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...
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