In his first 100 days as president of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Thomas Mazloum spent time with employees and guests – coming to appreciate the “remarkable privilege” of leading a “theme park that literally changed the world.”
“As we celebrate 70 incredible years in Southern California, we are proud of the lasting impact Disneyland Resort has made—creating thousands of jobs, fueling the local economy and welcoming the world to this extraordinary region,” Mazloum told the Business Journal in an email.
The Austrian-born executive stepped into his role at a pivotal time for the Anaheim resort, as its flagship park marks its 70th birthday in July and undertakes several major development projects, including new attractions, a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard and a ride inspired by the popular movie “Coco.”
“We are relentlessly focused on enhancing the guest experience, taking care of our cast members and investing in the future of Disneyland Resort and our community,” Mazloum said.
Leading a Resort with a $16.1 Billion Impact
Mazloum, formerly based out of Disneyland’s sister resort in Florida, was previously the president of New Experiences Portfolio Disney Signature Experiences, where he oversaw several divisions of Walt Disney Co.’s tourism businesses such as Disney Cruise Line and Disney Vacation Club.
He now oversees 36,000 employees across two theme parks, three hotels and the Downtown Disney District; the resort is the largest employer in Orange County.
Mazloum comes at a transformative time for Disneyland, which last year won Anaheim City Council approval for its DisneylandForward project to build new attractions, hotels, parking and more within the 500-acre resort.
The approval “has unlocked a roadmap for incredible potential opportunities that will fuel the growth of Disneyland Resort and the City of Anaheim for years to come,” he said.
In June, Walt Disney Co. revealed that its two Anaheim theme parks, hotels and retail district has a total economic impact of $16.1 billion on the Southern California region. The study, conducted by Tourism Economics, covered the fiscal year 2023.
The impact includes direct, indirect, and induced impacts that range from theme park ticket sales and on-site shopping to local hotel stays and restaurant meals outside the resort.
“Our destinations create economies far beyond the gates of our parks, and when we invest in the groundbreaking experiences that only Disney can deliver, growth follows,” Chairman of Disney Experiences Josh D’Amaro said in a statement.
The resort supports 102,000 jobs in Southern California, according to the Tourism Economics study.
“Seventy-five percent of those jobs are in Orange County, a big chunk, for a total of 74,000 local jobs,” Zeek Coleman, vice president, Americas for Tourism Economics, said during a June 5 economic impact presentation held at the park. “Big, big numbers. How big? One in every 20 jobs in Orange County are supported by Disneyland resorts.”
Disney is also planning additional investments worth $30 billion across both resorts in California and Florida through 2033, which includes DisneylandForward and the ongoing addition of new offerings to Downtown Disney.
New DisneylandForward Details Emerge
A few months after he started at the park in March, Mazloum took the stage at a media event held at Disney California Adventure (DCA) to reveal the first concrete project from the DisneylandForward multi-year plan.
A new parking structure is on the way, bringing 6,000 spaces to the east side of the park property, with construction scheduled to start in fall 2026. The project was one of several suggestions made by Disney during the pitching and planning process before any development was approved.
The new structure, smaller than the 10,000-space Mickey & Friends garage, is currently an employee, or cast member, parking lot off Disney Way. It will include a new public pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard, connecting the parking and transportation hub to a new “esplanade arrival experience” to improve traffic flow in the area.
“We’re incredibly excited about this project and what it means for us because essentially this is what unlocks DisneylandForward,” Mazloum said at the June 5 event.
The new president also confirmed that the two new attractions planned for DCA’s Avenger’s Campus have broken ground, calling it a “massive expansion” that will double the size of the land.
Two other attractions are also in the works at DCA.
A ride based on Pixar Animation Studios’ beloved film “Coco” will be built near Paradise Gardens Park and Pixar Pier on the south side of the park in areas that is predominantly backstage currently.
Construction is slated to start this fall.
Also, a portion of the current Hollywood Backlot area at the 24-year-old park will be transformed into a new themed area inspired by James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” film. The park’s “Monsters Inc.” ride will close in early 2026 to make room for the new area, which will also “draw inspiration” from upcoming Avatar films, according to park officials.
“Feels Like Homecoming”
During his time at New Experiences Portfolio & Disney Signature Experiences, Mazloum was credited for securing investments and development plans to double the cruise line’s fleet size by 2031.
He also oversaw the 17-property portfolio of Disney Vacation Club and was involved in the development of the master planned communities of Storyliving.
Previously, Mazloum held various leadership positions at Walt Disney World having started as a hotel director at the Disney cruise line.
He took a break from the company in 2002 and spent 15 years at Crystal Cruises, moving his way up to chief operating officer. Mazloum told a crowd of Anaheim city officials at the June 5 event that it’s an honor to return to Southern California, where he previously lived, and represent the happiest place on earth.
“Honestly, this feels like homecoming for me and my wife.”
