Image by Simone Ramella via Flickr
Ever been to Disneyland or any popular theme park? Chances are you and your family and friends probably had a pretty decent time. Take a moment to think about all the logistics management that went into insuring that your one day at the park was really a “picnic.”
Set aside all the logistics management that went into the construction of a place like Disneyland. Now that it is up and running successfully for years, you have to appreciate how that all comes together on a daily basis. There are several interworking components to theme park which can be broken down to attractions, entertainments, food services, maintenance and customer support. Each one of those departments has their own levels of management and staff.
For Disneyland food service, there aren’t a lot of surprises when it comes to daily menu items. Restaurants, cafes and kiosks are scattered throughout the park serving up the same delicious foods to thousands of customers every day. Each one of those specific places needs to be staffed and stocked. The goal is to have this all in place before the customers arrive. And you never want to run out of ice cream anywhere in the park! Each restaurant has their own needs in terms of fresh food items that have to be brought in each day.
Now consider this, have you ever seen a delivery truck parked outside of Disneyland? Probably not. That’s because there is an interconnecting underground tunnel system that feeds all the stores and restaurants in the park. That means logistics management is needed to move the restock items from one end to the other on a rotating basis and you can bet that Disneyland uses a great fulfillment team to help keep the park stocked.
As for the rides, they need to be constantly inspected, upgraded and maintained. That’s an entirely different staffing coordination effort that again has to work seamlessly with the rest of the park employees. For the entertainment, there needs to be auditions, rehearsals and performance checks. And every performer has customs that need to be washed and repaired on a daily basis. And for every show, ride and eatery there is another staff standing by to clean it all up and reset it for the next group of guests.
Bringing together all of these divergent elements requires expert fulfillment, good communication, and effective supply chain management. A break down in these plans can cause a ripple effect across the park that would slow down rides, keep guests from eating and denying a kid their own set of Mickey Mouse ears. Nobody wants to be responsible for that!
