About the "How Does Disney Do That?™" Project

....while riding the Flight of Passage attraction at Walt Disney World with his adult son, James Warda began to tear up. A bit embarrassed and a whole lot surprised, he quickly realized it was from a sense of wonder, something adults don't often get to feel.   

As he walked towards the exit, he asked himself, "How does Disney do that?"  

Being an author, speaker, blogger, and long-time Disney fan, he then wrote about the experience he had on the attraction and was amazed when he heard from hundreds, men and women alike, saying they felt the same thing.  

He also then connected with Theron Skees,   a former Creative Executive with Walt Disney Imagineering, who began to answer his question, and had some of this own for Disney fans. 

Next, James created this How Does Disney Do That?™website and  Facebook and LinkedIn Groups by the same name, where fans could share their stories of how Disney makes them feel along with those who help make them feel that way ─ including current and former Disney Imagineers, executives, cast members, and other theme industry professionals.  

As the groups grew, James realized that the topic and ongoing conversation would make a compelling second book for him. So, he has been interviewing many of those who have been submitting their stories on this site and in the online groups for his upcoming How Does Disney Do That?™ book. 

Author of Where Are We Going So Fast?  

Writer for the Chicago Tribune, Pioneer Press, and Chicken Soup for the Soul  

Creator of the Where are we going so fast? blog for the Chicago Tribune Media Group   

Writer for Celebrations magazine, Disney magazine, WDW Magazine, Disney4Dads, and The DIS (Disney Information Station)   

Adjunct professor for the School of Communications and Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago -- and advisory board member for the School of Communications, and guest lecturer at DePaul University in Chicago   

Vice President of External Affairs and Business Development, with over twenty-five years of corporate communications, marketing, and PR experience at Fortune 100 companies, including Allstate, Baxter, Boeing, Caremark, McDonald’s, Schneider Electric and Walgreens Boots Alliance, and a national nonprofit, the Home Centered Care Institute  

Speaker and workshop facilitator   

Veteran Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) Creative Executive with over 23 years of WDI experience   

Narrative Experience Designer, Founder of The Designers Creative Studio   

Over thirty years of experience leading cross-functional teams for billion- and million-dollar domestic and international projects   

Contributor to themedattractions.com (US), blooloop.com (UK), planetattractions.com (UK) and multiple podcasts (US/Australia)   

Guest educator/lecturer at Savannah College of Art and Design, University of Central Florida, Ringling College, California Baptist University, UCLA Berkley, Samford University, and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis   

Advisory board member for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the media company, Chop Wood Carry Balloons   

Founding Member of The World Experience Organization (WXO)  

Global speaker, workshop facilitator