Disneyland worries about Olympics

History suggests attendance could slump during Los Angeles Games in 2028

The Disney Co. has long tied itself to major sporting events — “I’m going to Disneyland!,” a champion athlete will yell — but officials hope park attendance can be maintained during the L.A. Olympics in 2028. Here, Olympian Michael Phelps gives a gold Mickey Mouse medal to Paul Lovely at the park after the 2004 Games. Paul E. Rodriguez — Staff Photographer

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New Disneyland head Thomas Mazloum, right, who took over from Ken Potrock, is part of the park’s effort to compete for summer customers. Courtesy of Disney

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By Brady MacDonald

bmacdonald@scng.com

Disneyland is looking to learn from the lessons of the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and avoid the attendance declines that parks in Japan and France experienced during those events.

Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock will be Disney’s point person as the Burbank company and Anaheim theme park plan for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Former Disney Cruise Line executive Thomas Mazloum will replace Potrock, who has been appointed to a newly created role overseeing major worldwide events for Disney — including the upcoming Summer Games in L.A.

Potrock’s new role suggests Disney will be focused on turning major events like the 2028 Olympics into “opportunities for the company to capitalize on, rather than a drag,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Disneyland Paris was “deserted” during the 17-day run of the 2024 Summer Olympics as locals fled the city and tourists flocked to the games rather than the park, according to the BBC.

Disney CEO Bob Iger acknowledged a “slowdown” in theme park attendance and revenue during the Paris Games.

“Disneyland Paris has obviously felt some challenge due to the Olympics,” Iger said during an earnings call in August. “Not a surprise, but something that happens and the good news is the Olympics are over in a couple of weeks.”

Disneyland Paris wait times were reduced during the Olympics from 30 to 45 minutes for each attraction to five to 10 minutes, according to French news broadcaster BFM TV.

Disneyland Paris visitors raved about Space Mountain having a five-minute wait time on a BFM newscast.

“We’ve never seen anything like it,” a Disneyland Paris visitor said. “We had to wait about 10 minutes for each attraction.”

Tokyo Disneyland experienced a significant attendance decline during the 2020 Games, which that were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic when capacity and travel restrictions were in place.

The original Disneyland in Anaheim drew some of the smallest summertime crowds in the park’s history during the 1984 Summer Olympics — the last time the games were held in Los Angeles.

Disney has long been associated with the Olympics.

Walt Disney served as the chairman of the Pageantry Committee for the 1960 Winter Olympics near Lake Tahoe. Walt Disney Imagineering designed everything from the Olympic torch to the athletes’ village and sprinkled Disney’s trademark pixie dust on the opening, closing and victory ceremonies as well as the torch relay.

Disneyland built an Olympic-length pool on Main Street, U.S.A. after the 2004 Athens Olympics and attracted wild crowds that cheered Michael Phelps and other U.S. swimmers.