It’s pretty well known around club soccer circles that events at Disney are a cut above in their organization.

While high-profile events like the Disney Soccer Showcase presented by Chelsea Football Club get a lot of attention on the competitive front, the organization hosts 10 regular events overall at its Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. These events, including eight for youth and two for adults, draw approximately 1,500 teams and somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 competitors per year.

For Director of Tournaments Mark Luster, the formula to keep people coming back is not complicated.

“The key is our basic staff. It’s not a large staff, but we have some people, including our Event Manager, Chrissy Elliott, who I think is the best in the business, who are very professional in the way they approach their work and have gained a lot of experience,” Luster said. “We don’t have the large volunteer pool that a lot of tournaments might have, but for the numbers we have we do a very good job.”

Luster cited the complex, with its 11 full-sized fields including eight under lights, as another key. Complex staff separate from Luster’s group handle items such as field maintenance and food and drinks. The facility, which also includes baseball fields, two basketball arenas, a baseball stadium, a large restaurant and an Olympic running track, makes efficient use of every inch of space at the grounds. It’s quite amazing to see how much competition can take place in such a small area of real estate.

Along with the Showcase events, the complex hosts two separate national championships for 3v3 events, plus four other events. Luster and his staff are also responsible for lacrosse and field hockey events at the complex.

The overall approach to business from the Disney corporation is what Luster credits the overall feel of Disney Soccer events to.

“It’s a Disney philosophy to put our guests first, to determine how best to meet their needs,” he said. “That’s why people come back.”