Extension Keys

What is an Extension Key?

While at the Disney Institute, the OSU Extension team learned that Walt Disney’s vision for a great guest experience involves safety, courtesy, the show, and efficiency, in that order. Since then, Disney has added inclusion. These are collectively called “the five keys”—meaning the keys to operating priorities that guarantee quality standards and behavioral guidelines (Disney Institute, 2019, p. 9). They are clearly defined; have a repeatable message; are observable, trainable, and coachable behaviors; and create accountability.

These keys provide the framework for decision making that can be exercised at all positions of the organization. Whatever situation a Disney employee faces that demands a decision, the first quality standard is safety. Will the customer or experience be safe? The other four keys are important, but safety comes first. In the Disney Cast Member Safety and Health Handbook: Safe Begins with Me, it is clarified that “Safety is the responsibility of everyone, from the chairman of the board to the newest cast member” (n.d., p. 2).

For more information, contact Teresa McCoy mccoy.860@osu.edu or Rob Leeds leeds.2@osu.edu

Extension Keys Document


View the "I am Extension" video below.


Resources:

Extension Keys Roll Out for 2022 PPT

Extension Keys and Vision Overview.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions