Disneyland in Paris

When it comes to theme parks, no company has ever been as successful as The Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. In 2009, the company's theme parks received almost 120 million guests, making Disney Parks the world's most visited theme park company, almost three times as much as its next competitors. There are currently 5 park complexes in existence, with a 6th coming in Shanghai. America is covered by two complexes in the US, Asia in Honk-Kong and Tokyo.

Europe is covered by Disneyland Paris. Since its opening in 1992, Disneyland Paris (back then, Euro Disney) has grown to become the most visited theme park and location in Europe, recording a whopping 15.6B visitors in 2011. Yet, Disneyland Paris has only recorded a positive net income during 7 years (1996-2001 and 2008). How can a park with this background fail? Let us take a closer look.

1. History

a. Birth

The first time a European Disneyland was officially mentioned was in 1984, when the heads of the « attraction » department of the Walt Disney Company, introduce their project to the current CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Michael Eisner. This project was following the opening of the new Tokyo Disneyland a year before, and its great success.

Eisner was charmed by the idea, especially since the company had not been doing well in the last years. A second boost after the Tokyo Disneyland would allow the company to spread its reputation, and to be back in a strong growth position. From 1984 through 1987 the company started looking for potential building sites mostly in Spain and France.

b. Location

To find a site for their fourth theme park, the Walt Disney Company looked to Europe where Disney films historically have done better than in the United States. Because of this film success, the Western European audience already was familiar with Disney entertainment and merchandise.

The different locations envisioned, amongst which Madrid, Alicante, Montpellier, Marseille, or Paris

Finally the possibilities were narrowed down to Costa del Sol in Spain and Paris in France. Although Spain had the edge due to its climate, France had a larger population and a spectacular transportation network. The success of Tokyo Disneyland located in a cold-weather climate and the same latitude as Paris led Disney to believe they would be able to operate in similar weather conditions in Paris.

Eventually the French location won, and a site was duly investigated at Marne-la-Vallée, partly because of its close proximity to Paris, and its central positioning within Western Europe, to attract sufficient visitors. The proposed location put the park within 4-hours drive for around 68 million people, and 2 hours flight for a further 300 million or so.