The Heroine of Heartware: Jill Estorino of Disney Parks International

THE SUN NEVER SETS on Jill Estorino’s vision—or responsibilities.

As the president and managing director of Disney Parks International, the charismatic leader guides the teams at Disney’s theme parks in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Paris. Between these four properties and her base of operation in Burbank, California—on the same historic studio lot where the Disney company made their headquarters in 1940—is a swath of 17 time zones.

“I bring a globally minded perspective to the table,” Estorino says. “It helps me, on a daily basis, to really maneuver from Paris in the morning, to the three Asia sites in the afternoon, understanding the consumer, understanding the media landscape, understanding how we operate a bit differently in Tokyo versus Paris.”

It’s a broad territory of four resorts that include six gated theme parks and 18 hotels and lodging properties.

“I always say that every touchpoint is a brand touchpoint. From the guide map, to how we position ourselves in the marketplace, to the opening of World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland, every action is a reflection of our brand,” she says.

Since the start of the decade, Disney Experiences—the arm of the company responsible for designing and operating theme parks, resorts, and cruise ships; crafting personal vacation experiences; and creating consumer products—has embarked on an ambitious global expansion of its international theme park properties.

The opening of Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland in late 2023, which features a signature trackless dark ride, is one of Estorino’s favorite projects to date. The story is as fun as the attraction is thrilling, where each scene keeps riders guessing what’s next through unexpected turns, spins, slides, and drops, with appearances from Audio-Animatronics characters like Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Clawhauser, and others along the journey.

Looking ahead to 2026, a 2-billion-euro investment at Disneyland Paris’ second gate will lead to a reimagining of more than 90% of the park’s original offerings and roughly double its footprint since its 2002 debut.

How does Estorino serve as a conductor keeping parks across a wide geographical span and their teams from diverse cultures in concert? She focuses on something Estorino calls “heartware.”

“Our cast members are one of the most valuable parts of our company. I refer to them as heartware,” she explains. “You have the hardware of the physical park—the rides and the attractions and the shows. But, then there’s the heartware: the cast. At the end of the day, that’s where the human interaction happens.”

Estorino, a seasoned 34-year veteran of the attractions industry, sat down with Funworld for a conversation on growth, leadership, and the importance of self-care for busy attractions leaders.

Orchestrating Strategic Growth

The wide expansion taking place across Disney’s parks in Asia and Europe began with research. Estorino says the first step when planning for growth is understanding what the consumer wants— and how that varies by market. In China, for example, Shanghai Disneyland sees high attendance from young adults.

“The young adult female has taken hold of this brand and of this park, and they’re creating a sophisticated energy inside the park,” Estorino shares. “They bring their fashion sensibility, their modern perspectives, and their technology capability. The park has become not only a backdrop for their WeChat, but they’re also creating a vibe in the park.”

There are several places for capturing picture-perfect moments in Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland, a fitting appeal to this guest base.

“The land is rich and dynamic, which means all of the show elements have to be integrated seamlessly,” says Chang Xu, a Walt Disney Imagineering senior producer on the Zootopia project. “The team really had to come together with the same creative vision, helping and trusting each other, to bring the land to life.”

For example, one of those dynamic areas includes Otterton’s Flower Shop, which Disney Imagineers recreated as a facade in the new land—complete with plants and props—to make the store appear believable in guests’ all-important selfies for social media. Yet, the attention to detail in Zootopia doesn’t stop with a feast for the eye; it also engages the taste buds.

“We worked closely with our food and beverage partners from Shanghai Disney Resort, who understand the market—and the film—to design the dining experience,” says Xu. Imagineers elected to recreate the iconic Jumbeaux’s Cafe from the film, which exemplifies the variety of scale found in Zootopia with its huge door that’s designed for elephants. Yet, Xu says to make the facility operationally friendly, the design team turned the giant door into a walk-up window for food orders. A creative menu featuring delectable donuts and flavorful popsicles of all sizes, among other treats, are designed to look perfect on camera.

Estorino tells Funworld that the second step when planning an expansion is looking at operational and financial goals.

“We may have operational needs we want to address, such as improving navigation or spreading demand across the resort. There may be financial goals or new commercial ideas we're trying to drive. So, it's a combination between what the consumer wants and desires as well as what the operation and business needs,” she says.

Estorino’s office is steps away from the famed Walt Disney Animation Studios, where animated classics such as “Cinderella,” “Peter Pan,” and “Sleeping Beauty” were hand-painted. It’s from this deep well of beloved stories and recent titles that provide the ideas for the latest expansions, including “Frozen” and “Zootopia.”

“We do our due diligence on the front end and really understand which stories are going to resonate, and sometimes, we do miss the mark. I would say that’s rare, but we are quick to change when our guests and our operations are feeling that we either need to evolve the story that we introduced or bring in a new story. We’re not afraid to do that,” she says.

Leading with Gracious Conviction

In an industry where creativity, operations, sales, budgeting, and human contact all intersect, Estorino says leaders of attractions owe it to themselves to develop a cadence and a commitment to provide regular feedback.

“I think one of the greatest gifts we can give the people who work with us, and around us, is timely feedback. I think in many organizations, we have reservations about providing feedback, and we may not have the skill and the language to do it,” she says.

Estorino believes waiting six months for sharing opinions after a project is complete is not beneficial.

“I’ve thought a lot about that over the years, and I can say that’s part of my leadership style. I have found that voice to provide feedback—and timely feedback,” she says.

The warm conversationalist describes her leadership style at Disney Experiences as a “pacesetter,” the leader who sets the bar high for excellence and delivers every day.

How does she gauge success? It, in part, goes back to connecting with the heartware.

“I would say our guests and our cast tell us in surveys whether we’re successful or not,” she says. “It’s beyond business, creativity, and innovation; rather, how our guests and our cast are responding to what we’re doing.”

Estorino also defines success by going beyond a P&L (profit and loss) document.

“One thing that I think is unique about working for a company like Disney is that creativity and creative product are fundamental. That goes for the development of a show, or an attraction, or a big idea, or a theme for an anniversary, or that 30-second TV spot.”

While she “loves the Excel spreadsheet,” where data can “be confirming and validating,” Estorino believes it’s instinct and intuition that help drive decision making.

“I always think about my visceral response when I see something creative or innovative. Did it get me here?” she says, holding a hand over her heart. “Did I have that lump in my throat? Did I have that stir in my belly? Did it move me emotionally— even for just a second or two? That’s instinct and intuition.”

The Leader Who Gives Back

Sitting across from Estorino during a conversation on the state of the industry is like attending a masterclass. She holds eye contact and inserts your name into the conversation to affirm she is engaged with the dialogue.

She is particularly interested in assisting rising talent in their professional journeys. Mentoring is a space Estorino has leaned into, and in the past five years, she’s crafted initiatives focused on developing women at Disney’s international properties through formal and informal mentorship.

“What’s really exciting is how cast members are given the opportunity to have a mentor in another country. So, they can pick someone in France to be their mentor even though they work in Hong Kong,” Estorino explains. She is quick to encourage other industry veterans to inspire the younger talent within their own business.

“As a leader, you have the choice: to mentor, coach, and develop others…or not,” she says of developing leaders in the attractions industry.

For example, Estorino recently began accepting requests for 15-minute career navigation conversations with any Disney cast member from across the organization.

“If anyone sends me a note wanting a 15-minute career conversation, I accept it.

It’s a recent phenomenon,” she says with enthusiasm.

What advice would she give her younger self?

“You find your voice professionally. Find it early, because your voice is where the ideas are, it’s where your influence is,” Estorino says. “The earlier you can find it in your career, the more it’s going to shape your career.”
 

The Importance of Self-Care

One of Estorino’s most powerful words of advice for other attractions leaders: delegate.

“Do you have confidence in your management team? If you do, what’s holding you back from empowering and delegating?” she asks.

While she is a committed leader, Estorino is also a devout, self-proclaimed “health and fitness fanatic.” She vehemently protects her personal time to care for herself.

“I put a stake in the ground when I need it, especially when traveling. I carve out time to work out and eat healthy in every destination I go to,” she shares.

One of Estorino’s hacks is to exercise before an international flight and again upon landing.

She says the dedication to her physical well-being leads to increased energy and focus.

“I think about that methodically, and I build my professional day around that,” Estorino shares.

Beyond physical fitness, she also encourages leaders to stay grounded and think positively.

“I think there are lots of tricks to maintaining your optimism for the future; you should think about it pragmatically,” she advises. “You have to manage the content you’re consuming … and stay in touch with what’s uplifting.”

Parallel to a Disney Animation classic, this Funworld feature leaves an uplifting message.

“Believe in your people. They can do more than you ever thought,” Estorino concludes, keeping the heartware at heart of the story.

New and Next: Disney Parks’ Continued International Growth

Each one of the resorts that Jill Estorino, president and managing director of Disney Parks International, champions is poised for continued investment. Here’s a look at the expansion on the horizon, from Asia to Europe.