Visitors wearing emblematic Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse ears walk in front of the Sleeping Beauty-inspired castle at Disneyland Paris, Oct. 16, 2023.
Ian Langsdon | Afp | Getty Images
Three years ago, Josh D’Amaro stood in a nearly empty Disneyland.
The California theme park’s Main Street was quiet: no cheery tunes from famed barbershop quartet the Dapper Dans, no clanging railroad bell, and no wafting scent of waffle cones from the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor.
It had been more than a year since the Covid pandemic had forced Disney’s domestic parks to shutter, but D’Amaro, chair of Disney’s experiences division, was confident guests would flood back in when the gates reopened.
His confidence was well founded. D’Amaro’s division is now Disney‘s best-performing segment, rebounding and offering stability in recent quarters as Disney shuffles to adapt its entertainment business to match…
