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Iger, Weiss update community leaders on Disney
Orlando Business Journal - 1:26 PM EDT Thursday by Bob Mervine Staff Writer
For the second year in a row, the Walt Disney Co.'s executive team hosted Central Florida community leaders for an update on the company's activities and plans Thursday.
However, details on future plans were few and far between. There were no announcements regarding any changes, growth or expansion for the Central Florida resort, which employs 57,000 people.
The event, held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, was tied to the official April 7 opening of Disney's new thrill ride, Expedition Everest.
Walt Disney Co. President Robert Iger called the Central Florida resort the company's flagship theme park. He said Disney's investment in Expedition Everest signals how much it believes in Walt Disney World.
Iger's remarks touched on the company's upcoming motion picture lineup, its recently-opened theme park in Hong Kong and the results of the highly-successful celebration of Disneyland's 50th anniversary.
He emphasized the company's continuing technology growth, such as the recent agreement with Apple to make its broadcast products available for downloading to the company's iPod units.
He touched on the variety of experiences offered at the company's five worldwide locations noting, for instance, that Hong Kong Disneyland guests spend twice as much time in the park eating than do guests in other Disney locations and that, in Hong Kong, Main Street USA is considered an attraction in itself.
Speaking to reporters after the speech, Walt Disney World President Al Weiss, recently promoted to president of worldwide operations, said there's no timetable for finding a replacement for his old job.
"No one has been identified," said Weiss. "I have no one in mind and no one on tap."
Weiss said the emphasis on expanding the resort in the next few years will be on high quality, whether it is a little or a big addition. "We want to continue to reinvest to give repeat guests a reason to come back."
The company, he says, believes there is plenty of room for expansion in its existing four theme parks here and no need to build another: "The new area around Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom has created a whole new land."
However, Weiss pointed out that while some attractions, such as Soarin' in Epcot, have capacity problems, "It's a nice problem to have," adding that there are no plans to expand the ride in the immediate future.
Orlando Business Journal - 1:26 PM EDT Thursday by Bob Mervine Staff Writer
For the second year in a row, the Walt Disney Co.'s executive team hosted Central Florida community leaders for an update on the company's activities and plans Thursday.
However, details on future plans were few and far between. There were no announcements regarding any changes, growth or expansion for the Central Florida resort, which employs 57,000 people.
The event, held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, was tied to the official April 7 opening of Disney's new thrill ride, Expedition Everest.
Walt Disney Co. President Robert Iger called the Central Florida resort the company's flagship theme park. He said Disney's investment in Expedition Everest signals how much it believes in Walt Disney World.
Iger's remarks touched on the company's upcoming motion picture lineup, its recently-opened theme park in Hong Kong and the results of the highly-successful celebration of Disneyland's 50th anniversary.
He emphasized the company's continuing technology growth, such as the recent agreement with Apple to make its broadcast products available for downloading to the company's iPod units.
He touched on the variety of experiences offered at the company's five worldwide locations noting, for instance, that Hong Kong Disneyland guests spend twice as much time in the park eating than do guests in other Disney locations and that, in Hong Kong, Main Street USA is considered an attraction in itself.
Speaking to reporters after the speech, Walt Disney World President Al Weiss, recently promoted to president of worldwide operations, said there's no timetable for finding a replacement for his old job.
"No one has been identified," said Weiss. "I have no one in mind and no one on tap."
Weiss said the emphasis on expanding the resort in the next few years will be on high quality, whether it is a little or a big addition. "We want to continue to reinvest to give repeat guests a reason to come back."
The company, he says, believes there is plenty of room for expansion in its existing four theme parks here and no need to build another: "The new area around Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom has created a whole new land."
However, Weiss pointed out that while some attractions, such as Soarin' in Epcot, have capacity problems, "It's a nice problem to have," adding that there are no plans to expand the ride in the immediate future.
