When I think of a morning show, I think of Walt Disney and his vision of Disneyland. Disney was truly a visionary in the entertainment industry. When he conceived the idea of Disneyland, his vision was one based on an experience and not just individual rides. He wove his brand into the fabric of the park, from the smallest ride to the landscaping and even the trashcans. There was no part of the park that was overlooked. However, Disney made sure the parts did not overshadow the whole experience.

The same can be said with morning radio. Parts do not make the experience, but the parts are important for its success. Each and every item has to be carefully thought out to reinforce the brand. As a Morning Personality its important to understand this. Often a Morning Talent gets caught up in the parts of their show and loses touch with the experience.

There are important parts to a morning show. Show prep and comedy bits are vital but could be compared to Space Mountain and The Matterhorn. They're fun, but they don't make Disneyland. Morning radio must be thought of the same way; being local on the air, getting involved with the community, and making lots of appearances could be compared to Main Street, The Monorail and Cinderella's Castle. By themselves these attractions cannot live up to the expectation of their visitors.

Walt Disney took a great personal interest in the success of his vision. I do the same when it comes to my vision of a morning show. I take great pride in ensuring that the experience exceeds the expectations of the listener. I take the time necessary to see that all the parts are in place and working properly. If any part is not working properly or helping to raise the experience level then it will be replaced. There should never be anything on the air that does not lend itself to exceeding the listeners expectation.

Over the years Disneyland has constantly been reinventing itself in order to remain successful. They have added new key attractions to more recently a whole new amusement park. However, Disneyland still holds sacred those key benefits that made it what it is today. The same applies for morning shows. A successful morning show must always look to reinvent itself to remain fresh, while at the same time keeping those things in place that listeners return for time and again.

Disneyland has some of the best brand marketing out there today. Through their commercials, retail stores and TV specials, someone who has never been to Disneyland has set an expectation of what it would be like if they were to visit. Morning shows must do the same. They need to find ways to transcend their reach beyond 6 to 10. One of the best ways to accomplish this is for a morning show to get out and market themselves in person. By doing this they can set an expectation for listeners who have never listened. With this expectation in place, someone is more prone to want to listen.

Walt Disney knew what was important in creating a place that people would come to again and again. He knew that it came down to the experience and thats what would make Disneyland a success. A Morning Talent that focuses on the experience the same way can exceed peoples expectations, have long-term success, build an enduring franchise in a market and get listeners to come again and again. That has been my long-term personal goal, to build that type of show. After all dont you want your listeners to think of your station as The Happiest Place On The Dial?