Managing ‘Magic’ at Disneyland

“Operations management is a technically intensive discipline. It’s not usually considered fun,” said Booth’s Amy Ward. She challenged that perception while speaking at “Leading for Impact: Lessons from Operations Management,” a recent event hosted by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Programme on Social Innovation (HKJCPSI). Ward reframed operations as a powerful leadership discipline—one that translates intention into execution, and strategy into lived experience. She argued that rigor, when applied well, actually enables creativity.

This lively discussion was hosted at The Hong Kong Jockey Club University of Chicago Academic Complex | The University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong. Ward was joined by two Hong Kong Disneyland executives: Anthony Blitch, director of park operations, and Anita Lai, vice president of communications and public affairs. They offered a rare look into how one of the world’s most complex service environments delivers consistently high-quality experiences at scale. They explored how operational systems, human behavior, and leadership philosophy intersect to produce “magical” experiences for customers.

The Invisible Infrastructure in Service Design

Ward, the Rothman Family Professor of Operations Management, opened the discussion with a simple observation: Guests experience Disneyland as magical, but that magic is built on systems they rarely see.

Blitch described this hidden layer as both physical and cultural infrastructure. “One of our superpowers is storytelling,” he said. That storytelling extends beyond attractions to operational design. For instance, guests never see cast members out of character or in the wrong themed area—and that’s thanks to the infrastructure.

“When we built the park, we developed perimeter roads and bus stops to allow cast members to get from the wardrobe area right back to the land that they work in,” he explained. These decisions, invisible to guests, are critical to preserving that immersive, magical experience.

Blitch also highlighted Disney’s “five keys,” the foundational framework that guides every decision: safety, courtesy, show, efficiency, and inclusion. These principles act as a shared language across the organization, ensuring alignment from frontline staff to senior leadership.

Empowering Employees to Improve Customer Experience

Both Disneyland executives emphasized that people ultimately determine how well systems perform.

Blitch shared a striking example from the Jungle River Cruise attraction—first conceived by Walt Disney himself at Disneyland in California 70 years ago. Despite strong infrastructure, guest engagement in Hong Kong lagged. Cast members said they had a great script, but their jokes didn’t land and they weren’t connecting with guests on the boat.

The solution was simple but powerful: Give employees more autonomy. “Our operating guideline should be our safety net. It shouldn’t be our ceiling,” Blitch said.

By empowering staff to improvise and connect authentically with guests, Hong Kong Disneyland improved the experience dramatically, with no additional cost. This also highlighted that impactful changes don’t necessarily require large capital expenditures, but rather, rethinking how existing resources are used.

Similarly, Lai, who also serves on the executive committee of the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Hong Kong, described how the nonprofit expanded its impact despite limited resources by investing in volunteer training at Disneyland. By turning volunteers into “wish-makers”—who spend time with families to learn what they want and make it happen—the organization increased wish-granting by 20 to 30 percent, she said.

In high-touch service environments, operational complexity is inevitable. But Lai argued that when teams are deeply aligned with purpose, they find ways to reduce friction for guests. “They try to minimize that operational concern for the kids to have a wonderful experience,” she said.

Measuring What Matters Beyond Metrics

Ward noted the tension between quantitative metrics and qualitative impact.

While leaders have to observe many metrics on a daily basis, not everything that matters shows up in dashboards, Blitch said. Acts of service—like a cast member replacing a dropped ice cream—may never be formally recorded, yet they shape customer perception.

This mindset requires a balance between data and intuition. While Disney relies heavily on analytics, Blitch stressed the importance of on-the-ground insight. “If you’re not walking your product, if you’re not there talking to the cast and guests, you’re going to miss something.”

Lai echoed this sentiment, adding that even when something is difficult to measure on paper, you still have to take the time to understand it. “We have surveys of what the guests are saying; we search on social so we can feel what the vibe is,” she said. “You have to remember to open the ears to listen.”

The session concluded with a central theme: Operations management is not just about efficiency, but about impact.

By aligning infrastructure, people, and behavior, organizations can deliver outcomes that feel seamless to users and are deeply intentional beneath the surface.

“You’re not always going to get everything right,” Blitch said. “You’ve got to give enough leeway to make the mistakes, learn from them, and adjust.”

This event was part of The HKJCPSI’s Social Impact Leadership Series, held at The Hong Kong Jockey Club University of Chicago Academic Complex | The University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong. Amy Ward was the Wei Cai Faculty in Residence at the Hong Kong campus at the time of this event.