It’s official. After just over a year President of Disneyland Resort, Thomas Mazlum will succeed Josh Damaro Serves as Chairman of Disney Experience. Mazloum will take over the role next Wednesday…the same day D’Amaro took over the keys to the kingdom from Bob Iger and became Disney’s next CEO.
“Thomas Mazloum is an exceptional leader with a genuine appreciation for our cast and a proven track record of driving business growth,” D’Amaro said in an official statement. “His focus on service excellence, extensive international leadership, and strong connection to the creativity that brings our stories to life make him the right leader to guide the Disney experience into its next chapter.”
We are not surprised that Mazloum was appointed to the promotion. In fact, we’ve been speculating on this possibility here on the site since shortly after Thomas was named resort president. Although he has only been president of Disney Parks for a short time, he previously served as president of Disney Signature Experiences, where he oversaw Adventures by Disney, National Geographic Expeditions, Disney Vacation Club, Aulani Hawaii Resort and Disney Cruise Line.
The cruise line portfolio is in the midst of a massive growth cycle, with Disney planning to expand its fleet from the current eight ships to 13 ships by 2031. Just a few years ago, Disney only had 4 cruise ships.
Prior to that, Mazloum served as senior vice president of operations for Walt Disney World, where he oversaw the resort’s 31 hotels, Disney Springs, ESPN Wide World of Sports and resort-wide transportation operations.
At the time of our publication, Thomas posted the following statement on his LinkedIn page:
I am so grateful as I step into my new role leading the Disney experience.
I am honored to be guided by an extraordinary team with a shared commitment to creativity, excellence and people-centered leadership to help shape the future of our parks, resorts, cruise lines, consumer products and experiences around the world.
I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Gil Estorino. Disneyland Resort is run by great people – Jill is an outstanding leader with decades of experience at our parks around the world.
I’m also excited about Tasia Filippatos, who will become president and managing director of Disney Parks International, and Lisa Baldzicki, who will lead Disney’s consumer products business.
As Walter taught us, progress is driven by optimism, imagination, and the belief that the best days are always ahead of us. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and inspired by our purpose.
Cheers to our bright future…
Who will succeed Thomas?
Also on Wednesday, Disneyland International President Jill Estorino will become the new president of the Disneyland Resort.
Estorino currently oversees Disney’s international parks and resorts, including Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disney Resort and Tokyo Disney Resort… She takes over the Anaheim role with extensive experience in global park operations.
“Looking ahead, I have every confidence in Thomas and Jill and the incredible leadership team throughout the Disney Experience,” D’Amaro said. “Together, they will continue to build on our momentum around the world and deliver unique Disney service, creativity and one-of-a-kind experiences.”
The big sale…and the big test
Mazloum’s promotion puts him in charge of Disney’s global theme parks, cruise lines, consumer products and experiences businesses…essentially half of the Walt Disney Company’s public-facing empire.
Although he has been leading Disneyland for just over a year, the move demonstrates Disney leadership’s confidence in his operating style and guest-focused approach.
Just last month, I had the opportunity to meet with Mazloum at Disneyland for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of the resort. What stood out most in that discussion was his focus on the quality of the cast and operations… two areas of growing concern among longtime Disney Parks fans.
The big question now is whether Mazloum will use this promotion to restore the operating standards that Disney fans have come to expect… or continue the cost-cutting strategies that have frustrated park guests in recent years.
Can Thomas solve the maintenance problem?
In recent years, there has been increasing discussion about park cost control, which affects maintenance cycles, recreation services and the overall visitor experience. These issues are especially noticeable at Disneyland, where fans tend to notice even small changes.
what we will focus on
This leadership change raises many interesting questions for Disney fans and industry observers.
Will Thomas prioritize operational improvements and park quality at Disney resorts worldwide? Disneyland’s recent progress on maintenance is just the beginning of what’s needed to return the resort to its previous standards…but there are other parks, like Disneyland Paris, that are in greater need of operational consistency. Can Thomas do his best to ensure that all Disney parks operate to the same high standards?
During our meeting, Thomas expressed a desire to make the park experience easier and simpler. With Lightning Alley, park reservations, mobile orders, and increasingly difficult restaurant reservations, we’re hoping he can begin to address at least some of the unfriendly processes that Bob Chapek and Josh D’Amaro have introduced to the park over the past five years.
Could we see changes to the recent cost-cutting measures affecting Disneyland entertainment? While the former president of Disneyland cut back on big shows, Thomas has yet to bring back big shows on the Disneyland stage. He now has the power to unlock the budget and allow Gil Estorino to be the hero who brings back entertainment.
If that doesn’t happen soon, we’ll know one of two things: Either Thomas doesn’t think it’s necessary… or he’s being blocked from returning to entertainment by new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, who was involved in canceling many of these products in the first place.
How will his background with cruise lines and specialty experiences impact the future of the park? It can be said that Disney Cruise Line offers the highest level of service and entertainment within the company. If Thomas can instill cruise ship standards into Disney parks and hotels, that would be a major improvement.
What direction will Jill Estorino take as she takes over the leadership of Disneyland in an era of great Disneyland expansion? After years of cuts and neglect, Thomas is just beginning to turn things around at Disneyland. We hope Jill continues this work. But this is far from guaranteed.
The operational quality standards at many Disney International parks are significantly below the expectations of Disneyland visitors. It’s worth reminding Jill that she’s not just running another theme park…she’s playing a character created by Walt Disney himself.
This is not just an important job. It’s a rare honor that comes with great expectations. It is the responsibility of Disney fans to make these expectations clear.
One thing is certain: With a new CEO and a new chairman of the Disney Experience division taking office on the same day, there is a mixture of hope and concern about the next chapter for Disney Parks and Resorts.
What problem would you like to see Thomas and Jill tackle first?
