A New Era at Disneyland... again

It really is a pity and a shame that Greg Emmer has resigned from Disneyland. As reported at Miceage (http://www.miceage.com/), a very popular Disneyland insiders website, Greg Emmer was responsible for the radical restoration of Disneyland. He instituted a system to restore Disneyland from years of neglect.

I happen to love Disneyland. I was raised in Southern California, thus making it to Disneyland four or five times a year. Disneyland’s decay and neglect can be solely blamed on one man. Mike Eisner. He alone with his commitment to the Walt Disney Corp. Board of Directors of a return of 20% was a lofty enough goal, but budgets had to be cut in some places, to infuse other projects with cash to maintain that 20% annual rate of return. Michael Eisner was nothing less than the corrupting force of Walt Disney Corp.

Roy Disney, (the younger) resigned from Walt Disney Corp, and from the Board of Directors due directly to the direction that Eisner had taken WDC. Eisner’s legacy continues today. Today, as reported at Miceage, Jay Raluso has a bloated Corporate juggernaut that is eating away at Disney Profits. While it’s not up to me how Disney operates itself, I would interject that Disneyland was once the pinnacle of Themed Environments.

I lament at the short sightedness of Disney Corp. and its disregard for Walt Disney and his attitude for Disneyland. Disneyland and Walt Disney World were to be the place where one could envelope’s oneself in a world other than the one that shrouded about the Disney Properties. During the 1980’s Disneyland fell from such grace, and by the time Greg Emmer was called from Walt Disney World to prepare Disneyland for it’s 50^th anniversary, Emmer found a rather large mountain of decades of neglect to overcome. Emmer, in spectacular fashion met and surpassed that challenge. I was privy to eyewitness of the former days of Disneyland’s glory in 2005.

It was a spectacular trip, as I watch my children in awe of what my memories of Disneyland once what was. Knowing the bureaucratic nightmare that Emmer must have had to make such a feat, I cannot fathom what Disney Corp was thinking of letting this great man with Walt Disney’s vision of Disneyland in his eye, go.

Perhaps some enterprising young man, with the heart of Walt Disney’s dreams will find Emmer, and build a park that will capture and engage the imagination and dreams of a new generation.

As for Disneyland itself, one can only hope that the traditions and implements that Emmer commenced will continue. I hope to be able to take my grandchildren to a park I once remembered as one great time.