Eurodisney
EurodisneyEuroDisney opened in April of 1992, and was expected to be the biggest attraction in France. So what happened? Were the French not into Mickey Mouse, or were they not willing to adapt to American culture? Many reasons contributed to the initial failure of Disney, and it seems Disney underestimated their influence and popularity outside of the United States.
The Europeans, mainly the French, were not eager to pay $280 on a day at the park, swollen prices placed on American food like hamburgers and milkshakes, and additional costs from $110 to $380 for hotels per night. Yet is was not only the prices that kept people away. During this period, there was a transatlantic airfare war going on, which made it possible to fly to Orlando cheaper then to drive or fly to Paris and stay at the expensive hotels. Also, the 1992 Olympics were being held in Barcelona, Spain, and the Worlds Fair was in nearby Seville, which many people chose to go to instead of the new American attraction. All this was going on right at the beginning of a recession period for Europe, which made decisions for cheaper and economical vacations for people. Disney's biggest mistake was not researching the people who were supposed to account for fifty percent of the attendance, the French. Many of the French people viewed the Disney name and company as "American Imperialism - plastics at it's worst". Many French farmers were upset over how Disney purchased the land, which was at 1971 market value. Disney did not do homework at all. The advertising that they used, which was glitz and glamour, was all wrong. The French wanted to know about the variety of rides and attractions, not the image. EuroDisney was also not to serve alcohol in the park. The French are the worlds largest wine consumers, and eating a meal without a glass is viewed as absurd.
Most of these factors would have been foreseeable and controllable if Disney looked at the demographics and psycho graphics of the country that they called their newest home. The assumptions made about the spending habits on the types of items that Disney markets were all wrong. What seems to be is Disney assumed that Europeans, Asians, and Americans shared the same view on value. Environmental factors such as competition, a recession, and the Gulf War were also causes to the primary stages.
Ethnocentrism played a big part in this situation. The French are a strong group who do not approve of the foreign influences of America. For one, the French already had a beloved cartoon character, one of which had a theme park that went through major renovations in order to compete with Disney.
Disneyland Tokyo has been a success since the moment the doors opened. The Japanese were willing to pay the inflated prices for admission, food, and Disney novelties. Disney assumed because of this success, that when the doors opened in Paris, the people and the wallets would be flying around the park. Yet in Europe, the same trend was not observed.
I do not believe that Disney would have encountered all of these problems if they chose Spain as their location. Spain is known for its low taxes, which means they might not have had to cut such a deal for land like they did in France, which upset many people. Disney would have encountered some problems like initial acceptance, but with the Olympics being held n Barcelona, it would not have been such a competition, both events would have complemented each other in drawing people. Spain is also very warm year round, giving much better conditions for a theme park.
If I was to select 3 possible locations for a new Disneyland, I would look at Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, and Las Vegas. Rio de Janeiro is a large city of over 8 million residents, and Brazil as a whole is over 170 million in population. Rio is a major tourist area, known world wide for its beaches and exotic location. One major draw is the Rio Carnival, which draws millions to Brazil for this period of time. The weather is warm year round. Another location I would look at is Sydney, Australia. Sydney, population of over 4 million, is locate in the southeast of Australia, which is home to more then 18 million people. It has a warm climate year round, and will grab much attention when they host the 2000 Olympics. The final location Is think would be a good choice for a Disneyland is Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas, known for its gambling, has really cleaned up their image and has become a destination for family vacations now. 29 million people flock to Las Vegas each year, and it also has a warm climate year round, and there is lots of desert to start something new.
I think the best location would be Sydney, Australia. The people there are more tolerant with new things, and there is many tourists going through the country already. Not to mention the Aussies make a decent living, unlike in Rio, and Sydney also has a cleaner and more polite image when compared with Las Vegas. If Disney located there, they would have to play things a little smarter. They have to know everything about the people there before they can even break ground. Also, I think Disney should change the park to give the people who go thee what they want, maybe people don't want to see the same attractions as there is in Florida or California.
In conclusion, I don't think that Disney made a mistake by opening a Disneyland in Paris. Is believe that Disney made their mistakes by not knowing how to culturally adapt to the styles of Europe, and mainly French. They thought they could market to the French the same way as they do business in America or Japan.