Chapter 9 Euro Disney Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 9 Euro Disney - Case Study Example There are significant cultural differences between Americans and Europeans, and between the Japanese. Culture affects everything from language to spending habits and attitudes towards money in general. A better reading of the cultural differences between the French and Americans could have been attained if a consumer survey was commissioned at that time which will indicate a huge gap in behavioral patterns, especially with regards to discretionary spending. Senior Disney executives could hardly be faulted for believing that the Disney brand is a surefire success since it is a great global brand but their fault was in their execution plans. They overlooked something as obvious as opening a major themed park in the very middle of a recession when people would naturally be reluctant to spend on entertainment which is very discretionary in nature. They had also put blinders on their own eyes by engaging in hubris; it was stated in the case they were even afraid of being too successful (Hartley, 2010, p. 140). It was an instance of believing in their own publicity, much like the mistake committed by most entrepreneurs who think the world will beat a path to his door because of a better mousetrap. Disney executives did not take into account the lessons from three earlier French failures. The French people is one of those rare instances in which they are bi-lingual; many of them can speak and understand English very well. The Americans, on the other hand, do not know a lot about the French language and culture. So there is clearly a cultural gap which is a cause of many misunderstandings on the part of the American executives. Tokyo Disneyland is a great success because the Japanese are obsessed and preoccupied with anything that is of American origin (ibid. p. 143). This can be contrasted with the attitudes of the French people who are fanatically proud of their culture; they do not want even