The Early Failure of Disneyland Paris: A Look Back

With the success of Tokyo Disney, what could go wrong with Disneyland Paris?! Everything. Find out more about the international House of Mouse.

When it first opened, Disneyland Paris was a massive failure for the Walt Disney Company and the French government. Originally known as Euro Disney, the theme park was constructed without the input of the French people, and it didn’t take long to figure out how the locals felt.

After fighting Disney’s well-known appearance rules, protests were waged. An overall dislike for Disney developed, spreading from Paris to the rest of France. Only a fraction of the expected attendees showed up when opening day arrived. The day was considered a complete disaster. And after opening day, it only seemed to get worse.

The economy took a toll on ticket sales, a roller-coaster issue caused some guests to be injured, and employees kept quitting. The entire French-American effort seemed to be crumbling. Eventually, years later, the park began to turn a profit. It finally seemed as if Disney might have another success on their hands. In a brilliant move, the park officially changed its name from Euro Disney Resort to Disneyland Paris, most likely to distance itself from the early days of failure.

Watch a breakdown in The Failure of Euro Disneyland:

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