Best In France
Christie MAIN
Jichun MAO
Guillermo MONTERO A.
Yuka HATA
Walt Disney Company
Theme Park Openings
1955 - Disneyland in Anaheim, California
1971 – Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida
1983 - Disneyland Tokyo
1992 - Eurodisney Paris
2002 – Walt Disney Studios Park, Paris
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Walt Disney Company
Percentage Ownership of Theme Parks
L.A.
100%
Florida
100%
Tokyo
Paris
License Agreement Only
39%
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Euro Disney
Euro Disney S.A.
Indirect 99% owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney
Company
Operations
Euro Disney SCA
EDL Hotels SCA
ED Resorts SCA
ED Resorts Services SCA
Euro Disney S.C.A.
Supervisory board
Oversees Management
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Euro Disney S.A.
Disneyland Resort Paris
Disneyland Park
Walt Disney Studios Park
1943 hectares of undeveloped land
Master Plan for development of Eastern
Paris
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Financial Key Figures
Revenues
1076.0
1005.2
Net Profit/Loss
959.2
38.7
30.5
00
01
02
(Euros in millions)
00
01
-33.1
02
(Euros in millions)
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Financial Key Figures 2
Breakdown of Revenues by Activities – Disneyland Paris
10% 3%
49%
38%
THEME PARKS
OTHER REVENUE
HOTELS AND DISNEY VILLAGE
REAL ESTATE
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Why Europe?
Success of existing parks in North
America and Asia
High percentage of European visitors in
Anaheim and Orlando
Two potential locations studied:
Barcelona
Paris
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Why Paris?
Number one tourist destination in Europe
Government offered a great deal
Government wanted to expand Paris to the east
Use Disney as anchor
Favorable price tag for property and loans
Favorable tax regime and financial incentives
Good potential transportation infrastructure
Highway
TGV
RER
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Product
Family entertainment destination
Theme Park
Resort
Master Plan
30 year plan signed with French government in
1987
Development of major tourist destination and
center of economic activity for East Paris
Includes theme park, real estate development, hotels,
golf course.
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Adaptation to Product
Necessity to continually add new attractions to encourage revisit
Walt Disney Studio Park added in 2002
Attractions in French and English
Newest attractions in German, Italian, Dutch, and Spanish.
Grooming Guidelines
No showy jewelry, conservative hairstyle, no sideburns
Food Habits
Assumed French wanted long leisurely lunches
French actually prefer fast food
Public Transportation
Closing time adjusted to 11pm to match RER closing times.
Alcohol served in park
First and only park to serve alcohol in Magic Kingdom.
Assumed Europeans were used to weather
Ended up covering queue, terraces, restaurants
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Key Constraints
European mindset
Prefer educational activities for children
Idea of theme park vacation is new
Competition
Abundance of short holiday destinations
Other theme parks
(Actually help rather than hurt Disneyland, by perpetuating the idea of a theme
park vacation)
Huge capital investment
The heavy pressure of payback
Company is profitable (EBITDA), but operates under huge debt ceiling
Unpleasant weather
Hours of sunshine in Florida/California (?)
Long and cold winter
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Clientele
Target Europeans living within a 2-hour
plane ride of Paris
Majority unfamiliar with theme parks at
time of park opening
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Company Values
“Cast Member” satisfaction
Work experience should be as pleasurable
as guest visits
Personal and professional growth
Community relations/volunteerism
Environmental responsibility
Exceptional customer service
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Company Values
Disney has an aggressively friendly
culture
Clashes with French culture
Not used to good service
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Challenges
American customer service style
disarming to French/Europeans guests
Unnatural for French employees
Necessity for multiple language
proficiency
French aversion to conformity
Disney’s “clean cut” policy requiring short
hair, no earrings, etc.
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Adaptation of HR (1)
Recruitment
Selection extremely important
Key to maintaining Disney experience
Challenges
Not an “Employer of Choice”
Relatively far from Paris
High turnover
Multiple language requirement
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Adaptation to HR (2)
Orientation
Less knowledgeable about Disney
Europeans do not grow up with Disney like Americans
Educate employees on the history of Disney and their parks
Instill an appreciation of Disney tradition
Ongoing
Motivational activities
Focus on employment experience
Try to make work as much fun as visiting the park
Exceptional benefits package
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Key Benefits
Employment
20,000 direct employees
50,000 employed because of Disneyland Paris’ presence
Economics
Huge contribution to the development of East Paris
Disney brand extension
European idea of Disney no longer limited to movies and
Mickey Mouse.
Most visited attraction in France.
Europe’s leading tourist destination (Annual report 2002)
Theme parks are a growth business in Europe
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We would like to thank…
Greg Morley
Director Human Resources
Paul Osterhout
Executive Producer, Vice President
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