Euro-Disneyland Case Study

Euro-Disneyland: Lessons
Learned
Table of content:
• History of Walt Disney company’s park
theme.
• Why did Disney Choose France.
• The French feeling culturally imposed.
• Assumptions made by Disney.
• Lessons learned from the Euro-Disney

experience.
• Recommendations.
View Slides
History of Walt Disney’s
Company Park Theme
• Walt Disney had experienced nothing but success in the
theme park industry ever since its first park in California
back in 1955
• In the 1970’s, the same success was seen in Florida.
• Same was seen in 1983, Disney also then had success in

Japan with the Tokyo Disneyland.
• After all the success seen in California, Florida and Japan,

Disney decided to shift its gaze to the French capital Paris.
Next Slide
Why France?
Some of the major reasons why France were
chosen are:
• Due to France’s demographics and

subsidies
• The amount of traffic creating a Disneyland

in Paris was going to drive
• The French Government, who offered the

company more than 1 billion dollars in
various incentives
Next Slide
The French feeling culturally
Imposed
Disney came into Paris with their own Americanized ideas as some of
the Locals described it, there were so many instances of this such as:
• Parisian Intellectuals who attacked the transplantation of Disney’s

dream world as an assault on French culture
• Also, there was the minister of culture who announced that he would
boycott the opening, proclaiming it to be “an unwelcome symbol of
American cliches and a consumer society”
• The globally televised act of protest by the French farmers
Next Slide
Correct assumptions made by Disney
on the French’s tastes and preferences
• Disney's assumption that the French valued cultural heritage was correct. Disney
made sure to incorporate French culture into the park, including French street
performers, and paid attention to the architectural details of the buildings in the
park.
• Disney assumed that French consumers preferred more sophisticated

entertainment and cultural experiences. Based on this, the company successfully
incorporated elements of French culture into the park, such as a reproduction of the
Palace of Versailles.
Next Slide
Incorrect Assumptions and
operational errors made by Disney
Disney made some wrong assumptions and errors, some of these errors were:
• Disney assumed the Europeans do not take breakfast and downsized the
restaurants.
• Assumption of Peak days
• Disney's assumption on what the French consumers would want for breakfast
• Disney’s Assumption on the timing of lunch
• They assumed that the same teamwork model used with staff in Japan and
America would work for France
• Disney’s policy of serving no alcohol in the parks was met with astonishment in a
country where a glass of wine for lunch is a given
Next Slide
Lessons learned From Euro-Disney
Experience
Disney made a lot of mistakes when trying to break into the French Market.
However, some lessons learned from those mistakes were:
• Very deep and targeted market research should be carried out before
starting any business.
• The success of one project according to the parameter of one society and
culture does not guarantee same success in another location.
• There should be a good employee-employer relationship in an organization
• Integration of indigenes is essential to the success of a business in a new

location.
Next Slide
Improving Disney’s Initial Reception
in France
• Disney could have conducted more extensive market research to
understand the tastes, preferences, and cultural differences of French
consumers.
• Disney could have taken into account the unique cultural characteristics
of France when designing the park. For example, they could have made
the system of management more flexible, included more French inspired
attractions, themes, and foods to appeal to local tastes.
• Disney could have priced tickets more appropriately to appeal to French

consumers. This could have included offering discounts for local
residents, or pricing tickets based on local purchasing power.
By taking these steps, Disney could have had a more favorable initial
experience in France and reduced the mistakes associated with the launch
of Euro-Disney
Next Slide
In retrospect, was France the best choice for
the location of Euro-Disney?
In retrospect, it is arguable that France may not have been the best choice for the location of Euro-Disney.
• One of the primary factors that made France an attractive location was its proximity to other major European cities:
This made it easy for visitors from other countries to travel to the park. However, this advantage was offset by
several factors that Disney did not adequately take into account, such as cultural differences, labor laws, and
economic conditions.
• One of the biggest challenges faced by Disney in France was the cultural differences between American and French
attitudes towards leisure, entertainment, and customer service: Disney's highly scripted and structured approach to
theme park management did not always resonate with French consumers, who value a more relaxed and
spontaneous approach to leisure activities. This led to complaints about long lines, high prices, and limited food
options at Euro-Disney, which in turn affected the park's reputation and attendance.
In hindsight, Disney might have been better served by choosing a location that was more culturally and economically
similar to the United States. This would have made it easier to replicate the successful formula that had worked in
other Disney parks around the world. Alternatively, Disney could have invested more time and resources in researching
the local market and tailoring its offerings to meet the needs and preferences of French consumers.

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Euro-Disneyland: Lessons

• Why did Disney Choose France.

• The French feeling culturally imposed.

• Assumptions made by Disney.

• Lessons learned from the Euro-Disney

• In the 1970’s, the same success was seen in Florida.

• Same was seen in 1983, Disney also then had success in

• After all the success seen in California, Florida and Japan,

• Due to France’s demographics and

• The amount of traffic creating a Disneyland

• The French Government, who offered the

• Parisian Intellectuals who attacked the transplantation of Disney’s

• The globally televised act of protest by the French farmers

• Disney assumed that French consumers preferred more sophisticated

• Assumption of Peak days

• Disney’s Assumption on the timing of lunch

• There should be a good employee-employer relationship in an organization

• Integration of indigenes is essential to the success of a business in a new

• Disney could have priced tickets more appropriately to appeal to French

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