A series of nine questions related to the case of Euro Disney serve to identify key issues regarding the marketing activities of Disney with respect to its European operations. First, the poor performance of the theme park as described by Amine (614-615) can be attributed to a failure on the part of Disney strategists to recognize that French hostility toward the Disney "idea" was widespread and that the early activities of the company alienated key actors in the French government, the banking sector, the ad agencies, and other sectors. A failure to provide an affordable vacation destination, insistence on developing, owning, and organizing the entire operation, and high prices contributed to the park's poor performance.
Secondly, these factors were both foreseeable and controllable by the parent company and by Euro Disney itself. Limited market research was conducted to determine how French customers use vacation time, what would appeal to them in terms of attractions as well as cuisine, and the kind of advertising which would present a profile of the park that would appeal to the French. Third, ethnocentrism on the part of both the American parent firm and the French people inhibited the launch of this park and prevented its acceptance. The American strategists at Disney were arrogant and were determined to simply import their own model to France without consideration of French tastes and interests (Amine, 614). The French were dismissive of the American aspects of Disney.
Fourth, the cross-cultural marketing skills of Disney were lacking despite their success in the Tokyo Disney theme park. The French were less receptive to the Americanized theme park than the Japanese whose love of all things Disney made the Tokyo park an instant success. Fifth, in this context, the Tokyo success led Disney to be convinced without any reason for this opinion that they would be equally successful in France. They made the erroneo...