American,family,education,mirrored,in,Disney|family education

　　Abstract:Walt Disney World is the happiest place in the world and it attracts people of all ages everywhere, especially the kid and parents. I took my internship there. As a cast member, I found that it can reflect a novel method, a new relationship that is different from what we Chinese knew and that could be used as a source of reference between parents and kids.
　　Key words:Disney World Internship American family education
　　
　　Walt Disney World Theme Park located in sunny Orlando Florida opened in 1955. As an entertainment center whose motto is “WHERE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE". Saratoga Springs and Old Key West Resort Hotels are two elements of the theme park with a mission to provide " a way from home and provide a memorable moment". Today Disney has more than 70,000 cast members and operating staff. Disney"s common goal is creating" happiness" by providing the finest entertainment for people of all ages everywhere. Here you will see modest income families and affluent families celebrating their own happiness using saved money.
　　Recently returning home to China I have fond memories working as an Intern in Training at Saratoga Springs Resort Hotel in the hospitality area. During four months as a cast member I look back and find customs and etiquette throughout the world are unique in their own fashion. I met and greeted people from Europe, South America, and the USA and became conscious and knowledgeable of all of these various differences that enhanced my communication and precluded misunderstandings that may occur.
　　Absolutely, there is a lot. One point impressed me most deeply... That"s the parents" method of cultivating, educating and communicating with their kids―Their differences in managing family education compared with China. In Walt Disney World parents treat kids not as just kids; they have another title for them ―"prince" or "princess". Parents sometimes pay close attention to cultivating their kids" ability of thinking and acting by their own initiative.
　　Let me give a couple of examples that I witnessed on occasions in Walt Disney World.
　　 1. Gift Card
　　 Chinese gentlemen style is indifferent to fame and wealth. In China, parents should be breadwinner and manage money instead of kids. And Chinese parents don"t have the concept of financial education on their kids.
　　There is no doubt that there is an ocean of souvenirs in the merchandise shops. Also, the lovely princes and princesses are urged by their curiosities to buy items without a second thought in their minds. That"s not good. Wasting money is a secondary problem.
　　The primary problem is that this kind of spontaneous response will lead characteristics, such as capriciousness, lack of thinking more before making a purchase decision. Disney invented the magical card- gift card decorated by Disney characters that varies from $10 to $50. Thus, kids can slide their beloved card in any merchandise shop within Walt Disney World. Meanwhile, they will always mention themselves, "how much else do I have?", "do I have enough money for it?", "what if I would see a better one?"
　　2. Vending machine
　　One afternoon, I was waiting for the special shuttle heading towards the Downtown Disney at a bus stop. There are only me and one family: a little prince, a little princess and parents. It was quite quiet at that time. Maybe all of us lost ourselves in the magical atmosphere of Disney. Suddenly, the princess"s voice broke the silence," Dad, I"m thirsty." I glimpsed at her that she"s pointing to a vending machine. Logically, the little prince raised a same request. But dad answered him without any hesitation," No...You can not " I was confused and said to myself," Do the westerners look up to women and down on men?" Later I suddenly saw the light. The reason why the little prince"s request was rejected is that he just drunk up the little princess"s soft drink. Dad"s attitude made the prince crying and even scared the princess. However, dad said to the little princess," you are good .choose one" So the princess pressed the relatively big button by herself. Obviously, a bottle of soft drink costing $ 1.25 was not a big deal for dad, but he saved the $1.25 for a more deserved thing
　　3. Iphone
　　In Chinese family education, praise and blame is idiomatic methods. Teachers like to use Horizontal comparison, that is, using small red flag, ranking table to stimulate kids; when teaching a kid who didn"t behave well, they will always praise other kids and take him as an example. On the contrary, western parents and teachers attach importance to kids" vertical development.
　　One weekend, I was in a long stand-by waiting time for the Big Thunder Roller Coaster in Magic Kingdom. A dad stood in front of me with his little prince and little princess. That"s really a long time. The waiting line was like a lazy snake moving very slowly. I saw the dad took out his iphone and bend over to play iphone game with his kids. That"s a kind of game of enlightenment that can help kids learn letters of alphabet. The princess was older than her little brother so that she can complete all the missions. In comparison, her little brother was a little upset and frustrated. But dad didn"t praise her daughter or blame her son directly. On the contrary, he encouraged his son to learn from his sister and make it next time; told his daughter not to be conceited.
　　During my four months" internship in Walt Disney World, I also saw that little prince took care of the bus driver and bellman(to tip them); I also answered guests" phone dialed by little princesses;I also heard "sorry"," my fault" in the conversations between parents and kids.
　　Truly a Walt Disney World is not just a theme park. It is the happiest place on earth.From my observations, these reflections during my internship reflect a novel method and a new relationship with guests, families, in the theme park and hotel industry.