how does disney do that? -- disney authors roundtable
Bring the Magic Home
We’ve all experienced Disney magic, whether it was the first time you watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Inside Out 2, rode Peter Pan’s Flight, set sail on a Disney Cruise, or wore your first pair of Mickey Mouse ears. And we’ve then often thought, “I wish every day could be more like that!”
Well, it can. Because there are many ways to apply Disney magic to your life, every day – at home, at work, and with family and friends. Yes, in many ways, you can bring that Disney park home with you. And it can start by watching the Disney Authors Roundtable.
In a partnership with the Cockerell Academy, the first “chapter” of this new free presentation series from How Does Disney Do That?, moderator Jody Maberry, co-host of the “Creating Disney Magic” podcast, will guide an interactive, engaging conversation with four well-known Disney authors and speakers, who bring expertise, insight, and whole lot of behind-the-scenes stories. Plus, you can join the conversation through a chat and Q&A session.
During the episode, the group will discuss how Disney creates such a strong emotional connection with fans through a visionary culture, caring leadership, and extraordinary service, and how it all comes together to make fans feel a sense of wonder and magic that keeps them coming back. And, of course, how you can apply those same principles in your own life.
The series is sponsored by Rivershore Press. Learn more at www.rivershorepress.com.
Who's on the Roundtable?
Moderator: Jody Maberry, Business and Podcast Consultant, co-host with Lee Cockerell (former Executive Vice President, WDW) on “Creating Disney Magic”
Featured Authors
- Jeff Barnes, speaker and author, The Wisdom of Walt and Beyond the Wisdom of Walt, featured in The History Channel’s How Disney Built America documentary
- Lee Cockerell, speaker and author, Creating Magic, and former Executive Vice President at the Walt Disney World Resort
- Michael Lyons, author, Magic Moments and Drawn to Greatness, and podcast host of “From Pencils to Pixels”
- James Warda, speaker, and author, How Does Disney Do That? and Where Are We Going So Fast?
Date/Time
11/20, 4-5pm EST: First Chapter: How to Apply Lessons from Disney to Your Life, Work, and Everything in Between
How to Register
Sign up here for a unique opportunity to hear how Disney’s principles can spark change in your life and work.
Our Partners
Roundtable Participants
Jeff Barnes
Jeff Barnes, also known as “Dr. Disneyland,” is a best-selling author and renowned expert on the life and legacy of Walt Disney. After 22 years in higher education, where he led teams and pioneered innovative courses—including the world’s first class on "The History of Disneyland"—Jeff now dedicates his time to writing and speaking full-time.
He is the author of The Wisdom of Walt: Leadership Lessons from the Happiest Place on Earth and Beyond the Wisdom of Walt: Life Lessons from the Most Magical Place on Earth, two transformative books that teach leadership and success through the lessons of Disney. Recently featured in all six episodes of the History Channel’s series How Disney Built America, Jeff continues to inspire audiences with timeless stories of resilience, creativity, and leadership drawn from Walt Disney’s greatest achievements.
Lee Cockerell
Lee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort. As the Senior Operating Executive for ten years, Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping & entertainment village and the ESPN sports and recreation complex in addition to ancillary operations. One of Lee’s lasting legacies was the creation of Disney Great Leader Strategies, used to develop the 7000 leaders at Walt Disney World. Lee held various executive positions in the hospitality and entertainment business with Hilton Hotels and the Marriott Corporation before joining Disney in 1990 to open Disneyland Paris.
Lee has served as Chairman of the Board of Heart of Florida United Way, the Board of Trustees for The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the board of the Production and Operations Management Society and the board of Reptilia a Canadian attractions and entertainment company. In 2005, Governor Bush appointed Lee to the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Public Service for the state of Florida where he served as Chairman of the Board. He is now dedicating his time to public speaking and has authored Creating Magic: Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney. and The Customer Rules…The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service. Lee also performs leadership and service excellence workshops and consulting for organizations around the world as well as for the Disney Institute.
Michael Lyons
Michael Lyons is a freelance writer specializing in film, television, and pop culture. He has contributed articles to such publications as Cinefantastique, Disney Magazine, ReMIND, and the websites animationworldnetwork.com and fandom.com. He is also the author of Drawn to Greatness: Disney’s Animation Renaissance, and Magic Moments: Stories, Lessons and Memories from a Twenty-Year Career at Walt Disney World.
From 2000 to 2020, Michael worked at all four Walt Disney World theme parks, Disney Springs, and off-site company locations at Orlando International Airport. Then, beginning in 2020, Michael focused full-time on writing, including his blog, Screen Saver: A Retro Review of TV Shows and Movies of Yesteryear. Additionally, he contributes a weekly column to the website Cartoon Research and co-hosts the podcasts “Dis-Order: Every Disney Film” and “From Pencils to Pixels: The Animation Celebration Podcast.”
Jody Maberry (moderator)
Jody Maberry has hosted and produced more than 1,300 podcast episodes with nearly 3 million downloads. His first episode of the "Park Leaders Show," published in 2014. He also co-hosts the "Creating Disney Magic" podcast with Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice President at the Walt Disney World Resort. He has also shared the stage with a Governor, best-selling authors, well-known executives, and the Director of the National Park Service. In this time, he also has worked with executives from Disney, the FBI, and other organizations across a variety of industries. You'll also find articles about Jody in INC, Entrepreneur, and in business journals.
As Jody tells it, podcasting has opened many doors for him to have a voice and help leaders and organizations share their voice, too, not just on the podcast, but through marketing and communication strategies that he develops for them. That kind of support led Director of Tennessee State Parks, Jim Bryson, to say this about Jody, “His expertise and encouragement were crucial to designing and recording a podcast program that is helpful to our park staff across the state.”
James Warda
James Warda, author of How Does Disney Do That?: How Disney Makes Us Feel and Why It Matters and Where Are We Going So Fast?: Finding the Sacred in Everyday Moments, has written for the Chicago Tribune and Pioneer Press, and contributed to numerous Disney publications and sites, including Celebrations magazine, Disney magazine, and WDW Magazine.
James is also a speaker and workshop facilitator, most recently offering a How Does Disney Do That? workshop at EPCOT in Walt Disney World with his main collaborator, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Executive Theron Skees, and doing book appearances at Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs. In addition, he is a former adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago, guest speaker for DePaul University of Chicago, and a professional musician. He has also served in executive communication/PR and marketing roles for Fortune 100 companies and a national nonprofit, along with sitting on advisory boards.
