Before my daughter Scout ever set foot on a cruise ship, she got a phone call from Mickey Mouse. It was automated, nothing personalized about it; just a generic recorded call. But to a 3-year-old, a phone call from Mickey Mouse is not a small thing. She talked about it for weeks leading up to the trip.

That call cost Disney next to nothing to send. Once we were on board, Scout lit up meeting the characters in person and posing for every photo she could talk us into. She loved all of it. But weeks before we ever packed a bag, before there was anything to see or photograph, she was already counting down — because Mickey Mouse had called.

I spent the rest of that cruise taking notes, and not about Scout — about my industry. I’ve spent my career around sports and live entertainment, and by Day 2 on the Disney Destiny, I realized I wasn’t on vacation anymore. I was watching a masterclass in fan experience that almost no sports organization has bothered to take.

Here’s the uncomfortable thesis: Disney doesn’t sell vacations. It sells memories. Sports teams don’t sell tickets. They sell moments. Most of them just don’t know it yet, and it shows in nearly every touchpoint fans have with them, from the moment they buy to the moment they walk out the gate.

Take employee........

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