Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer Explains Why Disney Is So Successful: 'If You Saw Who Was In That Costume, You Would Die'

Jon Taffer, entrepreneur and star of Paramount Global's (NASDAQ: PARA) "Bar Rescue," believes Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) is the master of business.

He detailed why over the weekend during a speech at business, tech and pop culture super conference VeeCon. 

What Happened: Taffer stressed the importance of focusing on how a consumer is going to react to the product you sell or the service you offer. Instead of trying to build the best products, businesses should be focused on trying to create the best reactions, he said. 

"In my restaurants, we're not cooking an entrée, we're cooking a reaction ... when that plate hits the table, if you don't sit up and react to it, it failed, " Taffer said.

"Everything we do is designed to create a reaction."

He told the crowd that if someone returns to a digital platform after using it for the first time, they do so because they are reacting well to it — it's not about the actual site itself.

Words, phrasing, products and services all matter. Everything you do must have the reaction in mind, he said, adding no one does it better than Disney.

See Also: 'Bar Rescue' Star Jon Taffer Reveals 'Common Denominator For Failure' At VeeCon 2023

Why It Matters: The "Bar Rescue" star asked the crowd how many people have been to Disney World and most people put their hands up. Then he asked how many people have hugged Mickey Mouse, and again most people raised their hands.

"If you saw who was in that costume, you would die," Taffer said. "But you didn't see that person. You didn't see a costume, you saw Mickey Mouse."

Disney is the master of managing reactions, he said. When you go to Disney World, you wait in long lines, often in uncomfortable temperatures and you overpay for food, drinks and souvenirs, but you smile and have a great time because of the experience.

"Disney doesn't have employees, they have cast members. They don't wear uniforms, they wear costumes. They don't work at stations, they work on stages," Taffer said. 

Disney is able to bring their characters to life and create "unbelievably powerful" reactions to the overall experience, he said, adding we can all learn from Disney.

Read Next: Tim Tebow Channels 'Hamilton' At VeeCon 2023: 'How Do You Write Like You're Running Out Of Time'

Benzinga covered VeeCon 2023 in-person at the event. See more news from the super conference on this page and stay tuned for video from the event on Benzinga’s YouTube page.

Photo: Benzinga