The blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer List 2022

After a brief return to Tivoli in his native Denmark, where he originally served as CEO from 2004 to 2008, Andreas Andersen was persuaded to return as leader of Liseberg in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2019.

A former European executive director and 2018 international chairman of IAAPA, Andersen is passionate about the attractions industry. Keen not only to share his expertise with the major players, he also holds board positions at Fårup Sommerland (Denmark) and Leos Lekland (Sweden).

Liseberg is creating a new themed area called Luna Park. The first phase of the €10m project, which is home to the family-friendly Turbo and Tempus rides, opened in April 2022. Tempus is a Zamperla Nebulaz ride and features four axes that rotate. Turbo, an interactive Technical Park Sidecar XL carousel, boasts motorcycle and sidecar ride vehicles. The next phase, including Luna, a Vekoma Family Boomerang coaster, is set to launch in 2023. Luna will be the tallest and fastest coaster of its kind in the world, reaching speeds of up to 68 kilometres per hour and heights of 33.5 metres. Also set to open, as part of Liseberg’s 100th anniversary in 2023, is the Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel, which will be followed by the opening of Oceana Water World in 2024.

Speaking to blooloop in 2020, after his return to Liseberg, he said:

“I can honestly say that I wasn’t finished. When you leave a job like mine, there is never really a good time. But I think the timing, in this case, was especially bad, because of our expansion project.

“When the board of Liseberg contacted me about going back, it kind of made sense. They said there had been some really strong candidates, but if they gave me some flexibility regarding where I live, and how I work, would I be interested in having a dialogue? I really do enjoy Liseberg, and I think I make a difference here. It’s been very easy getting back into it.”

Andrew Bolstein, senior vice president of operations at Shanghai Disney Resort, has been with Disney since 1995. He started out as an industrial engineering manager at Walt Disney World Resort, moving on to leadership roles in finance and operations at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort. He led the creation of operational protocols during the construction of Hong Kong Disneyland and saw the project through to opening day. 

As SVP of operations at Shanghai Disney Resort, he oversees thousands of employees. Operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and Shanghai Shendi Group, the resort opened to the public in June 2016. Additional offerings at the attraction in Pudong include the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel, as well as the Disneytown shopping and dining district. 

Shanghai Disneyland is expanding with its eighth themed land, an immersive zone inspired by Zootopia. The new land will be located adjacent to Fantasyland. It will be a diverse and vibrant city inhabited by characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2016 film. 

Shanghai Disney Resort has also opened an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience in Disneytown. SoReal VR SuperSpace is based on Journey to the West, a Chinese novel published in the 16th century. The walkthrough attraction brings to life the Monkey King, a mythical figure in Journey to the West.

Bolstein will serve as IAAPA’s Asia Pacific Regional Advisory Committee chair director (2023-2025). He has served on the IAAPA APAC Regional Advisory Committee for four years and helped to develop the association’s Covid-19 Reopening Guidelines.

Barbara Bouza is president of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI). There, she leads the global creative, design and development teams behind Disney’s theme parks, attractions, resort hotels, cruise ships, and retail, dining and entertainment venues. She also oversees a team tasked with expanding Disney’s global portfolio of experiences. 

Bouza replaced Bob Weis as Imagineering’s president in 2021. “Barbara has taken on increasing responsibility during her tenure, and I am continually impressed with her talent, her leadership and the relationships she’s already built across our company,” Weis wrote in an email to Imagineering staff. 

During the Themed Entertainment Association’s Summit and Gala 2022, Bouza spoke about theme park technology. “One size doesn’t fit all,” she said. “Tech should be used when appropriate for these amazing immersive experiences. But you’ll still have guests who say ‘I just want an ice cream don’t make me use the app!’”

Bouza previously served as the co-managing director and principal of Gensler Los Angeles. In her leadership role there, she provided strategic design management for clients such as Netflix, Amgen, JPL/NASA, Debbie Allen, and City of Hope. She is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and served as the 2019 AIA Los Angeles president. She also served on the board of the Southern California chapter of the International Interior Design Association.

She was recognised by the Los Angeles Business Journal as Executive of the Year: Women Making a Difference, which honours women who lead by example. She has also been named by Real Estate Forum magazine as a Woman of Influence: California. Bouza is on the board of directors of Imagine LA, a leading non-profit dedicated to rallying the community to end the cycle of family homelessness and poverty.

Additionally, she is a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects and the Women Presidents’ Organization. Bouza also works with non-profit organisations including Girls Inc. and Dress for Success.

Beth Clapperton is art director at Walt Disney Imagineering in Paris, a role she has held since 2010. Prior to this, she was a production designer for WDI in Paris from 1995 to 2007, and a show set designer from 1989 to 1993. She also spent a year in the museum world as a creative manager at Auckland Museum, from 2008 to 2009.

One of the most recent projects she has worked on at Disneyland Paris is the new Avengers Campus, Europe’s first Marvel-themed universe and the most ambitious expansion of the resort’s Walt Disney Studios Park to date. This opened in July 2022 as part of Disneyland Paris' 30th-anniversary celebrations, and features live-action stunts, heroic encounters, action-packed attractions and themed retail and F&B. Guests can sling webs like Spider-Man and fly into space with Iron Man and Captain Marvel on two new rides – Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure and Avengers Assemble: Flight Force.

Ahead of the opening, Clapperton featured in a teaser video alongside Marvel stars Tom Holland and Brie Larson, where she said:

"It really is a unique place like you've never seen before. You'll be able to live your own story amongst Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Black Panther and others. There is a surprise at every corner. You'll never know who you might bump into. First stop is the Worldwide Engineering Brigade, also known as WEB. Team up with Spidey and shoot your own webs to help capture the out-of-control Spider Bots before they wreak havoc on the campus.

"Next, answer the call of the Flight Force at the brand-new Avengers headquarters for a thrilling and high-speed chase across the galaxy and help us save our planet with none other than Iron Man and Captain Marvel."

She also appeared as part of a panel at New York Comic-Con in 2022, sharing some insights into the creative process.

As chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Josh D’Amaro oversees Disney’s global theme parks and cruise line, as well as its global consumer products operations. This includes the world’s leading licensing business across toys, apparel, homeware, digital games and apps, the world’s largest children’s print publisher, Disney stores across the world, and the shopDisney online platform.

D’Amaro previously served as president of Walt Disney World Resort. He was responsible for leading all areas of business for the resort’s four theme parks, two water parks, 28 resort hotels, four golf courses, two spas, transportation system, Disney’s Wedding Pavilion, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and the Disney Springs entertainment, shopping and dining complex.

He led a cast of more than 75,000, the largest single-site workforce in the US. He also oversaw the beginning of the attraction’s biggest expansion in the last 20 years. This included the launch of the Disney Skyliner aerial transportation system, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. Additionally, D’Amaro started the development of plans for Disney World’s 50th anniversary in 2021.

“There’s no limits to where we are going,” D’Amaro said at D23 Expo 2022. “When I look back over our first 100 years, what jumps out at me is how we are just constantly reinventing ourselves, telling new stories for brand-new generations. You all know this: we need those stories more than ever. And that’s a lesson we take straight from Walt. He believed in the power of storytelling.”

Before becoming president of Disney World, D’Amaro served as president of Disneyland Resort. He also launched Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge there, and began the development of Avengers Campus. He started his career at Disney in 1998 with a number of leadership roles. He was senior VP of commercial strategy for Disney World and worked as VP of Disney’s Animal Kingdom as it underwent the largest expansion in its history.

Chuck Fawcett, chairman and co-founder of Medici XD, has worked in the attractions industry for more than three decades. His passion for the business started at an early age. As a 12 year old, he created a workshop in his basement and began to learn all about puppet design after seeing The Muppet Movie. Fawcett is now an award-winning designer, creative executive, real estate investor and entrepreneur. 

His biggest venture to date was the founding, growth and sale of Animax Designs. The company has provided 3D characters for some of the biggest names in the global attractions industry. These include Disney, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Sesame Workshop, SeaWorld and Jim Henson Productions. Under his leadership, Animax Designs has delivered more than 500 projects for its global clientele.

Fawcett’s newly launched Medici XD focuses on the creation of breakthrough experiences and integrated technology. “We have assembled a world-class team of industry talent including decades of experience working with creative partners within the location-based entertainment industry to develop and deliver their entertainment concepts,” he said. In April 2022, Medici XD announced plans to open its first international office in Montréal, Canada.

In his spare time, he serves as the international board president for the Themed Entertainment Association. He joined the TEA’s Eastern board of directors in 2016, before being invited into a vice president role. Additionally, he has chaired a Communications Task Force, been involved in the Education Committee and TEA Digital, and helped to restart the TEA Foundation.

“The work I’ve been doing for the TEA has been transformational, for me and the organisation,” Fawcett told blooloop. “By improving the relationship of the organisation with its members, by getting to work on upgrading many of the systems and setting up a new legal entity in China, I remembered the excitement of building something.”

Karen Irwin took over as president and CEO of Universal Orlando Resort in January 2022 when former president Bill Davis retired after 15 years. In this role, she leads planning and operations for the resort, including its three theme parks and seven hotels, as well as the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex. Prior to this, she served as president of Universal Studios Hollywood for five years, after rising through the ranks at the resort since she first began as an area manager in 1990. In total, Irwin has worked for the company for over 30 years.

In 2020, she also took on the additional role of EVP Universal Parks and Resorts, leading the NBC Universal Brand Development team, and taking on responsibility for global licensing and consumer products businesses for NBC Universal's Film and Television groups.

At Universal Studios Hollywood, Irwin led the development and opening of The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash, based on Illumination’s 2016 film and its sequel. This immersive experience sees guests taking on the roles of stray puppies as they join the film's popular leading characters — Max, Snowball, Gidget, Chloe and Duke — on a search for their forever homes. It brings together live, dimensional and animated characters with hyper-realistic media and ride vehicles that travel through a recreation of the streets of New York City.

When the ride was announced, Irwin said: “We are thrilled to be able to bring another exciting Illumination movie-based ride to our guests. The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! will capture the essence of the popular film and invite our guests to live vicariously through some of their favourite characters as they embark on a one-of-a-kind experience only available at Universal Studios Hollywood.”

Epic Universe, the fourth theme park at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida, is expected to open by the summer of 2025.

Eugene Naughton, the Dollywood Company’s third president, is an industry veteran. He joined Dollywood as the vice president of park operations in 2019. He became president a year later, leveraging three decades of experience in roles at Paramount and Six Flags. “I’ve got a long history in the theme park business, but thankfully have only worked for two companies prior to my experience here at the Dollywood Company,” he told blooloop.

Dollywood, a 160-acre theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is jointly owned by Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment. Opened in 1986, the attraction offers more than 40 world-class rides and attractions, alongside award-winning shoes and dining. It boasts ‘the friendliest park atmosphere in the world’.

“There is a misconception that the park itself is all about Dolly. Dollywood is not a 170-acre Graceland,” said Naughton. “It really is about the Smoky Mountains. It’s about the beauty of the area, the people, the culture. We leverage all of those things as pillars of our brand.”

Dollywood is opening its longest coaster to date, the $25 million Big Bear Mountain, in spring 2023. Riders will see the Smokies while searching for ‘Big Bear’ in SUV-style ride vehicles. “The Smokies are all about adventure and going exploring,” said Parton.

Currently under construction, the HeartSong Lodge & Resort is the first project in a $500m investment plan over the next decade. It is scheduled for completion in 2023. “I’m always dreaming and coming up with new ideas and things I want our guests to experience,” Naughton added.

“I’m so proud of this place that we’ve been able to build here in the Smokies. I always dreamed of accomplishing two things with Dollywood. I wanted to give jobs to the folks who live here, and I wanted to give visitors another reason to come and experience the beauty of the Smoky Mountains.”

Kartika Rodriguez is vice president of EPCOT at the Walt Disney World Company. She was promoted to this role after five years as general manager of EPCOT operations, and the move made her the first Black, female VP to lead a Walt Disney World theme park.

She first started working for Disney 22 years ago, beginning in the industrial engineering department and then moving through roles such as integrated facilities manager; Magic Kingdom Park’s operations manager and general manager of Epcot Park arrival experience, which included food & beverage, merchandise, guest relations, outdoor vending, and merchandise’s Heart of the House lines of business. Rodriguez has also worked on several opening team experiences with the Disney operations command centre, efficiency team and New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park.

In her current position, Rodriguez oversees the day-to-day operation of the park, as well as the current EPCOT transformation project, which will see the biggest growth in the history of the park.

Reflecting on her Disney career on the Disney Parks blog during Women's History Month in 2021, she said she was inspired by the women in leadership roles that came before her: “I remember thinking ‘I too, could have the opportunity to one day be a senior leader in this organization.'" She also talked about the power of mentoring: “Sharing knowledge can feel empowering, and as you coach someone, you will likely collect knowledge as well.”

At IAAPA Expo 2022, Rodriquez joins a panel of other leading Disney figures for the annual Legends panel, in celebration of EPCOT. “Legends 2022: Epcot, 40 Years in a State of Becoming” also features Walt Disney Imagineering global ambassador Bob Weis, Walt Disney Imagineering executive portfolio producer Jodi McLaughlin and Rick Rothschild, founder and chief creative officer of FAR Out! Creative Direction, alongside host Bob Rogers, founder and chairman of BRC Imagination Arts.

Recognised as a visionary CEO at the CEO Middle East Awards, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi manages Miral’s growing portfolio of leisure and entertainment assets on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. They include Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi and the CLYMB indoor adventure sports hub.

These attractions and their infrastructure are a key part of the Emirate’s mission to create a sustainable, diversified and globally integrated economy. That means delivering world-class experiences that attract visitors far beyond the UAE’s borders. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi opened in May 2023. The new park features attractions never seen at a SeaWorld site and the world’s largest aquarium.

Al Zaabi describes the attraction as offering “engaging and immersive family-friendly experiences, featuring up-close animal encounters, state-of-the-art aquariums, dynamic animal habitats, thrill rides, interactive educational experiences, inspiring entertainment as well as dining and shopping experiences.”

Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Miral CEO since 2015, has over a decade of experience in project management and leadership roles, previously with real estate developer Aldar Properties. He also holds board positions at Farah Experiences (operator of Yas Island’s attractions) and Experience Hub, Yas’s trade and promotion arm.

The world’s first Warner Bros. hotel opened on Yas Island in 2021. The WB Abu Dhabi, adjacent to Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, features a huge collection of Warner Bros. archives, including more than 400 images and props from Warner Bros. films and TV shows.

Meanwhile, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi launched its first-ever drone show in the summer of 2022, offering an “infinite amount of adrenaline and excitement”, as it said in a news release. Guests watched as turbocharged drones create colourful images under the iconic red roof. The park also added live cooking demonstrations, shows, craft areas, and an oversized board game over the summer.

Blooloop has named Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi among the top 15 theme parks and water parks in the Middle East.