DLRP Today, one of the best websites tracking what’s going on at Disneyland Paris, has a post up today with the dirt on George Kalogridis, the newly appointed President of the original Disneyland. While the report is not all sunshine and roses, it certainly appears like they’ve found the right person for the job.
So what did Kalogridis do during his three years as COO of Disneyland Paris?
In that time, we’ve seen new parades, new shows and no less than six new attractions — including of course, the formidable Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. We’ve also enjoyed a renewed focus on the resort’s upkeep and details, increasingly wonderful Cast Members, new initiatives like Extra Magic Hours and E-Tickets, and in pure number terms, the most successful years of the resort’s life to date.
Meanwhile, characters have taken over some of the magic of the original park, proper entertainment has been shunned in favour of street dance-alongs, attractions have been forced into reduced operating hours, hotel pools have stayed closed until 3pm, the official website has remained incredibly poor, and progress, generally, at Walt Disney Studios Park has been disappointingly slow and half-hearted. And of course, during his entire run as COO, George Kalogridis would never have seen the front of Disney Studio 1 — it being flanked first by Chicken Little and Cars advertisements, then later a “refurbishment” covering for the past 14 months.
Kalogridis now returns to Anaheim where he helped open California Adventure and battled Cynthia Harriss over the direction the park should take. Now he gets that chance to make sure the whole resort is on the right path. Good luck with that George.
For a bit more insight into how Kalogridis might handle the presidency, check out this new interview the OC Register.
What I’m hearing from Disneyland Cast Members and Guests is that they want someone who can make the park the place to be again. Having Disneyland on your resume used to mean something. It might take a few years, but it can happen again.
Attractions with reduced opporating hours? They used to do that at Disneyland, and it made me furious. If he starts to do that again, this is one fan who will be ready to lead a revolt.
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