Bye Bye Matt?

What We Know

On Monday, December 5, webmaster and author Jim Hill of JimHillMedia.com published his account of a story that, according to his sources, is a hot topic around Walt Disney World (WDW) in Orlando, Florida. According to Hill, Disneyland Resort President Matt Ouimet will replace former WDW president Al Weiss as head of the Disney Company's sprawling multitheme park and hotel resort in central Florida.

Weiss was recently promoted and made President of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. He will report directly to Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. At the time of Weiss' promotion, the Disney Company had not named a new WDW president.

The Disney Company announced that Weiss, who became head of the Orlando-area resort in 1994, would continue to oversee WDW on an interim basis until a successor is appointed. In addition, he will remain in Orlando to assume his new duties even after his replacement at the Florida property is found.

Speaking to the press following his appointment to his new job, Weiss said he planned on assisting Rasulo in finding his replacement at WDW and that this process might take as long as a year.

According to Hill, "…you can pretty much forget about that whole… scenario." He went on to say that Disney management has already found the perfect replacement for Weiss as head of WDW, and that Disneyland Resort President Matt Ouimet is that man.

Disneyland Resort President Matt Ouimet at this year's reluanch of Disneyland's Space Mountain.
Image © copyright obe-mediaone.

Oh Give Me a Home

Writing from MouseFest 2005, an international gathering of Disney fans and webmasters currently taking place at Walt Disney World and aboard the Disney Cruise Line, Hill reported that Ouimet and his family longed to return to central Florida, their home for 21 years prior to moving to California.

Calls to Ouimet's office were referred to the Disneyland Resort press and publicity department, which did not return repeated phone calls. However, unofficial sources inside Team Disney Anaheim (TDA), the management group for the Disneyland Resort, expressed surprise at the news that their boss might be seeking Al Weiss' old job at WDW. Although they were not surprised to learn that he and his family might not be enjoying the laid-back Southern California lifestyle.

"Several people who've moved here (Southern California) from Florida have had a hard time adjusting," said one TDA executive on condition of anonymity. "It just costs so much compared to Florida, families find it difficult adjusting to the difference in housing."

In Los Angeles, a former creative professional for Universal Studios Florida, also located near Orlando, said, "In Florida, you can practically build an estate for what a nice track house in Orange County (CA) costs."

The median price for new homes in Orange County, California is a staggering $696,000. Compare that with a report on Orlando housing, published by the Orlando Sentinel, which states "the median home price in the market's core…$246,790."

Swamp Fox

Despite the fact that no one working at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim seemed to be aware of their boss' possible relocation, no one contacted for this story seemed surprised by the news either.

"There's several things you need to understand," one Disneyland insider told o-meon.com. "Disney World has problems. Attendance is still off and unlike the days before 9/ll, it's virtually impossible to plan for when the resort will be busy and when it won't."

Despite having received the lion's share of the money spent on the worldwide Happiest Homecoming on Earth celebration of Disneyland's 50^th anniversary Walt Disney World isn't having nearly the same success attracting free-spending guests as its sister resort in Anaheim. Nearly six months after Disneyland's July 17 50^th birthday, the park is still attracting huge crowds eager to buy up Disneyland 50^th Anniversary merchandise. The same cannot be said of Walt Disney World guests who eschew the non-Disney World collectables.

Disney World is not at risk of sinking into the reclaimed swamp lands it's built on, however. Where once the Disney Company could count on every dollar spent at WDW on major attractions like Mission Space and high-speed stunt show Lights Motors Action to generate big returns, it now finds they do little more than preserve the status quo at the sprawling Florida property.

"This is where Matt has an edge and lots of capital within the company," a source familiar with Disney World and Disney Cruise Line operations said. "He's their go-to guy, a man that clearly isn't afraid to rush into the burning building. He got the Disneyland job based on how well he handled the Disney Cruise Line passenger illness thing."

In the fall of 2002, more than 300 passengers and crew members from the cruise ship the Disney Magic, fell ill with flu-like symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Upon learning of the outbreak Ouimet, then president of Disney Cruise Lines (DCL) moved quickly and decisively.

Ouimet publicly announced the cancellation of the Magic's next cruise and had a weeklong deep cleaning and disinfection performed on the big ship. Don Turner, former head of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) vessel sanitation program, was hired to supervise the cleanup.

Thanks to deft handling of what could have been a public relations nightmare, the Magic returned to sea, and DCL suffered no long-term downturn in public opinion or advanced bookings.

Ouimet arrived at the Disneyland Resort in the fall of 2003 at what one cast member called "the depths of the dark days of Disneyland." After more than a decade of benign neglect by a management team composed mostly of retail store merchandising executives, Disneyland looked every bit of its 48 years. The paint on many of its fabled facades was visibly faded and peeling. Rides and attractions operated at minimal levels, forcing so many guests onto the park's walkways that even moderately attended days made Disneyland feel cramped and crowded. Nevertheless, park managers continued to regularly raise the price of admission over strenuous objection and complaint by park regulars.

Just over two years after Ouimet's arrival in Anaheim and Disneyland has never looked better; guests, even on the busiest days, haven't been happier, and prices have never have been higher. A single-day adult admission to Disneyland purchased at the gate is $57. Disneyland considers anyone over 10 to be an adult.

Among Disneyland's thousands of park regulars, known also as annual passholders, Ouimet is considered something of a hero and a true Disneylander in the tradition of Walt himself, which, according to our source, "makes him the perfect candidate to take over at Disney World."

Half Empty

In a telephone interview from his home in New Hampshire, Jim Hill tried to put an upbeat spin on the possible loss of one of Disneyland's most highly thought of leaders. "This shouldn't be a bad thing for Disneyland," he said. "Greg Emmer (the resort's current VP of Operations brought in from WDW by Ouimet) will most likely take over for Matt and they (the Disneyland Resort) still have his future plans for the resort, which should take them at least five or more years into the future."

If Hill was optimistic about what the loss of Ouimet might mean to the resort, Disneyland cast members (CMs) were not nearly as upbeat in their assessment of things. "Greg Emmer's a nice enough guy," one CM said, "but he's a bit of a cold fish. He lacks Matt's personality and appeal."

TDA executives, well aware that their sister resort in Florida isn't performing up to expectations, were even more pessimistic. "If true, this will not be good for Disneyland. It's just the excuse they (the Disney Company) need to stop spending money on Disneyland and let things slide again."

"Disneyland has always done well when it's been run by people from the studio and entertainment side of the company," he continued. "Greg Emmer, while very good at what he does, is strictly a by-the-numbers operations guy. He's not a creative thinker."

As mentioned earlier, the Disneyland Resort press and publicity department did not return repeated phone calls regarding Ouimet's possible return to Florida. "What does that tell you?" asked one Disneyland insider. Then answering his own question he said, "They can't deny what's true, now can they?"

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