, but more importantly, do they get an ROE?” asked Robby Briley, senior events consultant at Disney. “That’s the return on experience. We want attendees walking away with the best experience they’ve ever had — something they can use in their lives and in their work.”

That’s a tall order, and its success relies in large part on choosing the right setting to lay that foundation of inspiration. In Orlando alone, the company has five dedicated convention hotels with more than 700,000 square feet of ballroom, meeting, and event space. Those properties are always evolving, too. At the Disney Coronado Springs Resort — our host accommodations for the showcase — an expansion project added a new, 545-room, 15-story Gran Destino Tower that includes a new boardroom and two multi-purpose rooms to help meeting planners accommodate bigger groups. And for attendees, the property now offers an elevated experience — when I enjoyed a Negroni on the rooftop patio at Dahlia Lounge Bar, which celebrates a collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dalí, the atmosphere felt less like a busy resort destination and more like what a good bar should be: a place to forget about the worries of adulthood.

The addition of the Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs helps to accommodate bigger groups.

The Disney theme park views were impressive enough, but our group managed to get an even better perspective of what it feels like to be an attendee at Walt Disney World. After dinner in the Sonoma Room — a private space for up to 40 guests at Disney’s Contemporary Resort — we stepped out to a terrace for the “Happily Ever After” fireworks show over the Magic Kingdom in the distance. Our hosts reminded us that there’s no additional coordination required for the display. No matter what type of program a planner is designing or when it’s happening, they can count on an awe-inspiring show in the evening sky.

‘They Live in Emotions’

We had already gotten a sense of what makes this place so impressive, but the second day of our program shined a spotlight on what truly defines Disney: ideas. With rights to intellectual property that includes some of the most well-known characters in the American storybook — Cinderella, Peter Pan, Buzz Lightyear, and Indiana Jones, to name a few — holding a meeting at Disney means tapping into those narratives. And when we sat down for lunch in the Asbury room at the Disney Yacht Club Convention Center, we saw that includes the menu.

“Our stories don’t just live on screens or stages,” Chef Anthony Benacquisto said as he discussed the philosophy that shapes the property’s approach to catering. “They live in emotions.”

Each item on our lunch menu was on brand: moon rock rolls with space-dusted butter, slow-roasted sand dune beast (it was beef; don’t worry), and solar wind field kale and apple slaw primed us for what was to come. We fully immersed ourselves in the Star Wars galactic story in a series of challenges, wielding lightsabers and driving robots — all part of a teambuilding experience that Disney designed in collaboration with Lucas Films and event company Play with a Purpose. The three stations provided a small glimpse into the possibilities for meeting planners: The entire experience lasts 90 minutes and includes 130 different Star Wars–related challenges that aim to fully engage participants. While we only had a chance to channel the heroic spirit of Han Solo, Disney offers other teambuilding experiences inspired by Pixar’s Toy Story and Monsters, Inc., along with a networking program that draws on Pirates of the Caribbean.

On the 15th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, California Grill offers global flavors and panoramic views.

The Real Magic

Disney’s event footprint continues to evolve — the Grand Floridian is undergoing a renovation of its convention center — but meeting planners don’t have to stick to traditional meeting space. Our experience proved that attendees can feel like VIPs among the crowds that cram into the parks each day. In the morning, our group stood next to guests slathering on sunscreen at the entrance to Hollywood Studios before our hosts ushered us through a secret pathway to a tree-covered section just off Sunset Boulevard for a private breakfast. Later that evening at our closing reception, we joined a cast of global travelers at EPCOT who eagerly awaited the chance to ride the new Guardians of the Galaxy rollercoaster. After using a fast pass to jump the line, we headed to an exclusive viewing area in the United Kingdom pavilion for the evening fireworks display. The whole universe may have been next to us — well, at least, the 11 countries represented at the World Showcase, along with the multitude of families enjoying their vacations — but it still felt like we were tucked away from it all. Now that’s a real magic trick.

David McMillin is a former Convene editor and freelance writer.