Disneyland is a popular group of cartoon and movie based amusements parks owned by the famous entertainment company Walt Disney Pictures. One of the earliest parks of this kind, Disneyland was set up in the year 1955 under the direct supervision of the famous cartoonist Walt Disney.
Headquartered in California, Disneyland is housed over an area of 34 ha and was popularised using Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Disney Land is amongst the world’s most visited theme parks and is a huge hit with kids. The park which was initially built on fairyland theme currently has 8 Themed Lands:
- Adventureland
- Critter Country
- Main Street
- Fantasyland
- Tomorrowland
- Mickey’s Toontown
- New Orleans Square
- Frontierland
In addition to fun rides and movie based experiences, Disneyland also has hotels, character experiences, spas and shopping. The characters popularised by Walt Disney have been integral to the lives of most people across the globe and this has continued across generations. Currently, Walt Disney Parks which are located in various top tourist destinations across the world is one of the biggest providers of travel and leisure experiences to families.
Strengths in the SWOT analysis of Disneyland
Strengths are those features or abilities of a business which give it a cutting edge over the competitors. Walt Disney Theme Parks carry the following strengths:
- Differentiated Services: Walt Disney Theme Parks consist of six vacation destinations with 12 theme parks and 52 resorts located across North America, Europe, and Asia. The Disney Cruise Line also falls under the company’s ownership. It includes Disney Vacation Club and four ships in addition to a comprehensive membership which rises above 225,000. Adventures by Disney, which provides guided family vacation experiences to various parts of the world; Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Walt Disney Imagineering. It features cruise ships, resorts, Disney parks, and other entertainment ventures.
- Focus on experience and not the product: Right from their first theme park, Walt Disney Theme Parks have always been giving more importance to the experience than the product. The reason why people visit theme parks is so that they can experience something that is completely disconnected from reality and through a rich world of characters, princes, princesses, and palaces Walt Disney has been able to deliver exactly that.
- Continued improvements: Walt Disney was always in the relentless pursuit of excellence and was always working on his current projects trying to make them better. This focus on continuous improvements has been integral to all of Disney’s initiatives and that is currently a part of the culture of the organization.
- Walt Disney: The Walt Disney theme park captured the attention of the audience primarily from the popularity of the characters that Disney created like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Disney was a visionary who had clear ideas about what he wanted from each business he started. The attitude that he inculcated in the leaders of the business is what continues to be the brands biggest strength even today.
- Differentiated offers: Disneyland makes a sincere effort to keep their offer differentiated from the rest of the competition. The services are made as personalized taking care to look into what each visitor wants. Even their employees are designated differently where creative designers are called Imagineers or employees associates. Vistors are referred to as guests and are treated like one would treat guests who visit their homes.
Weaknesses in the SWOT analysis of Disneyland
Weaknesses are used to refer to areas where the business or the brand needs improvement. Some of the key weaknesses of Walt Disney Theme Parks are:
- Balancing the image with the costs: Disney after almost half a century of operations are facing a perpetual struggle to sustain the image it upholds while also balancing the cost. The park has to spend millions in designing themes and rides that can hold the attention of the target audience while not being to indiscriminately increase ticket rates.
- Balancing between generations: Disney is trying desperately to sustain the loyalty of the baby boomers who were their earliest customers to attracting the Millenials who and Gen Y who are their current target audience. These generations are highly disparate in their tastes as well as in terms of technologies they use and the balance is tricky to maintain.
Opportunities in the SWOT analysis of Disneyland
The areas which have to potential for a business to increase its revenue if capitalized and used properly are termed as opportunities. Some of the opportunities include:
- Opportunities in Asia: The markets in Asia are growing fast and countries like India and China are having a high tourist inflow. Disney opened up the Shanghai Park in 2015 but is yet to have one in India. This is an opportunity that the business should exploit.
Threats in the SWOT analysis of Disneyland
Threats are those factors in the environment which can be detrimental to the growth of the business. Some of the threats include:
- Competition: The main competitors of Walt Disney Theme Parks are Universal Studios Theme Parks and Sea World.
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