Can You Take a Wild Guess of Which is the Most Successful Smart City in the World?

Disneyland is the correct answer in case you got that wrong!

Even though it´s kind of hard to believe, it is a real city, and a very big one. And it´s also the most successful example of a smart city. Disneyland is the world´s most multicultural city, both in terms of habitants and visitors. They have it all, from mice to ducks, not forgetting the lions and humans.
It is always so crowded with people and events but somehow the city authorities manage to make everyone get along with everyone else and more importantly, people are always so happy all the time.

Furthermore, everyone loves Mickey Mouse, the mayor of this smart city. It´s incredible that people stand in a line for hours just to get a picture with him.

What do you think are the keys to all this success?

1. The responsible people at Disneyland know what their customer´s journey is. Everything, from the moment visitors start thinking about going there until way long after they leave, is carefully thought of.

It all starts with planning the visit to this smart city. A user friendly Web site gives all the resources available to plan your visit from how to get tickets to accommodation, to what to do while you´re there. And this what to do covers everyone from 1 to 99 years old. It caters to the needs of every single person that decides to visit. Each person defines their own “My Disney Experience” to customize the visit to specific needs and preferences.

2. They also make good use of technology to add intelligence to the customer experience. For example, each visitor in the city has a magic wrist band that enables them to access the parks, check into the hotel, eat at restaurants, ride the transports, and so son. The habitants of this city do not need anything else because all of their needs are met with a simple touch of a wrist band into a screen. Another coolest features of this customer experience is the fast pass. People use it to avoid standing in line at the attractions, it works as a reservation mechanism to avoid waiting times.

3. A mobile app enhances the user experience by simplifying the visit. For example, an interactive, GPS-enabled map displays useful information about the city, such as the show times and alarms that alert to attractions, such as fireworks and parades. Last but not least, the photo pass service ensures that everyone has photos and videos of this magical experience. It´s like the cherry on top of the cake that closes the journey of the customer in this smart city.

Technology plays a big role in the running of this very successful city. The people responsible for running it were able to put themselves in their customer´s shoes and take advantage of technology to make the difference into the way they designed customer experience. They have thought of every detail to ensure that everyone feels welcome and has the best time at Disneyland.

The city works well and it is very well organized. It successfully maps each of their customer´s journey and offers a personalized experience that turns happy customers into brand advocates.

Many people live in Disneyland. Just a few statistics for 2014:

• 52,964 average visitors per day totaling 19,332,000 for the year.
• transit system that consists of more than 270 buses, 12 monorail trains and a fleet of boats and water taxis
• 2,000 acres of turf, requiring 450,000 mowing miles every year to keep in shape. That’s the equivalent of 18 trips around the Earth at the equator.
• Staff plants 3 million bedding plants and annuals, along with 4 million shrubs, 13,000 roses and 200 topiary every year.