Disneyland Paris unveiled an expansion dedicated to the world of Frozen, a key part of a multibillion-euro effort to boost visits at the theme park that’s facing increasing competition in Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron touted the launch as an example of his efforts to attract foreign investments. The development, which adds new areas based on Marvel, Frozen and the Lion King, as well as new attractions and live entertainment experiences, was announced in 2018 by Macron and Bob Iger, Walt Disney Co.’s chief executive officer at the time.
During a visit to the site outside of Paris on Friday, Macron said €13 billion has been invested in the region since “the beginning,” when Disney chose the site for the park, including €2 billion ($2.3 billion) dedicated to the three latest areas. Some 1,000 jobs will also be added to the site, he said. The parks area also encompasses a nearby mall and hotels.
Macron inaugurated the new land, which opens Sunday, alongside Disney’s new CEO, Josh D’Amaro. The former head of the company’s theme parks, cruises and consumer products division took over from Iger earlier this month.
“I am so proud of this partnership, to be part of the history of France, and there is such a bright future ahead,” D’Amaro said.
Inaugurated in 1992 as Disney’s base to target European tourists, the amusement park is one of the continent’s biggest tourist destinations, attracting more than 445 million visits since it opened, according to Disney. But now rivals are stepping up. Comcast Corp. has plans to build its first European Universal theme park in the UK, with construction expected to start this year. Local Paris rival Parc Asterix is set to open a sister site in Leipzig, Germany. French history-themed park Puy du Fou has opened a site in Spain, and plans a UK version as well.
Disneyland Paris’ new area expands one of the two parks, previously known as Walt Disney Studios, now re-branded as Disney Adventure World. It doubles the size of the park, with an excavated lake, attractions and restaurants, and a walkway leading visitors to a Scandinavian-inspired village out of the world of Frozen. The Lion King features are still in the works and aren’t open yet.
The resort is well connected by train to the French capital, allowing for easy day trips. With the extension, however, Disney hopes more guests will stay overnight in one of its themed hotels, taking multiple days to visit each of the parks.
Opening Adventure World is one of D’Amaro’s first public events as the new CEO. He takes the helm at a critical time for the century-old company as it makes a transition from traditional TV viewing to the streaming era. Disney’s theme parks, cruises and consumer products division is by far the company’s biggest source of profit, and it’s the business D’Amaro knows best.
But the new boss has faced a turbulent start at home, where he’s had to deal with several issues in his first week on the job, including the termination of a high-profile partnership with OpenAI.
Berthelot writes for Bloomberg.
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