Disneyland Resort Paris - Case Study Example

Disneyland Resort Paris Markets being aimed for by the Disney resorts and parks The growth and development of the theme parks and resorts by Disney offer individuals a wide variety of entertainment and family fun. This is the market Disney resorts aim for in terms of its main market. Fun for the family and young adults is the reason these parks exist to begin with, as the holidays offer more of this time. However, Disney’s services and products offer a wider market for children than adults and young people (Case Study 1). People want to be associated with the fantasy world of Disney, but the creation of characters from the fantasy world does not necessarily appeal to everyone. The park’s management has realised this. They are, therefore, making it possible for everyone to enjoy the resorts and parks by introducing more activities that involve everyone. The rides the parks offer have had claims that they are less scary than other parks. Disney is, therefore, working on this to ensure young adults, as well as children, have a variety when it comes to their parks and resorts (Case Study 1). By advancing the architectural style of the parks and resorts, Disney is willing to reach into the heart of the different people that want their cultural heritage to remain intact without outside influence. This goes a long way in boosting the annual visitors who grace the Disney parks and resort, thus; boosting the annual revenue that the company gains (Case Study 3). Was Disney’s choice of the Paris site a mistake? Disney choice of penetrating the European market through Paris was not a mistake. The site provided the organization with an opportunity to offer the people employment. Also, the number of visitors that would grace the different areas of Disney would be tremendous. This vast number would be brought on by the fact that it was a location people would access easily, without getting too tired for the ultimate fun vacation. The transport links in the area offer the organizing body an avenue to reach more people than any other area that would have been chosen. As an attractive vacation spot, Paris offered the perfect conditions to start a Disney park or resort (Case Study 3). The financial incentives offered give the company a reason to invest in Paris. This is because the capital would also give the company time to invest in the region bringing in revenue for both the local and national government. These incentives gave the sponsors of the park a chance to figure out what amount of capital they could save and make while running their business in the region. Also, research carried out proved that Paris was the perfect choice to start parks and resorts. This was true because the French people would be glad to have a Disney park in their region. However, the climate was an area of concern for the whole group. It was believed that low climate would not provide that happy feeling exhibited in many areas where other Disney parks thrived. This issue was pushed aside by the fact that, Disney Tokyo was a success despite the climatic conditions (Case Study 3). What aspects of their parks’ design did Disney change when it constructed Euro Disney? To satisfy most of the French people’s desires, Euro Disney advocated for an American ‘wild-west’ theme. Research indicated that the French would want to associate themselves with that image of America. Rides in the park and hotels were thus designed to bring out this theme. Another issue that presented a problem to the organizers of the park was the problem of Americanizing the park. Critics from the government and press thought that the park would culturally erode the French. This was by bringing in characters from the famous entertainment franchises that portrayed American themes (Case Study 4). Training staff to be perfect was also difficult for the group. The organizers had to purchase areas where the staff members would stay while under training. To counter these threats, the organizers thought it wise to give the park a theme that stressed the European culture more. These changes came in the form of making the characters more European, and at the same time, increasing the sense of fantasy and beauty. In terms of food, Euro Disney wanted to counter the popularity of fast food that is particularly famous in America. It did this by featuring an assortment of foodstuffs from different parts of the world in their restaurants and snack bars. Also, European patience is unlike that of Americans. Standing in queues for a long while does not particularly interest them. To curb this problem, diversions, in the form of films were created. This was to offer the public something to engage them actively while waiting their turn to be served (Case Study 4). What did Disney not change when it constructed Euro Disney? As the pressure to satisfy most of the European needs increased, it was crucial for the organizers of Euro Disney to stick to their original plans. If they did as most of what the critics demanded, they would have ended up dissatisfied with the entire process. At the start of the training process, it was crucial to stick to the plans in most of the parks under its name. This came in the form of the stringent measures it placed on the grooming requirements of its staff. There were set standards and requirements for hair and nails among the staff in all parks. Euro Disney was no exception. This meant that the staff and all those working in the company’s name had to adhere to the measures. This is as the organizers thought it unwise to make an exception for publicity’s sake (Case Study 5). Also, the wearing of appropriate undergarments by the staff proved a problem to the organizers of the park. Critics, among them trade unions and the French press, claimed that these requirements were strict and unreasonable under their European culture. This did not change anything among the organizers as they took a stand to respect the grooming requirements among the staff. Also, staff recognition programmes remained the same in Euro Disney. This was as with every Disney Park that existed at the time and even today. It was crucial for the training process to cater to the need of its customers (Case Study 5). To make sure this would happen, the park contained phones connected to a central hotline. This would enable employees answer questions customers posed while in the park. What were Disney’s main mistakes from the conception of the Paris resort through to 2006? One of the biggest mistakes by Disney was thinking they could dictate what the Europeans could behave while in the park. By restricting the use of alcoholic beverages in the park, the uncertainty of having French customers was high. The French like taking wine and beer with their food. Restricting alcohol use in the park proved challenging to the organizers as the French thought of it as being unpopular. Another reason was the leaving of employees because of the long hours the park organizers required of them. They did not understand how Europeans worked, and this was one of the biggest mistakes the organizers made from the conception of the Paris resort (Case Study 6). The thought that recession did not affect the entertainment industry made a gigantic problem for this group. People opted to live for other parks in America because of the cheap dollar (Case Study 6). This made it particularly difficult for the sponsors of the park to keep a steady flow of capital into the park. The lack of enough rides in the park was also a mistake. The mistake was thinking that the Europeans did not want to enjoy these rides as Americans would, while at the park. To counter this problem, there was the opening of the ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril’ ride that helped calm things down. Some of the mistakes were attributed to lack of capital. Banks were asked to restructure the park’s debt, and provide capital that would help run things until they got back on their feet. This worked in favour of the park as the banks did exactly that to avert the risk of being abandoned, and left with worthless real estate. This turned things around for the park and its organizers, making the park a success (Case Study 7). Works Cited Case Study (abridged). Disneyland Resort Paris. Chilcoat, L., and Acciano, Reuben. Western Europe. New York: Macmillan Publishers, 2005. Print. Lane, W. Henry, and Deetz, Joerg. International Management Behaviour: Leading With a Global Mindset. London: Sage Publishers, 2012. Print. Veness, Simon. Disneyland Resort Paris: And Paris Attractions. London: Macmillan Publishers, 2008. Print. Read More