Euro Disney
“Euro Disneyland”
Q. 1 What kind of entry and business strategies to expand into new markets did Disney pursue prior to entering the European market and how successful has the company performed since its entry into that market.
Disney first expanded overseas to Urayasu City right outside of Tokyo. The park was an exact replication of Anaheim’s Magic Kingdom, utilizing an ethnocentric orientation. Ronald D. Pogue said “Everything we imported that worked in the US works here.” They later found out not everything could be the same. On opening day, managers realized nearly one hundred public telephones were placed too high for Japanese guests to use comfortably. Also, the counters on snack stands were entirely too tall.
Today, inside one Victorian building is Main Street's first Chinese restaurant, the Plaza Inn, crafted as a stylish tea shop from early 20th century Shanghai. The interior has traditional landscapes of the Chinese countryside painted on the walls. The murals have been based on the Disney animated movie Mulan, which was inspired by a Chinese legend. Also, Dim sum is on the menu, as is seafood fried rice. "It's turn-of-the-century America, with a Disney overlay, with a Chinese overlay," says Tom Morris, one of the park's chief "imagineers"--Disney lingo for creative designers. "You can go to different places and different times."
Q. 2 What has been the major problems and challenges as Disney operates in Europe?
Identify these in terms of:
- Cultural
- Managerial and other non-cultural problems that have plagued Euro Disney. Managerial problems include planning, organizing, and other functions Disney may overlooked or failed at.
Euro Disneyland made many mistakes, both culturally and managerially. In its first year, attendance at Euro Disneyland was projected to have eleven million visitors, most of which would be people residing in France. The outcome was...
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