Tim Cimbura

Technology, Speaking, and Entertainment

Disney When You’re Sick

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We recently visited Disney for a week. Near the end of our trip our 6 year old daughter Brielle got very sick with a stomach ache. It cuminated in throwing up in the park near the Dumbo ride. Disney went into action. Immediately she was surrounded by a wall of Disney employees creating a feeling of privacy including an EMT with a stretcher. (Some of Mickey’s doctor friends!)

They tested her blood sugar level and found she was not running a temp. After seeing she was OK to go on, we were escorted to a nearby gift shop where they gave our family whatever drinks we wanted. Then our guest guide asked Brielle about her favorite princess. She then took us past the 40 minute wait line to the front to get a moment of time with Arielle, the Little Mermaid including a photo and autograph.

Princesses_and_Ariel

As we left the park, we stopped in a shop where another Disney employee noticed Brielle didn’t look like she was well. When he found out she had been sick he watched us to see what she liked in the store. Once he knew, he brought the $30 stuffed animal up to the counter and gave it to her at no charge. He said that they want everyone to have a good time and felt sorry that she was feeling sick…get well soon.

The following day Brielle was still not well enough to go to the park…but we had reservations for dinner at Cinderella’s castle. Not to be missed, we timed it right to gave her Tylenol, Pepto Bismal, etc…and were able to squeeze out a 3 hour window where she felt well enough to go, see all the princesses, and enjoy part of the evening.

We’re telling this story not to complain at all about our experience…but to celebrate the fact that Disney gets it. We talked to several “cast members” at Disney and heard no negative stories about working there.

So what lesson did we learn? We’re always going to have a sick kid when we’re at Disney. : ) Seriously, the Disney employees are empowered to make guest experiences great. How can you empower your employees to make smart decisions that make customers happy?

Looking for a Speaker or Entertainer?

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In case it wasn’t obvious from my web site, I’m available to come speak at your company event.

With the economy on the down side, it seems that everyone needs a pick-me-up with some encouragement and inspiration. That’s exactly what I provide with my presentation entitled “Child at Heart”. My particular brand of speaking is considered “edu-tainment” because I combine education and entertainment to make a presentation that is fun and informative. You learn while your having a great time…what a concept!

You can book an event directly with our online form. If possible, contact us as early as possible when you know about the event. That way we can help you plan the event and provide you with the help you need right away so that it can be the success you want. You also have the greatest chance of getting the date you want reserved on our busy calendar.

If we determine I’m not the right fit for your event, one of our booking agencies, Nationally Speaking, can help you find someone in your price range with the qualifications and experience to fit your needs. I’ve worked with them for several years and highly recommend their services.

Here’s my page on their site where I’m listed as a motivational speaker Tim Cimbura.

Be Awesome Today!

Changing Your Perspective

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Planet 51 is a funny movie for the child at heart. It’s a film set on an alien planet with comedy and exciting action. It reverses the roles of a 50’s sci-fi film bymaking the “alien” an astronaut from earth that the “people” creatures from another world quite like ours. I found the primary message of the film to be fascinating.

At the beginning of the movie, everything is going great for the main character, Lem, a teenage type of martian. He gets a new job and is on the way to a great life and the girlfriend of his dreams. Lem give a lecture at the local planetarium: “Thanks to science we now know, the universe is nearly 500 miles long and it contains…you’re not gonna believe this…over one thousand stars. The only known intelligent life is right here on our planet.”

Then Lem runs into the “alien” astronaut Chuck who lands on their planet and upsets his entire view on life. Chuck challenges all the preconceived ideas about the world he knew. Lem is open enough to listen, learn, and build a relationship with Chuck even though it threatens his entire worldview. After learning the truth about things he hadn’t considered before from Chuck, Lem exclaims…
“Space isn’t 500 miles. It’s not. It’s so much bigger than we can imagine. There’s billions of galaxies and each galaxy has billions of stars…And next to that, our planet is just…” Then he storms out of the planetarium on a quest to make things right.

The General is the military commander that does everything in his power to try and get rid of the “alien” astronaut Chuck. In the final showdown, Lem explains to The General what motivates him:
“I know what you’re afraid of [General] … and it’s not Chuck. It’s not monsters or aliens. It’s the UNKNOWN. I’ve spent my whole life running from it and I think maybe you have, too. But I’m telling you the unknown isn’t something to be afraid of. It can be your best friend and just when you think that it means the end of everything you know…It’s really just the beginning.”

As Lem and others go on with a new perspective their lives are changed…for the better. It was all in how Lem decided to respond to the things in his life that made the difference. The General’s heart is changed as well through listening to the youth and considering his ideas.

Get the Planet 51 DVD on Amazon.com.

LEGO Bricks and Play

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According to research, the happiest people on earth are the Danish! I guess it’s not surprising. They make LEGOs in Denmark. Who doesn’t like LEGOs?

Seriously, play is important business. A kids primary job is to play. Through play they learn and grow. One of my Child at Heart mantras is “Play More”. This is such an important life lesson. Making play out of your work can really help lower stress and make life more enjoyable.

One of the favorite toys I bought my daughters was a LEGO train set. There are so many possibilities and ways to put the track together. I figure, if I’m going to get them something to play with, I might as well enjoy playing with them. The results? Smiles, laughter, fun, and joy at seeing children delight in having you be with them.

The girls have had a lot of fun with new LEGO toys and I play alongside building some of the things we’d love to have, but that are a lot less expensive (and safer) in LEGO form like: a Jet Airplane, horse trailer, Beach House, Jet Ski and Off Road Vehicle, motorcycle, and finally a Secret Agent Mobile Command Center. (By the way, the price of many of these items may be inflated online as they are more difficult to get unless you can find them in stock at a store.)

LEGOs can be expensive, but they are very high quality toys that last for years and maintain their resale value. Look for LEGO deals on Craigslist or eBay. We got enough train track that way to run our train clear around the house! If you see a set you like, get it ASAP since LEGO regularly changes the toys it has available and once they are sold out they often do not make the set again.

Fun LEGO facts:

  • LEGO is a combination of two Danish words “LEg GOdt” which means “Play Well”.
  • There are 52 LEGO bricks for each of the world’s 6 billion inhabitants. Do you have yours?
  • Children (and adults) spend more than 5 billion hours a year playing with LEGO bricks.
  • Fortune magazine named LEGO the “Toy of the Century” in the year 2000.
  • You can arrange six eight-studded LEGO bricks in 915,103,765 different positions! That should keep you busy.
  • LEGO annual sales have exceeded $1.1 billion.
  • When you enjoy LEGOs as an adult you’re known as an AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGOs).
  • More than 235 Billion Lego parts have been manufactured since 1949.
  • LEGO is the 4th largest toy manufacturer in the world. LEGO Group employs more than 5,000 people.
  • Lego bricks are very consistent, with only 18 bricks out of every 1,000,000 made being considered defective. The design and manufacture of bricks is also consistent enough to allow bricks manufactured today to interlock with those manufactured in 1958.
  • A single Lego brick can support 430 kilograms before the onset of collapse.
  • Lego is the largest tire manufacturer in the world.
  •  Today LEGO produces not only toys but theme parks, video games, movies, robots, etc. We even have our own LEGO store in Minnesota at the Mall of America.

The LEGOs I keep on my desk remind me of fun and imagination! Here’s our family complete with RV, surf board, jet ski, bike, and private Island. I’ve also got a pontoon airplane, kayak, whale, and sports car nearby.

A recent book emphasizes those things you can learn from a kid and their toys. With LEGOs they talk about connecting relationally with others and building a foundation for leadership. Connections don’t happen by by accident. Just like a model built from LEGOs, connecting relationally requires design, intention, and work to build.

“Leadership is really child’s play. Forget the latest trends and theories! The most important leadership lessons are learned as kids, through the simplest sources – toys. In this fun and fresh book, authors Ron Hunter Jr. and Michael E. Waddell reveal how toys have already taught you the secrets of successful leadership.” Toy Box Leadership: Leadership Lessons from the Toys You Loved as a Child