Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum has announced three significant senior leadership appointments, including a new president for Walt Disney World Resort, effective immediately.
Joe Schott has been named President of Walt Disney World Resort, succeeding Jeff Vahle, who is retiring after a 36-year career with the company. Schott brings more than 40 years of international Disney leadership to the role, having most recently served as President of Disney Signature Experiences, where he oversaw the launches of the Disney Destiny and Disney Adventure cruise ships. Before that, Schott served as president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, where he led the opening of the Zootopia-themed land and helped the resort surpass 100 million guests in under a decade. Earlier in his career, he served as chief operating officer of Disneyland Paris and as executive managing director of Walt Disney Attractions Japan. His Disney career began right here in Florida, as a Jungle Cruise Skipper at Walt Disney World.
Natacha Rafalski has been appointed President of Disney Signature Experiences, stepping into the role Schott vacated. Rafalski is a 30-year Disney veteran who previously served as President of Disneyland Paris since 2018, where she spearheaded the resort’s multi-billion-dollar transformation of Walt Disney Studios Park into Disney Adventure World. In her new role, she will guide the next phase of Disney Cruise Line’s fleet expansion, which is set to grow from eight ships today to 13 vessels by 2031. Rafalski also played a key role in the development of Shanghai Disney Resort and negotiated what Disney describes as one of the most consequential theme park development agreements in company history.
Christophe Murphy has been promoted to President of Disneyland Paris, taking over from Rafalski. Murphy has spent more than 35 years at Disney, originally joining Disneyland Paris in 1991 during its pre-opening phase. He most recently served as senior vice president of Operations there, overseeing the delivery of Disney Adventure World and World of Frozen, which opened to guests in March 2026. Murphy also brings experience from a stint as vice president of Operations for Walt Disney Attractions Japan, where he worked closely with Oriental Land Company on Tokyo Disney Resort.
“Disney Experiences is in the midst of unprecedented expansion with more new projects underway across our global portfolio than at any other moment in our history,” Mazloum said in the announcement.
For Walt Disney World specifically, the timing of this transition is notable. The resort is currently in the middle of its largest Magic Kingdom expansion in history, with new lands also in development at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Whoever leads the resort through this period will have a direct hand in shaping what Walt Disney World looks like for the next generation of guests. Schott’s deep background in major international expansion projects makes him a fitting choice for exactly that assignment.
Our Take: This is a well-considered set of moves. Schott coming back to where he started as a Skipper, now to run the whole operation, is the kind of full-circle story that matters in a company built on storytelling. More importantly, his track record in Shanghai and with cruise line expansion signals that Disney wants someone who knows how to build at scale, not just manage what already exists. Walt Disney World is entering one of the most consequential development periods in its history, and this appointment suggests Disney leadership knows it.
Disney Experiences Names New President for Walt Disney World Resort
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