Early this spring, I began writing – to you and our Cast – emails I never anticipated sending, addressing temporary closures of our theme parks and resorts in the face of a global pandemic. I shared in that first email my belief that tough times can bring out the best in families, and having seen our Member and Cast family respond in extraordinary ways in the months since, I believe that now more than ever.
Like millions of others around the world, our Cast committed to the isolating practice of social distancing, staying home to protect themselves, their families, our Members and guests, and our communities. Among those who quickly adapted to working from home were Member Services Advisors who braced for a flood of phone calls from Members looking to alter vacation plans and manage their Memberships during this period of unprecedented uncertainty. And while those calls certainly came, they came with your equal concern for us, as countless among you shared heartfelt words of support for our Cast. Clearly, we would’ve understood if your focus was entirely on the ways in which COVID-19 would impact your vacation plans, and yet somehow, we weren’t the least bit surprised that you were just as focused on our health and happiness. After all, you’re family.
As such, our Cast worked daily – and remotely – to serve you, our Member family, sharing news as it developed and, where appropriate, temporarily altering select policies to help Members navigate this fluid situation.
Meanwhile, our extended Cast family throughout the company remained equally focused on service, delivering magic to families at home through DisneyMagicMoments.com, distributing food to local food banks and donating critically needed supplies to health care professionals on the front lines of the crisis. Other Cast Members continued reporting to work in essential roles at our parks and resorts, providing security, caring for animals and more.
Simply put, I’ve never been prouder to work for this company, more grateful to lead such an incredible Cast or more humbled by the privilege of serving such a caring community of Members. And on a personal level, I’ve never been more appreciative of the opportunity to interact – in person – with you and our Cast. Technology may help us stay connected on devices and screens, but there’s just no substitute for seeing each other in the office and around the neighborhood.
From all of us at Disney Vacation Club, thank you. We look forward to being together and welcoming you home for decades to come.
Share your feedback:
Among the Cast Members working during the temporary closure of our vacation destinations were those behind an enhanced feedback tool now available online at disneyvacationclub.com/feedback. Your feedback is the lifeblood of our business, and we invite you to visit the website anytime to select a topic from the drop-down menu and share feedback that will be thoughtfully reviewed by the appropriate leaders, from our board of directors and treasurer to the 2019 condominium association voting representatives. Look for key feedback topics to be addressed in a new “Listening Post” column in development for future editions of Disney Files Magazine.
disneyvacationclub.com/feedback
All of us at Disney Vacation Club thank you for your continued patience as we work to serve you in these challenging times. While the environment in which we operate is ever-changing, our commitment to you remains the same.