In Praise of Paul Pressler (4LtrBoxOnly)

[jcruise86]

It a long story, but Paul Pressler once sent every student in my U.S. History class a pass to Disneyland, delivered by two Disneyland Ambassadors in plaid.

So I've felt a little bit guilty criticizing him numerous times on Micechat, and so I'm starting this thread. . . albeit, in the litter box.

The good things Paul Pressler did for Disney parks during his 15 (?) years with Disney:

I LOVE the Grand Californian. I've never stayed there, but my daughter and I have hung out in that lobby far longer than most hotel guests on some nights, enjoying storytelling near fire, and hearing excellent Christmas carolers sing by the great tree. When she was a toddler, I read books there in the afternoon, drinking a beverage in that beautiful lobby while my daughter napped in her stroller. Although the surrounding grounds are surpassed by the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Wilderness Lodge at WDW, this is still one of the nicest Disney resorts in the world. Points deducted because this hotel took up space that should have been saved for DCA.

Pressler presided over the beginning of DCA. YES, WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS IS ALSO A STRIKE OR EVEN A SERIES AGAINST HIM. But when DCA opened, it did have Soarin', one of my favorite Disney attractions of all time. I also like DCA's Animation Building, especially the lobby with its film clips on many screens.

That's all I got. What other good things did he do? Good luck!

[Giant Panda]

Re: In Praise of Paul Pressler (4LtrBoxOnly)

He made sure we would never be distracted by moving ride vehicles on top of the PeopleMover track.

He lured away some of his closest cohorts when he left Disney.

Wasn't he around to save guests from menacing teenagers that were hurling/expectorating objects onto the unsuspecting tourists below them from the safety of their Skyway car while they engaged in other illegal activities? Thanks Paul!

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: In Praise of Paul Pressler (4LtrBoxOnly)

Snappy dresser.

No, really. And great hair.

[Giant Panda]

Re: In Praise of Paul Pressler (4LtrBoxOnly)

Threads like this remind us that sarcasm was invented so that if you want to say something about somebody it can be nice .....

Such a snappy dresser could have done better with his employee's uniforms (CM's costumes)

[jcruise86]

Re: In Praise of Paul Pressler (4LtrBoxOnly)

Here's a link to an interesting Paul Pressler article about his post -Disney tenure at the Gap:

http://www.businessweek.com/stories/...l-from-the-gap

The quote below from the article describes his upbeat beginning:

"[At first] Gap could not have been happier with its new leader. 'Paul knows how to lead creative, customer-focused organizations,' said Gap founder Donald G. Fisher in a statement announcing Pressler's hiring. Once at Gap, Pressler, who wore neat jeans, jackets, and a ready smile, came across as a likable and approachable manager. 'Anyone who's ever met Paul agrees he's a nice guy,' says a former Gap insider. So the honeymoon began."

This reminded me of descriptions of another late-term/post Frank Wells Eisner guy, Thomas Staggs, who will also be all smiles when (if) he takes over as CEO from Bob Iger in 2015.

I thought the sentence most relevant to continuing what Pressler did to Disneyland and Walt Disney World was, "He also imposed strict cost controls that irked his creative staff."