DISNEY’S SWAN SONG SING-ALONG - Wk 04 S. Harris Application Academic Article

“Now it’s time to say goodbye to our [French] company.  M, I, C – See you American goons; K, E, Y – Why’d you take our culture hostage? M, O, U, S, E”

You have heard it before – I’m a huge Diznoid and a huge believer in Disney magic.  While conducting our review of Wal-mart and Bharti, and reading Kanter’s article on Collaborative Advantage, of course the Walt Disney Company kept coming to my mind.  They have nurtured many recognizable relationships, whose histories go back farther than we, the public, were even aware. Disney/Pixar comes to mind as the most recent and incredibly successful pairing. 

The company, thanks to Walt Disney’s creation of cultural icons in both his characters and theme parks created the ultimate fantasy-driven escape our every-day lives.  The original park, when seen through Walt’s eyes, was the overwhelming example of him carefully considering every single sense one uses with each step one takes through his parks. Walt surrounded himself with people sharing his rare vision and, even after his death, the company expanded through the years. While some Disney expectations seemed unconventional, his guest relations methods taught in a submersive Disney University, followed a successful formula so as to not distract from the “Show” – the Disney fantasy.

My opinion of Disney received a new gilding of gold as Kanter’s article alluded to cultural differences between Americans, Europeans, and Asians – all regions that Disney brought a little slice of American culture to. Then a cold chill crept up my back as I recalled one region, famous for its wine and cheese, who were afraid of the mouse that would come in and poke holes in their culture. I wanted to find out what had gone wrong at Disneyland Paris and what, if anything, was learned from this situation.

With Disney’s expansion into Paris, they went from the American icon to the American stereotype, “North American companies, more than others in the world, take a narrow, opportunistic view of relationships, evaluating them strictly in financial terms or seeing them as barely tolerable alternatives to outright acquisition. Preoccupied with the economics of the deal, North American companies frequently neglect the political, cultural, organizational, and human aspects of the partnership. (Kanter, 1994, p 5).” Knowing the vision that started the company, I had to believe they’d done a SWOT analysis before courting investors to help pay for Euro Disney so I’ll share key points surrounding the alliance here:

Strengths

Disney’s proven track record with theme park design and operations

Close to other Paris landmarks so vacationers will stay in area to spend more money in region

30 million people live within a day’s drive

Alliance creates 30,000 job openings

Improves the transportation system in that region

Disney’s investment would be largest investment to region

Weaknesses

France’s sagging economy

Opportunities

First theme park in the region

Europeans take longer vacations

Brings the popular American Disney destination closer to home to cheaper for Europeans

Chance to pay homage to the European heritage of many Disney stories

Threats

French are very proud of their culture, Disney perceived as a threat (Packman & Casmir, 1999, p 480)

Disney brought their blueprints, their proposal – which proved successful in other areas, and sealed the deal hoping for a happy ending.  Already there were signs that perhaps the two sides shared different ideas of what a “vacation destination” or “park” should be.

When it came time to set up housekeeping I believe Disney thought perhaps they could brush some cultural differences under the rug by simply submersing the employees in Disney University (of which I'm a graduate '91) and conforming them to the specific look and behavior – one that blends with the Show, yet offers the most generous assistance when needed.  The goal of parks was to allow people to step out of their world into the best world they could imagine. However, Parisians weren’t thrilled to have Disney spilling into their culture.  Comparing Mickey Mouse to the Mona Lisa seemed comical (Johnson, 1987). Perhaps, too, this was the first time that the question “Is this going to be a slice of America in Paris?” or “The ultimate in magical Parisian vacations?”  Out of respect, Disney set out to do both, but in doing so, things didn’t translate well. 

Disney clashed locally on many levels and spent a lot of money trying to make up for things. The pay rates didn’t fit the available lifestyles afforded nearby so Disney had to build affordable housing for employees to rent. Apparently the uniform “Disney Look” was against the law (Packman & Casmir, 1999, p 481). 1,000 employees left the park within the first 9-weeks after opening (Baldwin, Liu & Suzuki, 2005, p 5). With crowds 1 million under what they’d forecast, and spending down as well, Disney had to find a way to compromise in order to make people believe in them again (Packman & Casmir, 1999, p 476).

Starting with replacing their American head of the European park with a French local, Gilles Pellison, (who’d been educated in France and abroad in America) he bridged the culture gap comfortably (Packman & Casmir, 1999, p 482). They hired more people from all European countries, sharpened the park’s vision and balanced the entertainment and cultural education guests would receive.  Additionally they provide education to other businesses such as Amsterdam police force to improve public relations (Packman & Casmir, 1999, p 484).  They made exceptions to their usual rules such as better dining and allowing alcohol in the park – recognizing that Europeans celebrate meals, not just eat on their way to another ride.

As with every couple, Disney is settling into its relationship with Paris. The two work constantly to maintain their relationship building a Third Culture (Packman & Casmir, 1999, p 484) – one that is neither all Disney, nor all French. The Parisians, still sometimes surprised at the idea that they enjoy Disney, welcome the Disney experience and positive messages in their movies while Disney accepts the differences in culture without perceiving it solely as a challenge. 

Have they learned from their mistakes? A Disney happy ending would say yes, they lived happily ever after and all future ventures came together as easy as waving a magic wand.  With the opening of Disney Hong Kong, they still experienced significant growing pains because they did not figure out the inner workings of the travel industry, lunar calendar holidays, nor the fact that many in China aren’t as familiar with the Disney characters as their Mickey-loving Tokyo neighbors. I feel like they are quicker to react, make exceptions and amends now however. Disney has learned they don’t have the magic mirror to predict every situation – some situations may not even be predictable.  Learning to listen and respond to real-time alliance or consumer issues may be the best way to restore the fantasy! 

CITATIONS.......

All Images/Photos (C) Disney

Baldwin, J. L., Liu, A. & Suzuki, H., under direction of O'Rourke, J. S. (2005). The Walt 

    Disney Company: The launch of a Hong Kong Theme Park. Eugene D. Fanning Center 

    for Communication Business. Retrieved from 

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Johnson, B., (1987, July 26). Can Mouse, Culture Mix? Euro Disneyland Rattles the 

    French, Puts Them on Defensive. The Orlando Sentinel, Special to The Sentinel, Retrieved 

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Kanter, R. M., (1994). Collaborative Advantage: The Art of Alliances. Harvard Business 

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    International Communication Gazette, 61, 6, 473-489. doi: 10.1177/0016549299061006002