A 35-year Disney veteran steps up to lead Europe’s most-visited tourist destination as the resort pushes ahead with its most ambitious expansion in decades.
Christophe Murphy will become President of Disneyland Paris on 6 July 2026. His appointment, confirmed on 18 May, puts an operations specialist with 35 years at Disney in charge at a moment when the Marne-la-Vallée resort is mid-expansion. He succeeds Natacha Rafalski, who moves to President of Disney Signature Experiences on the same date.
The change forms part of a wider leadership restructure across Disney Experiences, announced by Thomas Mazloum, chairman of Disney Experiences. Mazloum also named Joe Schott as President of Walt Disney World Resort in the same announcement. The appointments signal a deliberate push by the new Disney Experiences chairman to install operationally tested leaders across the portfolio.
Murphy’s credentials are rooted in delivery. He joined Disneyland Paris in 1991, during its pre-opening phase, and has since held roles across theme park operations, hotels, entertainment, merchandise, food and beverage, and franchise integration. From 2023, he served as senior vice president of operations. In that role, he oversaw the resort’s €2 billion expansion – including the March 2026 openings of Disney Adventure World and World of Frozen.
Between his two Paris postings, Murphy served as vice president of operations for Walt Disney Attractions Japan. He worked alongside Oriental Land Company on guest experience and quality standards at Tokyo Disney Resort. That stint adds a cross-market dimension to a CV otherwise built at Disneyland Paris.
As the new Disneyland Paris president, Murphy will lead more than 20,000 cast members across two theme parks, seven themed hotels and Disney Village. Preliminary construction has already started on a new Lion King-themed area – the resort’s next major land addition.
“It’s an honour to take on this role at such a pivotal moment for Disneyland Paris,” Murphy said. “Having begun my Disney journey here more than three decades ago, this resort has played a defining role in my life.”
Rafalski had held the presidency since December 2018. She leaves the resort in a materially stronger position than she found it. Murphy, who served as her operational lead through the most intensive phase of that growth, now takes full charge.
All appointments take effect by the end of July 2026.
Image: Disney
