In July Tom Wolber steps down from his position as president of Euro Disney SAS and Catherine Powell, head of The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand, will take over. Upon hearing news of the move Disneyland Paris fans tracked her down on Twitter and started tagging her in everything from congratulatory messages to their own content. The best part of that? She has taken the time to read and respond to these messages. Interacting with fans of the organisation is not a new thing. Disneyland Paris has been doing it for a rather long time, the social media team keep a close eye on what is said on Twitter and a small selection of fans are reasonably frequently invited to media events in the resort. The most impressive event was the What’s New, What’s Next event which was held in September 2013 where a number of fan websites were invited to discover the upcoming plans for Disneyland Paris.
These types of events are brilliant, they keep the community engaged with the resort 365 days a year. We are excited when we hear of new elements coming to the resort, no matter how small they may be. But can Disneyland Paris improve this even more? The answer, of course, is yes. That is not to say that Disneyland Paris do a bad job, the sign of a top organisation is one that is always striving to be better. This is just a fun exercise to see where fan relations could go!
Events such as the one held for the closure of Star Tours create a real buzz around the community. I was delighted when the invitation arrived in my email inbox and was bouncing from floor to ceiling – I was devastated to have to decline the invite. This was a direct acknowledgement of a passing of a chapter in the history of Disneyland Paris. A sign of deep care and love for the park and those who call it their home. Whilst these events should not be taken for granted, it would be fantastic to see them occurring on an annual basis, even during regular park opening hours as the “it’s a small world” 50th anniversary celebrations were. These days are reasonably cheap to run, but allow each and every fan of Disneyland Paris the opportunity to take pride in their park.
Secondly, a dialogue between Disneyland Paris and fans must take place. This was something that occurred quite frequently in the Philippe Gas era through shareholder round tables but has stagnated in recent years. I understand this could be for any number of reasons, but it would be fantastic for round tables for both shareholder, and non-share bearing fans to return. And when they do return, please remember your international fans. Come to London, Belgium and the Netherlands (amongst other countries of course!). We’d love to see you!
The new president of Euro Disney SAS has been made to feel very welcome to the community, I already am of the opinion that she will do an excellent job. Interacting with the fans is a big part of creating customer loyalty, and is something I believe that Catherine Powell will excel at. Disneyland Paris already treats its fan community very well, it is exciting and interesting to consider where this will go in the future. With the 25th anniversary on the horizon, I think it is safe to say that Disneyland Paris will have something up its sleeve for we, the fans, and I cannot wait to discover the celebrations next April.
