This is Planet Money from NPR.

Let's say it's your birthday and you want to do something special.

Now, what can I help you with today?

So you decide to call up Disney World.

Please tell me the reason for your call in just a few words.

Some examples are how late is the magic kingdom open tonight?

What you really want is to eat inside the magic kingdom at Cinderella's Royal Table

Restaurant.

Okay, let me get someone to help you.

To make sure I get you to the right agent, I just need a little more information.

That right agent, once upon a time, very well might have been a woman named Yvonne Corp.

And she would have tried to help you.

Well, I basically would say, did you have any dates in mind?

Do you have any celebrations that we need to celebrate?

That way we can make note of that.

And so you tell Yvonne, yeah, it is, in fact, my birthday.

And I want to try the clock strikes 12 chocolate mousse, which is a real dessert on the menu,

by the way.

We would know that it's your birthday and they would try to do something magical, whether

it's sitting by a window so you can see the fireworks.

Sometimes they would have menus printed with your name on it.

At first, Yvonne loved doing customer service for Disney dining.

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