BLOOMINGTON - Mickey Mouse makes people laugh, but behind that lovable mouse is a well-oiled business machine.

That was among the lessons learned by 195 people attending a daylong Disney Keys to Excellence program Tuesday at Illinois Wesleyan University.

"We want the public to think about the fun and frivolity but the engine behind that is massive," said Bruce Kimbrell, a business programs facilitator for the Disney Institute.

In a session on leadership, Kimbrell touched on employee satisfaction and retention, superior customer value and employee empowerment. The seminar also featured tips on management, customer service and Disney-style loyalty.

"You're as strong as your weakest link," said Kimbrell. "We (Disney) learned from listening to the front line."

The key to learning from employees is creating an environment that contributes to information sharing, he said.

Pam Letzkus, director of the pharmacy at Dr. John Warner Hospital, Clinton, was among attendees. She wanted to learn about good customer service so her small-town hospital could remain viable, she said.

Becky Ropp, manager of career development at Growmark in Bloomington, said the program reinforced her knowledge of what makes good business.

She said it was particularly educational to learn Disney has had its ups and downs, especially during a lengthy transition period after the death of Walt Disney in the mid-1960s, and that she understood the concept.

"You got to keep working at the business structure to keep Mickey Mouse fun," she said.