Walt Disney World has a new top operator for one of the busiest expansion periods in its history. Disney Experiences announced Monday that Joe Schott has been appointed president of Walt Disney World Resort, succeeding Jeff Vahle, who is retiring after 36 years with Disney.
Natacha Rafalski is now president of Disney Signature Experiences, the group that includes Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Aulani, Adventures by Disney, National Geographic Expeditions, Storyliving by Disney, and Golden Oak. Disney also promoted Christophe Murphy to president of Disneyland Paris.
Schott is a familiar Disney operations name with a very global resume. He previously led Disney Signature Experiences, Shanghai Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris operations, and Walt Disney Attractions Japan. He also has the classic Disney starter-job detail: he began as a Jungle Cruise skipper at Walt Disney World.
The announcement lands during a busy stretch for the resort. Walt Disney World is working through major projects tied to Magic Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom, while Disney Experiences is also growing its cruise business and international parks.
Schott takes over as construction walls, hotel plans, staffing, transportation, and entertainment choices are shaping the resort's next few years.
The first signs guests notice will be concrete ones: park hours, show schedules, transportation reliability, construction timing, and how polished the resort feels while new projects are underway.