The Walt Disney Company has announced a series of new leadership appointments in the Parks & Resorts segment, including a new Disney Experiences Chairman. This is huge news for Walt Disney World and Disneyland fans, as the future of $60 billion or more in investments needed a new steward with Josh D’Amaro promoted to CEO.
Speaking of which, let’s start there in case you missed the leadership shuffle that led to this. Early last month, the Walt Disney Company Board of Directors announced early last month that it elected Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro to become Chief Executive Officer, effective at the upcoming Annual Meeting on March 18, 2026. D’Amaro is a 28-year Disney veteran, is the architect of the largest expansion in Disney Parks history, and has led the segment to new heights financially, creatively, and in guest satisfaction according to the company.
Alongside D’Amaro’s appointment as CEO, Dana Walden, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment, has been named President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company, also effective March 18, 2026. In this historic new role for Disney, Walden will report directly to D’Amaro. Upon this transition, longtime Disney CEO Robert A. Iger will continue to serve as Senior Advisor and a member of the Disney Board from March 18th until his retirement from the company on December 31, 2026.
With D’Amaro ascending to the corner office, someone needs to take over the single most profitable division of the entire Walt Disney Company. Disney Experiences generated $36 billion in revenue in fiscal 2025 and represents over 70% of Disney’s overall operating income.
We now know that the new Disney Experiences Chairman is Thomas Mazloum, current Disneyland Resort President.
“We’re in an unprecedented period of growth for Disney Experiences,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences and incoming Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company in announcing the leadership changes. “This team will propel the world-class experiences Disney is known for to more guests across the globe.”
Thomas Mazloum succeeds Josh D’Amaro as Chairman, Disney Experiences, leading a diverse portfolio of global businesses including Disney’s theme parks, cruise ships, resort hotels, expeditions and adventures, consumer products, and Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative engine behind Disney’s experiences portfolio.
Mazloum brings deep operational knowledge of Disney Experiences, a strong record of international leadership, and a long-standing commitment to Disney’s cast members and creative culture. With the guest experience at the center of everything, he will lead the business into its next chapter as it continues to grow and evolve globally.
“Thomas Mazloum is an exceptional leader with a genuine appreciation for our cast members and a proven track record of delivering growth,” added D’Amaro. “His focus on service excellence, broad international leadership, and strong connection to the creativity that brings our stories to life make him the right leader to guide Disney Experiences into its next chapter.”
Disney Experiences also announced the following changes to its leadership team, with all roles reporting to Mazloum (links to their official Disney bios):
“As we look ahead, I have tremendous confidence in Thomas and in the leaders stepping into these roles — Jill, Tasia, and Lisa — along with the incredible leadership team across Disney Experiences,” said D’Amaro. “Together, they will continue to build on our momentum around the world, delivering the service, creativity and one-of-a-kind experiences that define Disney.”
Transitions will get under way in the next few weeks, with all roles effective March 18, 2026.
Jill Estorino Named New Disneyland President
Jill Estorino has been named President, Disneyland Resort, where she will continue to elevate the guest and cast experience at the company’s original, iconic destination.
Over her 35-year career, Estorino held numerous leadership roles, including Executive Vice President of Global Marketing and Sales for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, where she played a key role in the grand opening of Shanghai Disney Resort.
Most recently, as President of Disney Parks International, Estorino oversaw the operations, expansion and development of Disney’s international parks and resorts, including Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disney Resort and Tokyo Disney Resort with the Oriental Land Company. Estorino successfully expanded Disney’s global footprint at sites around the world, reaching new consumers and fans from around the world. Since her appointment, Disney’s international parks have seen strong performance and growth.
In her new role as Disneyland Resort President, Estorino brings a global perspective shaped by decades of leadership across Disney’s diverse portfolio of experiences. As a strong business and marketing strategist, she focuses on brand stewardship, exceptional guest experiences, and a deeply connected cast culture. Estorino will guide the resort through its next phase of growth while continuing to foster the culture and community that has defined Disneyland.
Tasia Filippatos Named New Disney Parks International President
Tasia Filippatos is appointed President, Disney Parks International, overseeing the growth and evolution of Disney’s parks outside the United States.
Most recently, Filippatos served as President of Disney Consumer Products, guiding the business through a period of transformation fueled by innovation-led growth. Her leadership included a global portfolio spanning products, Parks merchandise, retail, publishing and games while translating iconic storytelling into scaled consumer experiences through premier brand partnerships worldwide.
In her new role as President of Disney Parks International, Filippatos brings a proven track record of leading complex global businesses at scale across diverse international markets. A visionary leader at the forefront of creativity and innovation, she will oversee the operations, expansion, and development of Disney’s international parks.
Under Filippatos’ purview will be Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Resort in partnership with Oriental Land Company, and the newest Disney park coming to Abu Dhabi in partnership with Miral.
Lisa Baldzicki Named New Disney Consumer Products President
Lisa Baldzicki is promoted to President, Disney Consumer Products, where she will continue to build on the great momentum and evolution of Disney’s global consumer products business.
Baldzicki was most recently head of Parks Product Development & Retail for Disney Consumer Products, where she defined the vision and business strategy for retail product and integrated experiences across Disney’s domestic parks. She brought a consumer-led merchandising perspective to the role, shaping strategies that drive how guests engage with products and brands before, during, and after purchase.
In her new role as President, Disney Consumer Products, she will lead the continued evolution of the global retail division of The Walt Disney Company. The division includes the world’s largest licensing business with a presence across more than 100 product categories and a global reach spanning over 180 countries.
Who is Thomas Mazloum?
When previously discussing Who Will Replace Josh D’Amaro as Head of Disney Parks & Resorts? on February 4th, we wrote that Mazloum would be the most obvious choice. Looks like that turned out to be correct!
Mazloum is currently President of Disneyland Resort, where he leads 36,000 Cast Members, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, three resort hotels, and the Downtown Disney District. He’s guiding the resort during an exciting time of growth, overseeing its 70th anniversary celebration; he’s also shepherding DisneylandForward, which will unlock opportunities for expansion and investment in Anaheim for the next 40 years.
Notably, Disneyland President has historically been a stepping-stone position to bigger things in the Disney Parks. Just look at Josh D’Amaro, who held the role not that long ago.
Mazloum took over as Disneyland Resort President in early 2025, succeeding Ken Potrock who was shuffled to overseeing Major Events Integration. Before taking the reins at Disneyland, Mazloum spent several years as President of Disney Signature Experiences, where he oversaw Disney Cruise Line during a period of explosive expansion and growth that’ll effectively double the fleet size.
Prior to leading Disney Signature Experiences, Mazloum served as SVP of Operations at the Walt Disney World Resort, overseeing 31 Disney resort hotels, as well as Disney Springs, ESPN Wide World of Sports and transportation operations. His resume reads like a greatest hits of Parks & Resorts operations.
Before joining Disney, Mazloum built a strong foundation in European luxury hospitality, gaining extensive experience across high‑end hotels in food & beverage, guest services, and hotel operations. He began his Disney career in 1998, and even left the company for a while to serve as the Chief Operating Officer for Crystal Cruise Line before returning to Disney in 2017.
One under-discussed aspect of Mazloum’s career is that he was instrumental in handling the reopening of Walt Disney World. I not-so-fondly recall watching the weekly Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force livestreams and hearing regular (non)updates from Mazloum.
Our Commentary
In looking at the trajectory of his career over the last 6 years, Mazloum strikes me as a trusted D’Amaro lieutenant who has been cycled through high stakes situations that needed both a delicate touch and prompt action.
I’ve had the chance to talk to Mazloum on several occasions at various events and have come away impressed. He understands both the operational and creative sides of the business, and values the guest experience.
Most recently, I attended the Disneyland Business Update last month. This was an intimate media gathering hosted by Mazloum and other leadership from the resort, who shared plans for the future, along with changes they’ve made over the last year to measurably improve the guest experience.
That event offered extensive face time with Mazloum, who was present throughout that half-day update, delivering one presentation, watching others, and then sitting for a Q&A with media. We’ve already covered that event in multiple posts, including the following:
I still have another post coming about Cast Members and training (very positive), as well as the Disneyland arrival experience stemming from what I asked during the Q&A, which is much more negative in nature.
What I found most illuminating and impressive about Mazloum during that was his handling of the Q&A, which could fairly be described as contentious at times. At a lot of events like this, there are unserious questions asked (why it’s always key to go first and set the tone). Similarly, a lot of answers are not actual answers, but instead, quickly pivot from what was asked into whatever remarks have been prepared.
That wasn’t the case with Mazloum. He faced tough questions and mostly gave actual answers, on the spot. He was more candid about problems than I ever would’ve expected, fully recognizing and acknowledging where there’s room for improvement. (Such as the arrival experience, my personal pet peeve!)
He was well-versed with on-the-ground operations, fully in touch with the guest experience, and and wasn’t overly evasive. Not all of the answers were the ideal ones that I would’ve liked to hear, but they were honest. In hearing from other leaders and Cast Members at Disneyland, it sounds like making people feel heard and engaging in open and collaborative dialogues is one of Mazloum’s strong suits. Much like D’Amaro in that regard.
Suffice to say, there’s a reason I ranked him as the most obvious choice to succeed Josh D’Amaro as Disney Experiences Chair. He’s a strong, albeit safe, selection. My only real disappointment is that he won’t be around to steward the slate of projects at Disneyland and navigate local leadership in Anaheim. He’s already gotten several projects that needed more attention on track (minus Pandora, but that’s a different story), and my hope is that these continued to be handled properly
I’ve never met Jill Estorino, the new Disneyland President, in any meaningful capacity. I have as much knowledge about her as anyone who read the bio above. She sounds impressive based on that, so hopefully California is in capable hands!
When discussing the rumor that Thomas Mazloum would be named the next Parks Chair, we heard from some fans who had hoped that Disney would look outside the company.
The thinking was that current leadership has become too enamored price increases and are associated with negative changes to the guest experience. That it’s time for fresh blood who will shake things up. This echoes sentiment that we’ve heard throughout this whole succession process, with many fans being disenchanted by the D’Amaro decision in the first place.
Our perspective is that fans often do not consider the hard realities of these positions in the year 2026. We have a rose-colored glasses on, and daydream of boundless possibilities that are detached from real world constraints, and have little chance of ever becoming reality.
It is fallacious to assume that another theoretical candidate would not raise prices, cut costs, and so forth. So long as the Walt Disney Company is publicly traded and beholden to Wall Street investors and analysts, these fan complaints are always going to exist. The candidate who might reduce prices wouldn’t be a realistic candidate in the first place, or they wouldn’t last long on the job.
This is a point we’ve made repeatedly, perhaps best (and at length) in My Meeting with Josh D’Amaro. That explains the critical distinctions between he and Bob Chapek despite their undeniable similarities, why D’Amaro “gets” Disney unlike many executives, and why all of this matters.
There are going to be parallels between any prospective executive at Disney or any publicly traded company, or else they wouldn’t be in that position in the first place. But that’s not to say we should throw our hands up in the air and argue that any executive is going to be equally bad.
That’s absolutely not the case, as was made abundantly clear by the whole Chapek debacle. Within the parameters that they all operate, there is tremendous berth for good and bad, “getting” what makes Disney special or viewing it as just another company, valuing the guest experience, Cast Member morale, etc.
Ultimately, this is all to say that the specifics of leadership do matter. Just as we viewed Josh D’Amaro as a great pick to be the next Disney CEO when operating within the bounds of reality, we feel similarly about Thomas Mazloum as incoming Parks Chairman.
The two are actually very similar, just with different accents. Both “get” Disney, have decades of experience in Parks & Resorts, are good at listening to stakeholders, and want what’s best for the guest experience and Cast Members. They nail the foundational fundamentals of what makes Disney tick, and that’s really important.
This news might be disappointing to fans wanting to see foundational changes in the way the Walt Disney Company operates; a complete paradigm shift. That priorities, philosophy and overall direction will remain unchanged. Of course, that was never going to happen in the first place.
What this new leadership arrangement ensures is continuity, and building off the foundation and fixes made in the last few years during the post-Chapek era. Personally, I’m cautiously optimistic. That involves investing at least $60 billion on theme parks, with top-down leadership coming from a parks person and leadership that “gets” Disney, values the guest experience, and appreciates Cast Members.
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OUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on Thomas Mazloum being named new Disney Experiences Chairman? What about Jill Estorino as new Disneyland President? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
