Disney Experiences Leadership Changes 2026: Mazloum Takes Over

If you’ve been following the Disney Parks world lately, you already know this has been a massive week. The Disney Experiences leadership changes 2026 are now officially confirmed — and they’re bigger than most of us expected.

Thomas Mazloum has been named the new Chairman of Disney Experiences, stepping into the role that Josh D’Amaro held as the division became one of the most profitable entertainment businesses on the planet. D’Amaro moves up to CEO. All transitions take effect March 18, 2026.

This isn’t just a shuffle at the top. There’s a full restructuring of who runs what across the parks, resorts, international operations, and consumer products. If you love Disney Parks, this affects your experience in ways that will play out over the next few years.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Quick Summary

• Thomas Mazloum becomes Chairman of Disney Experiences effective March 18, 2026
• Jill Estorino named President of Disneyland Resort
• Tasia Filippatos takes over Disney Parks International
• Lisa Baldzicki leads Disney Consumer Products
• Dana Walden gets a new President & CCO role reporting to D’Amaro
• Disney Experiences generated $36.2B in revenue and $10B in operating income in FY2025

Who Is Thomas Mazloum?

If his name isn’t immediately familiar to you, it should be. Mazloum has been one of Disney’s most respected operational leaders for years. His work managing large-scale resort operations earned him a reputation as someone who genuinely understands both the guest experience and the cast member culture that makes Disney parks work.

D’Amaro himself made that clear in his statement: “Thomas Mazloum is an exceptional leader with a genuine appreciation for our cast members and a proven track record of delivering growth.”

That endorsement matters. “Proven track record of delivering growth” is exactly the kind of language Disney uses when they mean it. This isn’t a caretaker appointment. Mazloum is being positioned to keep building on what D’Amaro started.

Disney Experiences generated $36.2 billion in revenue and $10 billion in operating income in fiscal year 2025. That division runs 12 theme parks, 57 resort hotels, and employs approximately 185,000 cast members worldwide. The person running it matters enormously.

Jill Estorino Takes Disneyland

This is the move that Disneyland fans should pay the most attention to.

Jill Estorino has been named President of the Disneyland Resort. She comes into this role with 35 years at Disney and most recently served as President of Disney Parks International. That international lens — understanding how Disney parks operate across different cultures and markets — is a fascinating background to bring to Disneyland.

For a resort that’s been expanding with new lands, entertainment evolution, and ongoing development discussions, this feels like a significant move. Estorino knows how to run large, complex resort operations at a global level.

The Full Scope of Disney Experiences Leadership Changes 2026

Tasia Filippatos — Disney Parks International

Filippatos moves from President of Disney Consumer Products into the Disney Parks International role that Estorino is vacating. She’ll oversee Disney’s park operations outside the US, including Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disney Resort, and upcoming projects in the pipeline.

Lisa Baldzicki — Disney Consumer Products

Baldzicki steps into the Consumer Products President role. She previously led Parks Product Development and Retail, so this is a natural progression. She knows how merchandise connects to the park experience better than almost anyone in the company.

Dana Walden — President and Chief Creative Officer

This is the most interesting structural addition. Walden gets a newly created role as President and Chief Creative Officer, reporting directly to D’Amaro. The fact that this role is new tells you something about where Disney sees the creative-to-parks pipeline going. Content and parks are becoming more integrated, and having a CCO with direct executive authority inside Disney Experiences suggests the company wants to tighten that connection considerably.

What This Means for Disney Parks Fans

Stability at the Top

The biggest takeaway here is continuity. D’Amaro built the current Disney Experiences operation into one of the most profitable entertainment businesses in history. He’s not leaving — he’s moving up. And the people he’s promoting are executives who have spent years inside Disney’s parks machine.

That means the strategic direction doesn’t dramatically change. What you’re likely to see is continued investment in parks infrastructure, new attractions, and resort expansions — because the division has been hitting record numbers and the leadership team has every incentive to keep that trajectory going.

The Creative Integration Question

Walden’s new CCO role is worth watching closely. When a company adds a Chief Creative Officer to an operating division, it signals they want creative decisions made closer to the business. For parks fans, that could mean faster pipelines from film and TV releases to park experiences, or it could mean more original IP developed specifically for the parks themselves.

Either way, it’s a positive signal if you want Disney parks to keep feeling fresh and current.

Disney Experiences Leadership Changes 2026: What Comes Next

The Disney Experiences leadership changes 2026 represent the most significant restructuring of Disney’s parks division in years. Mazloum steps in with an operational track record and D’Amaro’s explicit endorsement. Estorino brings world-class international experience to Disneyland. The entire supporting leadership team gets reshuffled to align with where the business is growing.

Everything takes effect March 18. Watch this space — because who runs Disney parks shapes every guest experience from the moment you walk through those gates.

If you’re planning a trip this year, keep an eye on how this leadership team makes its mark. Big changes like this often come with big announcements. And that’s exactly what we’ll be tracking here at DisMornings.

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Meet the Author: Nate Bishop

I’m a die-hard Disney fan with 38 years of visits under my belt, having stepped into Disney World 120+ times. Proud to be a Disney Annual Passholder, a Vacation Club member since ’92, a Castaway Club Member, and a runDisney enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge. Need Disney insights or planning tips? I’m your guy!