Lately, The Walt Disney Company has seen quite a shakeup in leadership. Bob Iger stepped down as CEO, with former Chairman of Disney Experiences Josh D’Amaro taking his place.

Walt Disney Company Headquarters in Burbank

The President of Walt Disney World recently announced he was retiring this year, and now, even more leadership changes have been revealed, including the NEW Walt Disney World President. Let’s get into everything you need to know!

Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Malzoum recently announced a series of senior leadership appointments at The Walt Disney Company.

Walt Disney Company Headquarters ©LA Times

Joe Schott has been appointed President of Walt Disney World Resort. Schott has more than 40 years of leadership across world-renowned destinations in Asia, Europe, and beyond. He recently served as President of Disney Signature Experiences, where he oversaw the launches of two new ships, the Disney Destiny and Disney Adventure. Before that, he led Shanghai Disney Resort through a major expansion phase, including the opening of the Zootopia-themed land.

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Natacha Rafalski has been appointed President of Disney Signature Experiences. This division encompasses Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Aulani – A Disney Resort & Spa, Adventures by Disney, National Geographic Expeditions, Storyliving by Disney, and Golden Oak. Before this appointment, she served as President of Disneyland Paris since 2018. She also played a key role in the development of Shanghai Disney Resort and negotiated one of the most consequential theme park development agreements in the company’s history, before serving as Chief Financial Officer of The Walt Disney Company Greater China from 2013 to 2017.

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Finally, Christophe Murphy has been promoted to President of Disneyland Paris. Murphy is an experienced leader with more than 35 years at The Walt Disney Company. Originally joining Disneyland Paris in 1991 during the resort’s pre-opening phase. He has risen through every dimension of resort operations, including theme parks, Disney Village, hotels, entertainment, merchandise, food and beverage, and franchise integration. He returned to Disneyland Paris in 2023 as senior vice president, Operations, overseeing all operational strategy for the resort, including the delivery of the major expansion that introduced Disney Adventure World and World of Frozen to guests in March 2026.

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The new leaders will assume their roles by the end of July.

©Disney | Walt Disney Company Headquarters

“Disney Experiences is in the midst of unprecedented expansion with more new projects underway across our global portfolio than at any other moment in our history,” said Thomas Mazloum, Chairman, Disney Experiences. “These appointments reflect the depth of leadership talent driving Disney Experiences. Joe, Natacha, and Christophe have a deep appreciation of the guest experience, possess extensive financial and operational expertise, and a proven ability to deliver at scale. I have complete confidence in each of them to build on the remarkable momentum underway across these businesses and to write the next chapter of Disney’s story.”

Hey Mickey!

We’ll continue to keep an eye on the latest Disney news you need to know about and more. In the meantime, stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog!

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