Spreading Kindness through Recognition at Walt Disney World Resort
Originally published at Disney Parks News
It’s World Kindness Day, and we’re celebrating today with one incredibly special cast member who spreads kindness through recognition.
Here at Disney, it’s no secret that The 5 Keys — safety, courtesy, show, efficiency and inclusion — are important to our cast members. Equally as important, is recognizing those who go above and beyond in these areas, which is why we have an online tool called Recognize Now! to provide an easy way for cast to send each other notes of appreciation and recognize a job well done.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios cast member DiJon (DJ) Bracy set out to personally recognize his fellow cast members through Recognize Now! Regularly setting aside time each week to write personalized notes, he began highlighting the actions of his fellow peers and leaders to shine a light on anyone and everyone deserving of an extra appreciation. As you can imagine, these heartfelt recognitions soon piled up, resulting in more than 10,000 notes. Yes, you read that right…10,000.
“I always am a firm believer in appreciating others the same way you want to be appreciated,” DJ said. “It’s important for us to be noticed… for everyone to be noticed. Know that I notice you.”
DJ is known around Disney’s Hollywood Studios for his thoughtful notes sent to his peers, leaders and other cast members around Walt Disney World Resort. So in honor of World Kindness Day, we thought it was time to turn the tables and recognize him!
Since hitting the 10K mark, DJ is now working toward recognizing even more of his fellow cast members. His advice? Don’t delay.
“If you see somebody doing something [great], keep greatness going,” DJ said.
How will you be celebrating World Kindness Day? DJ is a great example of how a simple recognition or compliment can add up to make a big impact. Share some kindness with your friends, family and neighbors — and if you’re visiting us at Walt Disney World Resort, take time out to recognize a cast member making magic for our guests with the new mobile Cast compliment feature in the My Disney Experience app or share your #CastCompliment on social media.
We love seeing our cast members get recognized for the great experiences and amazing service they provide for guests and each other. From here at Walt Disney World to your local neighborhood, here’s wishing you a great World Kindness Day!
