Disney Experiences on Monday announced new presidents of Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Signature Experiences and Disneyland Paris.
Joe Schott was named president of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. He will succeed Jeff Vahle, who is retiring.
With more than 40 years of leadership experience, Schott was most recently president of Disney Signature Experiences. He has also held the roles of president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, chief operating officer of Disneyland Paris and executive managing director of Walt Disney Attractions Japan.
His Disney career began at Walt Disney World Resort, where he was a skipper on the Jungle Cruise attraction.
Natacha Rafalski will take on the role of president of Disney Signature Experiences, which includes Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Aulani -- A Disney Resort & Spa, Adventures by Disney, National Geographic Expeditions, Storyliving by Disney and Golden Oak.
Rafalski has been president of Disneyland Paris since 2018. Before that, she was chief financial officer of the Walt Disney Company Greater China, and before that, played a key role in developing the Shanghai Disney Resort.
Christophe Murphy will replace Rafalski as president of Disneyland Paris.
Murphy has been with Disney since 1991, working at Disneyland Paris during its preopening phase and holding a variety of roles throughout the resort. In 2021, he was named vice president of operations for Walt Disney Attractions Japan. He returned to Disneyland Paris in 2023 as senior vice president of operations.
Schott, Rafalski and Murphy will be in their new positions by the end of July.
"Disney Experiences is in the midst of unprecedented expansion with more new projects underway across our global portfolio than at any other moment in our history," Thomas Mazloum, chairman of Disney Experiences, said in a release. "These appointments reflect the depth of leadership talent driving Disney Experiences."