Put back the champagne, it might get ugly...

[Testtrack321]

Well, it had to be, right? Well, from various outlets, I have heard that we might clamor for Pressler back. The replacements sound bad. Wheter or not this guy is AV in disguise is anyone's guess, but he's somewhat reliable. Don't quote me, but watch your back...

 

[raidermatt]

Testtrack, I don't know if you and I are referencing the same sources, but I also have gotten some bad vibes this evening...

 

[philjerden]

May we hear the names of some of these potential, alleged replacements?

Phil

 

[Bob O]

As long as Eisner has a say in the new person its likely not to be good news!!!

 

[Planogirl]

Oh dear, everyone is being so cryptic. I guess that it's time to go digging around...

Where is the LandBaron? I thought for sure that he'd post after the big news. Yikes, we have no driver!

 

[raidermatt]

No names, but check out Jim Hill's new article for Friday.


Fall into the Gap

 

[Jeff in BigD]

Ruh-roh...

You mean Satan has spawned more than one unholy being?

I gotta bad feeling about this...

 

[Eeyore2U]

Sounds like a case of the evil you knwo versus the evil you don't know.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Well, it an interesting article. But I don't think he told us anything that we didn't already know.
I'm still glad PP is gone.
Sure he hires someone else to do the dirty work, and they get the blame. But we always square the blame directly where it belongs.
Someone wrote somthing cute in chat last night --
Expect to see aisles of Plushes at the Gap! LOL

 

[EUROPA]

Even if the next guy is a puppet and has no real power to make change, eventually people would think/say "hey what do all of these people have in common"?? Oh yeah that's right "Esiner".

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by Testtrack321
Well, it had to be, right? Well, from various outlets, I have heard that we might clamor for Pressler back. The replacements sound bad. Wheter or not this guy is AV in disguise is anyone's guess, but he's somewhat reliable. Don't quote me, but watch your back...

Hmmmm ... I was actually quite pleased to hear who might be taking Paul's place. Things would definitely improve for WDW, although I can't speak for the company as a whole.

FYI ... "champagne"

 

[Mop]

Now, let's not let this get out of hand. To look at this and say that "it doesn't matter who replaces Pressler, they're still going to suck" takes a lot of (bad) credit away from Pressler and lays it at the feet of Eisner. No, no. Pressler was to blame for a LOT of bad decisions. He had marching orders from Eisner. He had a choice on how to execute them. He could certainly have done a better job of it. To say that Pressler was just a puppet and had absolutely no control is to say that Pressler wasn't all that bad at all. I reject that argument outright. Those same orders from Eisner trickled down to executives beneath Pressler and Al Weiss and others are certainly not as hated and disrespected as Pressler was. Clearly, the buck stopped at Pressler. Yes, whoever replaces him will have a tough and thankless job. But he/she can do a better job of it than Pressler can. At least we can have someone who UNDERSTANDS Disney magic and knows what makes a Disney park different than just another Universal Studios or Six Flags. My vote is for Al Weiss. He's seen the damage done in the last few years by mindless and indiscriminate cost cutting. Maybe belts still have to be tightened, but Weiss knows what compromises can be made. He's been in the trenches. I think that so long as someone is promoted from inside, we're OK. And if it works out, then Eisner's succession plan is mapped, as well, since a successful head of Parks and Resorts could then easily progress to CEO of all of Disney.

Mop

 

[Another Voice]

The question at the moment is who will pick the new head for the parks, Eisner or the Board of Directors.

That will tell us everything about the future.

 

[Bstanley]

Well then guys - how do we tell who picked who?

Of the available candidates who represents one side or the other?

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by Mop
Now, let's not let this get out of hand. To look at this and say that "it doesn't matter who replaces Pressler, they're still going to suck" takes a lot of (bad) credit away from Pressler and lays it at the feet of Eisner. No, no. Pressler was to blame for a LOT of bad decisions. He had marching orders from Eisner. He had a choice on how to execute them. He could certainly have done a better job of it. To say that Pressler was just a puppet and had absolutely no control is to say that Pressler wasn't all that bad at all. I reject that argument outright. Those same orders from Eisner trickled down to executives beneath Pressler and Al Weiss and others are certainly not as hated and disrespected as Pressler was. Clearly, the buck stopped at Pressler.

So which devsion of Disney do you think was/is doing well under Esiners orders? Internet, Moives, TV, Video, Parks, or the Disney Store?

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

So which devsion of Disney do you think was/is doing well under Esiners orders? Internet, Moives, TV, Video, Parks, or the Disney Store?

Can I venture a guess? On initial thoughts, I'd say none of these is doing well - the apparent reason ME is in the hot seat (and not in MGM playing a gameshow). But some of these divisions have elements that are doing well. For instance, ESPN, DVC, and the Cruise Line. Maybe doing well is not the right term - perhaps, "meeting their business plan goals" is a better one.

 

[DisneyKidds]

So who do you speculate ME would want, and who would the Board want?

 

[Safari Steve]

I'm pulling for Al.

I would think that unless they hire someone from the outside (Which I'm sure someone knows will result in a HUGE backlash) it'll either be Mr. Weiss, Ms. Harris, or the DCL VP.

Of course I thought that Al should have gotten Paul's job before Paul got it.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Safari Steve, a totally unrelated question, but I've heard that the Disney Company is on a first name basis. Is this true? Do you get to call Al Weiss 'Al'? Or the big ME 'Mike' (if you ran into him)?

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by Peter Pirate
Safari Steve, a totally unrelated question, but I've heard that the Disney Company is on a first name basis. Is this true? Do you get to call Al Weiss 'Al'? Or the big ME 'Mike' (if you ran into him)?

Yes ... it's true. I've met both Al and Michael at various events and presentations, and it truly is "Hi, I'm Al" and "Hello, I'm Michael, nice to meet you." "Mr. Weiss" and "Mr. Eisner" just don't sound right, somehow!