The burning question for fans of Walt Disney World and Disneyland first and foremost is who becomes the Chairman of Parks & Resorts (sorry, Experiences) now that Josh D’Amaro has been named the new CEO. This post speculates about top contenders, who we view as dark horse long shots, and more.
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.
Not only that, but the company’s current 10-year plan calls for investing $60 billion into Parks & Resorts, with that spend largely being backloaded. Many projects are already in flight with construction needing to be navigated; others are still in development and have yet to even take-off.
The stakes are higher than the wait time for Slinky Dog Dash, and the decision will shape the future of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and parks around the world for decades to come. It’s not just the Parks Chair position that’s important, but all of the local-level leadership changes that are inevitable once D’Amaro starts assembling his team. The CEO decision will have a cascading effect on plenty of other important positions.
For reference, the last time Disney named a new CEO, it was Bob Chapek moving up to the top spot on February 25, 2020 when Bob Iger abruptly “retired” for the first time. Josh D’Amaro wasn’t named Parks Chair until May 18, 2020. At that time, 4 other leaders were promoted, 3 of whom are represented on the list below.
At the risk of stating the obvious, the circumstances are different this time. On the one hand, D’Amaro isn’t ascending to the CEO seat until mid-March, so the naming of a new Parks Chair could take even longer. On the other hand, the whole process was chaotic last time, and having continuity should be the preferred approach–and what we’d expect, given how smooth the rest of the succession process has been.
In light of all that, we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see a new Parks & Resorts Chair named in the next few weeks. D’Amaro has presumably been preparing for this inevitability, so it’s not as if he’s starting the search from square one. At the absolute latest, I’d expect to see the new Parks Chair on the stage at the relaunch of Disney Adventure World at the end of March 2026. That will probably be their big introduction to fans, media, and Wall Street.
Based on leadership changes over the last year and my own analysis, I’ve narrowed it down to four strong contenders plus a few less-likely wildcards. Let’s discuss each of them in turn…
Thomas Mazloum, Disneyland Resort President
Of the four candidates, Thomas Mazloum is the most obvious choice. He’s currently President of Disneyland Resort, which has historically been a stepping-stone position to bigger things in the Disney Parks. (See also, Josh D’Amaro, who I’m told is apparently up for a big promotion?)
Mazloum took over as Disneyland Resort President in early 2025, succeeding Ken Potrock (who was “promoted” 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. 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. I’m unsure as to the full extent of Mazloum’s role in that, or whether he stuck around after being promoted to head of DCL, but he headed up the reopening of the resort hotels and Disney Springs, at minimum, and provided the foundation for the successful reopening of the parks as a whole.
Mazloum is tasked with shepherding the ambitious expansion plans at Disneyland. If he can navigate the politics of Anaheim, manage the construction chaos, and successfully get all of those projects off the ground and on schedule, it will be another feather in his cap.
I’ve had the chance to talk to Mazloum on a few 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 bumped into him randomly late in the evening roaming Fantasyland on New Year’s Eve (photo above), which wasn’t on my bingo card.
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’m still somewhat baffled that Disney pushed out (?) Ken Potrock after he had successfully navigated local politics and got DisneylandForward greenlit.
The best way to reconcile that was Potrock not being viewed as the right person to put the plan into action and/or D’Amaro wanting Mazloum to have a bit more experience before ascending to the top spot. My biggest criticism of Mazloum is that, under his watch, Award Wieners lost its fan-favorite Filmstrip Fries. That’s probably below his pay grade, but you know what Thomas? You’re the top dog, and are accountable for all frankfurter and/or french fry fails that happen in your realm.
Joe Schott, Disney Signature Experiences President
Joe Schott is another strong contender who’s essentially the mirror image of Mazloum. While Mazloum left Disney Signature Experiences to take over Disneyland, Schott left Shanghai Disney Resort to take over Disney Signature Experiences. (Get it? Park to ship vs. ship to park.)
Schott is a 40-year Disney veteran who started his career as a frontline Cast Member in Operations at Walt Disney World. He began as a Jungle Cruise skipper at the Magic Kingdom, making him pretty much the quintessential “Disney Parks Guy.” (Seriously, just how many high ranking leaders and creatives got their start at Jungle Cruise?! Must be something in the water.)
From there, Schott spent 15 of the last 18 years working outside of the United States. He led Walt Disney Attractions Japan in support of the Tokyo Disney Resort for three years during the resortʼs 25th anniversary. He spent 5 years on the revitalization effort of Disneyland Paris as Chief Operating Officer. Following that, he served six years as President and General Manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. Under his leadership, that young park expanded to open the highly-successful Zootopia land, along with new attractions and entertainment, all while largely “cut off” from the domestic operations due to the hard border closure during COVID.
To that point, Shanghai Disney Resort is notoriously complex from a business and political standpoint. Managing relationships with Chinese government officials, local business partners, and Shanghai Shendi Group undoubtedly required finesse and political acumen. The fact that Schott not only survived but thrived in that environment for 6 years (again, during COVID) speaks volumes.
Now, as President of Disney Signature Experiences, Schott oversees Disney Cruise Line, which (again) is in a dramatic period of growth that now, probably not coincidentally includes multiple ships in the Asian market, as well as other premium offerings.
What makes Schott particularly intriguing is his decade-plus of experience leading the international parks through anniversaries, expansion, revitalization, and (oddly) even border closures. With Disneyland Abu Dhabi on the horizon, having someone with deep international operational knowledge would be invaluable. (I also wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if there’s a second gate in Shanghai sometime during D’Amaro’s tenure. And obviously, more DCL ships…everywhere.)
I’ve only ever had the chance to talk to Schott once, but came away impressed. He clearly knows Disney inside and out–his depth of knowledge and curiosity was impressive, especially about things outside his job description. He also struck me as very down to earth and human (same goes for Mazloum). I’ve talked to a few people who previously worked for Schott, and all consider him to be the type of passionate leader who makes people want to work harder.
Michael Moriarty, Disney Experiences VP & CFO
Michael Moriarty was part of the most recent game of musical chairs, being promoted from President and Managing Director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Disney Experiences, last October. As I noted at the time, this seemed like an actual promotion rather than a face-saving step towards the door.
Moriarty brings nearly two decades of Disney leadership experience. He previously served as CFO at Walt Disney Imagineering and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and held finance leadership roles at Walt Disney World. But what really sets him apart is his track record as President of Hong Kong Disneyland for the past five years.
Under Moriarty’s leadership, Hong Kong Disneyland turned around in spectacular fashion. Based on what we saw during our last visit to HKDL, the once “little castle park that could” has blossomed into its own. It’s probably a pretty safe bet that these numbers will show significant year-over-year improvement, with even higher profit, attendance and occupancy numbers.
Given Moriarty’s leadership in achieving these results, as well as opening World of Frozen, launching the 20th Anniversary, getting the Marvel expansion back on track, and navigating the challenges of the COVID closures (plural), it seems like Moriarty will be a prime candidate for further future promotion, and that the CFO role is merely a stepping stone.
I’ve never spoken with Moriarty myself, nor have I even talked with anyone who has worked for him in any meaningful sense. If you follow his Instagram account, you know about as much about him as I do. Based on that, I’m honestly a little surprised they could pry him away from HKDL. Dude seems to genuinely love the place.
Natacha Rafalski, Disneyland Paris Présidente
Last but not least is Natacha Rafalski, who has served as Présidente of Disneyland Paris since 2018. Of the four candidates, Rafalski is perhaps the most intriguing because she represents a different profile than the others.
Rafalski joined the Walt Disney Company in 1995, and has held leadership positions in multiple markets. She spent several years as CFO for Disney’s Greater China region, overseeing corporate treasury and financial negotiations for Shanghai Disney Resort. She then moved to Disneyland Paris in 2017 as CFO and Senior Vice President of Business Strategy & Finance.
Under Rafalski’s leadership, Disneyland Paris has undergone an unprecedented transformation. She’s currently overseeing a €2 billion expansion plan for Walt Disney Studios Park, which will culminate in its relaunch as Disney Adventure World when the new World of Frozen opens next month. She’s also guided the resort through its post-pandemic recovery and positioned it for long-term growth as Europe’s top tourist destination.
The biggest question mark, from my perspective, is whether Rafalski has the range of high-level experience for the Parks Chair position. Navigating the Chinese and European markets alone would suggest that the answer is probably yes, especially given that she’s also managed a massive expansion plan, and delivered results. She’s also Franco-American and grew up in Paris, so promoting her to the top role would signal the importance of diverse leadership to Disney.
Natacha Rafalski is another comparative unknown to me personally, but French fans seem to love her. Her experience is strong, and the turnaround she’s accomplished at Disneyland Paris–and especially the much-maligned second gate–speaks for itself. On that basis alone, she’s a strong candidate for the top job. Then again, I seem to remember sharing similar sentiment about Catherine Powell, and that didn’t end well.
Wild Cards
Before wrapping up, I should mention a few wild cards. Let’s start with Jeff Vahle, President of Walt Disney World Resort. On paper, he should be a leading candidate. After all, he’s been running the largest Disney resort in the world for the last ~6 years, and it has been reclaimed its title as the company’s golden goose during that time.
However, I would be surprised if he’s in the running. Maybe this is just me underestimating or misreading him, but Vahle strikes me as more reserved–he’s an engineer and ops guy–and not the type of person made for the spotlight that comes with a highly public-facing role like Parks Chair. (I hate to evoke Chapek, but the comparison to how he was miscast feels apt.) This is not to cast aspersions, as I am not cut from that cloth, either.
I’ve interacted with Vahle on several occasions and know a lot of people who have interfaced with him at the company. And that’s all I have to say about that. Uh, anyway…
From what I understand, Vahle has been instrumental in developing the plans for Walt Disney World expansion; my gut is that he stayed in this role during all of the other musical chairs last year because it’s the endgame for him, not a stepping stone. But again, he’s the WDW President, so he’s a highly logical candidate to move up. I already fear coming to regret not giving him a full profile or proper consideration.
Then there’s Ken Potrock. I’ll be honest, when he was moved to Major Events Integration, I assumed it was a lame duck role. The kind of face-saving Disney offers often to loyal leaders instead of flat-out firing them. After all, the company mentioned the 2028 Olympics in the announcement, which air on NBC.
Then the company announced the United States 250th Anniversary “Disney Celebrates America” campaign. Then there were multiple sightings of Potrock on the lot in Burbank–I even saw him there. It now seems that this might be a really-for-real job, and one with an office at the corporate headquarters.
Maybe Potrock is a quiet dark horse candidate who has been getting the most face time with Iger and D’Amaro, and has found a way to jockey into the top role. He did do a good job with DisneylandForward, and he’s a very likeable dude. I would not be the least bit upset to see him move up, or back in the parks fray.
Finally, I can’t help but mention Bruce Vaughn, the recently-returned head of Walt Disney Imagineering.
In a normal scenario, fans would float their favorite Imagineers as ‘wish list’ heads of Parks & Resorts. I’ve seen names like Joe Rohde and Tony Baxter mentioned on countless occasions in the past, and that was all very obviously wishcasting. Not the least bit grounded in reality given what the job entails.
Bruce is a bit different as an executive with experience outside of Disney, and one with an established working relationship with Josh D’Amaro. My direct and indirect impressions of Vaughn since his return are incredibly positive. The best of anyone on this list, and it’s a strong list. I’m confident in saying that Imagineering is in good hands under his stewardship.
With that said, I’m still not convinced his role would be seriously considered as a stepping stone for Parks Chair. And honestly, I’m not sure I’d want him to leave WDI, as he’s gotten the creative arm back on track and offers the leadership Imagineering needs.
Ultimately, my view is that any of the top 4 candidates could claim the top job. They’re all qualified, they all have track records of success, and they all bring different strengths to the table. Most importantly, they all have decades of experience at Disney Parks & Resorts, and not Consumer Products or whatever. Whoever gets the top job will most certainly be a “parks person” and get what makes these places and experiences special.
As for who is most likely, it depends on what Disney’s priorities are for the back half of the next decade. If the focus is on domestic growth and executing on the $60 billion expansion plan across Walt Disney World and Disneyland (where roughly half of that money will be spent), Mazloum makes the most sense.
If the focus is on international expansion, with Disneyland Abu Dhabi opening and potential future projects in other markets, Schott is probably the best pick. I’m personally inclined to suspect that the international parks matter a little less than Disney is letting on right now during interviews, and that Disneyland Abu Dhabi is just a good talking point in the succession pick (remember, it’s essentially a licensing deal). Given that, Mazloum strikes me as the frontrunner.
As for my personal preference, I want to see someone who walks the parks regularly. Someone who doesn’t just talk to frontline Cast Members, but listens to them. A person who isn’t afraid to swing for the fences on a risky or envelope-pushing project, but also willing to exercise restraint where appropriate. A leader who isn’t afraid to make difficult decisions that prioritize long-term sustainability and satisfaction over short-term profits, such as bringing back the Filmstrip Fries.
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OUR THOUGHTS
Who do you think will be next Parks & Resorts Chair of the Walt Disney Company? Will it be Thomas Mazloum, Joe Schott, Michael Moriarty, and Natacha Rafalski? One of the wildcards, or none of the above? Who should it be? 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!