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Over enthusiastic Disneyland staff ruins proposal, dents 'Happiest Place on Earth' reputation

Over enthusiastic Disneyland staff ruins proposal, dents 'Happiest Place on Earth' reputation

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Disney has apologised after one of its Disneyland employees was shown on video to be barging in on a proposal. The video posted on Reddit showed a romantic scene of a man getting down on one knee on the elevated stage in front of the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle which saw cheers from the crowd. However, the proposal was cut short when an over-enthusiastic employee rushed into the frame to stop them, snatching the ring box in the process. He then hastily ushered the couple down the stairs. 

According to the Reddit post, the man proposing allegedly received permission to do so on the stage. However, the employee in the video said: "Yes, that's great but over here will be even better." and urged the couple to carry on with the proposal off stage instead. 

Disneyland, which has honed the reputation of the "Happiest Place on Earth" has spoken out on the incident. A spokesperson told Newsweek that it regrets how this incident was handled, and also apologised to the couple involved and "offered to make it right". Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that Disney had offered the couple a free weekend in a Disneyland park as well as a hotel of their choice. Although the couple appreciated the apology, they declined the offer and according to NYT.

The man interrupted also said he no longer wants to visit Disneyland and that the company cannot give them the moment back. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Disney for comment. A bad experience today comes with a costly price tag. According to PwC, 32% of consumers will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience. This figure is even higher in Latin America at 49%. On the other hand, when customers feel appreciated, especially those in the US, they are more likely to recommend or endorse a brand on social media, subscribe to a brand's newsletter, or sign up for promotions and make repeated purchases.

Most of the people on Reddit were in disbelief at the employee's actions, with some calling his tone "condescending", adding that he was "legitimately happier for ruining the moment". Meanwhile, one commented that the couple's admission passes did not include the US$149 optional "Proposal Photograph" fee. Some netizens also called out the employee for grabbing the ring box, with one saying that he would have lost his mind. Moreover, employees are often seen as brand ambassadors and when something goes out of line, their actions are often a reflection of a brand's reputation. 

There are six pillars in customer experience, according to KPMG and they are integrity, resolution, expectations, time and effort, personalisation, and empathy. The pillar with the highest growth is expectations (4%) and KPMG explained that customer expectations have been reset as a result of COVID-19. In fact, the reaction and innovation of several organisations have given the increased ability to wow and exceed expectations.

Photo courtesy: 123RF

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