rfares in 1992 produced a situation where it was cheaper to travel to Disney World in Orlando than to EuroDisney in Paris, but this situation has not continued.
In that early period, the location itself was a problem. It had been selected to attract visitors from all over Europe, and the company failed to see the coming recession which reduced the ability of most Europeans to travel to France and take advantage of this park. The Gulf War added to this problem by bringing about changes in the world economy. The World's Fair in Seville and the Olympics in Barcelona competed with EuroDisney and drew away large parts of the potential audience.
In the early period of the park's operation, the French did not make use of the park in spite of its being so near, and several factors accounted for this. The Disney characters are not as beloved by the French, who have their own cartoon characters which interest them more. Many in France were hostile to the entire project, which was evident in the planning stage. Critics see Disney as a cultural bully pushing its own brand of entertainment and forcing out indigenous forms. There were also tensions with farmers and others over the way the land was acquired and developed. Disney also failed to take a proper gauge of French culture when it banned alcohol in the park. Employees also had to sport the clean-shaven Disney look, which does not fit with French culture as a whole.
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