ORLANDO The president of Disney Parks & Resorts has announced his retirement after 39 years with The Walt Disney Co.
Al Weiss, 57, has served as president of Disney’s worldwide resort operations since November 2005, when he was promoted from his role as president of Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando. He will stay on the job until November 1.
“While I will miss the great people, exciting projects and stellar vision of Disney, I am very excited to begin the next chapter of my life,” Weiss writes in a letter to Disney employees. “Thank you for almost four decades of fun, challenges, good times and bad. Most of all, I thank you for the magic that I know each of you and Disney will continue to create for our cast and guests every day.”
Weiss was 18 years old when he joined the company as an hourly theme park worker and has since held more than 20 positions with Disney, including finance manager for entertainment and vice president of resort operations support.
Disney Parks Chairman Tom Staggs suggests in a letter to employees that that he may not directly replace Weiss, instead revamping the operational structure for Disney’s parks division, details of which will be disclosed in the coming weeks, Orlando Sentinel reports.