Membership Magic Maker Goes the Distance for Disney Vacation Club Members

Originally published at Disney Parks News

Ask Disney Vacation Club Consumer Finance Specialist Alex Lantz which Disney character he relates to most. And you might (depending on your level of cynicism) expect to hear “Scrooge McDuck.” But while his job title may call to mind a money-pit-diving mallard, his heart is with Hercules.

“I do everything in my power to ‘go the distance’ for our Members.” He told me as I visited with him for this installment of “Membership Magic Makers”. (Getting a certain song stuck in my head).

Alex grew up calling Disney Parks his happy place and Disney Resorts his “home”. All while dreaming that, someday, he’d walk out of the Walt Disney World Casting Center as a cast member. And like Herc on a roll, that’s exactly what he did.

Beginning his Disney career in housekeeping at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside before working in a Food & Beverage role at Dockside Diner at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Alex made a big leap “up” in 2019 as part of the test and opening team for the Disney Skyliner transportation system.

“That’s one of the many reasons I love working here,” Alex said of the opportunity to work in multiple areas across the company. “We are constantly encouraged to try new things and chase our dream. And in the end, that’s how we discover where we belong.”

Whether those roles have involved making a guest room “show ready” or serving snacks suitable for a social media close-up, each one shares a purpose of exceeding guests’ expectations.

Now a Disney Vacation Club cast member, Alex is part of a team faithfully focused on managing Members’ annual dues, fees, and loan payments. And while that may not sound magical at first mention, Alex forever finds a way to make magic out of the mundane.

Take, for example, the day an errant box of MagicBands that should’ve shipped to a Member’s home instead arrived at Alex’s office.

“I wanted to return the bands in person. But found that the family had already checked out of their resort and were headed home,” he said.

So instead of simply shipping the Members their MagicBands as unused mementos, he added extra magic to the shipment. Including swag and stickers from Disney Vacation Club Resorts, and a thoughtful, handwritten note.

“Every interaction sets the stage for the rest of a guest’s day. Or, in this case, for a Member’s next vacation,” he said. “Membership Magic can be made anywhere .… Whether for a family staying on property or one who’s just returned home. I see no limits.”