Disney Has Reportedly Found Its New Theme Park Head, But Now I Need To Know Who's Filling That Guy's Old Job

It’s been about a month since it was announced that Josh D’Amaro would be the next CEO of the Walt Disney Company. With that, in just over a week, he will officially take over as the head of one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. Needless to say, a lot of eyes will be watching the first decisions D'Amaro makes, and one of the most important will come very soon, as he needs to decide who is going to take his old job.

D’Amaro is currently the head of Disney Experiences, the division of the company that manages the theme parks, Disney Cruise Line, and Disney Consumer Products, the major profit drivers within Disney. Arguably, the next head of Disney Experiences might be a more important appointment than the CEO or Dana Walden as the new President of Disney.

A Front Runner For The New Head Of Disney Experiences Has Emerged

A new report in Bloomberg indicates that a decision on the new leader of Disney Experiences may have already been made. It claims that Thomas Mazloum, the current President of the Disneyland Resort, is close to being named to the post, and an announcement could come this week. I’d fully expect the confirmation to be made no later than the Disney Shareholders Meeting, when D’Amaro officially takes charge next week.

Mazloum would be a solid choice in the role. He previously led Disney Signature Experiences (which includes Disney Cruise Line) before being named President of Disneyland Resort. The Cruise Line specifically has been an ever-growing part of the Disney portfolio. Joe Schott, the current head of that division, was also believed to be in the race for Disney Experiences' job.

Putting Mazloum in the top theme park job makes a lot of sense, and it answers one major question. Yet it also leads to another.

Who Will Take Over Disneyland Resort?

The new head of Disney Experiences, whoever it ends up being, will certainly be promoted from within the company, which means that while one job will be filled, another will be left vacant. If Thomas Mazloum takes the job, Disneyland will need a new President. It would be an important position under any circumstances, but I feel like it’s especially important right now.

A few weeks ago, I attended a business update at Disneyland Resort, where I met and spoke with Thomas Mazloum. A great deal was discussed during that period, everything from the decision to delay closing an attraction and the future of the reservation system to ride maintenance, Cast Member training and retention.

Something that was clear by the end of it all was that Mazloum was focused on making Disneyland more accessible to everybody. He said he was dedicated to making Disneyland vacations simpler for people to achieve and was dedicated to making sure they had a quality experience once they were there. It’s an important goal as regular price increases continue to make Disney vacations feel out of reach for many. Disneyland’s current President clearly had a vision for the resort. So what happens if he leaves?

Certainly, if Thomas Mazloum is the next head of Disney Experiences, then he will be the one making the decision of who takes over as Disneyland Resort President, and one assumes he’ll pick somebody that he thinks will do the job well, in line with his own goals for the division. But, ultimately, the new President will also have their own feelings about what Disneyland needs. As somebody who covers the park professionally, and is also a fan, I’ll certainly be watching to see what happens.