New boss...

[BRWombat]

Disney Veteran Ed Grier Named President of the Disneyland Resort

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 25, 2006--Ed Grier, a 25-year Disney (NYSEIS) veteran who most recently oversaw the company's operations of Tokyo Disney Resort, has been named President of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., it was announced today by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo.

"Ed Grier brings an incredible depth and breadth of operations, Guest service and management experience that he has garnered over his 25 years with Disney parks around the world," said Rasulo. "Ed has the precise talent necessary to lead the Disneyland Resort into its second 50 years following the Happiest Celebration on Earth. We are pleased to welcome him back to the states - and look forward to the leadership he will provide to the park that truly started it all."

Grier, 51, will report to Al Weiss, President of Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He replaces Matt Ouimet, who is leaving Disney to join Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Grier's replacement at Tokyo Disney Resort will be named at a later date.

"Disneyland is beloved by millions around the world - and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead such a special place," said Grier. "I look forward to working with the Disneyland management team and partnering with the Orange County community to ensure that our future is just as strong and bright as our past - and that Disneyland continues to make dreams come true for the millions of people who visit us each year."
"I want to thank Matt Ouimet for his years of service to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts," Rasulo said. "On behalf of my management team, we wish him the very best in his new endeavors."

Most recently, Grier served as Executive Managing Director of Walt Disney Attractions Japan, where he oversaw the Disney operations for the two-park Tokyo Disney Resort and managed the day-to-day relationship with the Oriental Land Company, which operates the resort as a licensee. During his tenure in Japan, Grier was instrumental in the overall master planning of the Resort, leading the Disney team that was responsible for the addition of new attractions and entertainment spectaculars, as well as a new Cirque theatre and new Disney-branded hotel, both of which are expected to open in 2008. In addition, Grier implemented best practices from Disney destinations around the world for Guest service standards, and resort and financial operations.

Prior to his experience in Japan, Grier held executive positions at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort Paris in France. Grier served as general manager of Walt Disney World's Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios. In these positions, Grier oversaw park operations, led thousands of Cast Members and was responsible for the financial and operational performance of the parks.

In addition to his operations and management experience, Grier has held positions at Walt Disney World Resort related to finance and marketing. In the early 1990s, Grier served as a member of an expatriate team that was assigned to Paris for one year to increase awareness of the resort in European markets. While there, Grier was responsible for establishing the resort's marketing division and developing Pan-European marketing strategies.

Grier is a CPA and prior to joining The Walt Disney Company in 1981, he worked for Ernst and Young. He has a bachelor's degree in accounting from Duquesne University in Pennsylvania.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is where dreams come true and magic comes to life. This segment of The Walt Disney Company encompasses 11 theme parks at five of the world's leading family vacation destinations - Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Resort Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. It also includes the Disney Cruise Line; Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney; Disney Regional Entertainment; World of Disney stores in New York, Orlando and Anaheim; and Walt Disney Imagineering, which creates and designs Disney parks, resorts and attractions. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts had more than $9 billion in revenues in fiscal 2005.

Any thoughts?

[Zazu]

Any thoughts?

Sounds like Matt asked to come home to Florida and take Al's old job and got turned down. Big loss for our team.

Lee Cockerell is retiring this week, which is gonna leave a big hole right at the top of WDW management. Please God, don't let them pick someone from The Gap!

[darph nader]

Sounds like Matt asked to come home to Florida and take Al's old job and got turned down. Big loss for our team.

Lee Cockerell is retiring this week, which is gonna leave a big hole right at the top of WDW management. Please God, don't let them pick someone from The Gap!

After what Harris and whatshisnuts? did to D/L,Matt was a god send. How can ANYBODY be so shortsighted??? Maybe he was burntout with the political B/S? :(
I don't know what he did for the East Coast? But he saved us westeners form Mt.Rushmore Matterhorn and more Trading-pins.

DAMN-IT Matt,STAY!!!! :(

Nothing against Ed,but this ...SUCKS!!

Well you never know,but "maybe" he can light a fire under someones ASS, and pay the CMs what they deserve.

If ANY of you SUITS read this,we 'guests' do not see any of you on the front line. :mad:

[goose]

All I know is that I was much happier under Cynthia Harris than I was under Matt Ouimet.

I'm not saying that Ouimet is a bad guy. I don't know what he is and isn't responsbile for. I know that when Matt came we had some very unwelcome changes in vending.

Different costumes for different locations. And before you say, who cares, think about this: Since we are so short on CM's, the schedules get adjusted all the time. This means that my changeover has to go change costumes as soon as he gets there. This in turn causes me to get off work at least an hour late. This happens about 25% of the time. The other 25% of the time my changeover calls in. So, I've been getting off work late about 50% lately. It's getting really old.

Line schedules for all of foods. This has caused a massive amount of good CM's to leave. Ouimet could have put a stop to this.

The crappy "break rooms".

And so on...

I could honestly say, I didn't have much to complain about when Cynthia was president. I was under Cynthia for about 2 years. I never felt the need to talk to her about anything, because everything around me was okay.

[SoarWhoreCoCo]

Lee Cockerel is leaving too, and I dont recognize the name of the person taking over...I did like Lee, I'll kind of miss the 42 page (jk..more like 103 page) Main Street Diary with "Letters from Mother", he was quirky but fun. But that is only my opinion, I wish him luck.

PS: As a former TDS CM please dont get me on a rant about Cythia Hairyass!
She did for Disneyland what she did for the Disney Stores, just in record time and without putting TDR out of business :p:

[goose]

Lee Cockerel is leaving too, and I dont recognize the name of the person taking over...I did like Lee, I'll kind of miss the 42 page (jk..more like 103 page) Main Street Diary with "Letters from Mother", he was quirky but fun. But that is only my opinion, I wish him luck.

PS: As a former TDS CM please dont get me on a rant about Cythia Hairyass!
She did for Disneyland what she did for the Disney Stores, just in record time and without putting TDR out of business :p:

I guess it depends on who you talk to. I think if you ask anyone in Foods, they would choose Cynthia over Matt. Cynthia left Foods alone.

[Mystik Csz]

Cynthia left Foods alone.

Of course she did, it's the only thing she could come home to at night ;)