Open Jaw :: On The Town ::

With Martha Chapman
14JUL08

Randy Garfield – Disney booster extraordinaire

Transat’s Erin Oddleifson and Nancy Jackson

Disney “cast members” Hayden Yates,
Jo-Anne Wallace, Angela Saclamacis, Craig Parsons and Marlie Morrison

It’s All Good At Disney

In case you haven’t noticed it, the travel news from south of the border has been pretty grim. High fuel costs are impacting both air and rubber tire markets. Lots of folks are wondering which of the “legacy” airlines will shut up shop first. Americans are staying home in droves as they typically do in an election year.

So in light of all this it was so refreshing to hear Randy Garfield, Disney’s president of the Walt Disney Travel Company and E-VP of Worldwide Sales and Travel Operations for Disney Destinations, on a recent swing through Canada. “Many economic factors are cyclical – every decade for the past hundred years there has been some slowdown. Think of SARS, think of 9/11. People emerge from these events wiser and more capable – and travel agents are very resilient.”

So Disney is on the expansion trail. There are two new ships on the drawing board. Expansion of the Disney Vacation Club in Hawaii. The construction of a massive new bowling centre in Orlando to attract competitions from across America. “There are an astounding number of bowlers out there,” confided Garfield. Who knew?

And Disney has even morphed the Disney Institute into a professional training arm of the organization, exporting its unique sense of creativity and customer commitment to businesses as diverse as a supermarket chain in South Africa and Miami Airport.

Next up? A partnership with American Idol whereby Disney guests can audition, or even judge. Hm…how does “It’s a Small World” go again?