That leaves an opening to run the Walt Disney World Resort, and that job's going to Disneyland President George Kalogridis, who oversaw the wildly successful revamp of Disney California Adventure.
Michael Colglazier is moving over from Disney's Animal Kingdom to run Disneyland, replacing Kalogridis.
What does this mean? Success equals promotion. Disneyland thrived under Kalogridis, who will now get the opportunity to pump up Walt Disney World the way Disneyland improved under his leadership. Remember, Disney recently sent Cars Land creative director Kathy Mangum east to oversee Imagineering and design at the WDW resort. Clearly, Disney Parks chairman Tom Staggs and Disney management have decided to entrust Walt Disney World to Disneyland's management team, instead.
But what about Crofton's "promotion"? Remember, this is a side gig that she was doing in addition to the very full-time job of running the Walt Disney World Resort. Whatever Crofton will be doing now, it appears clear that it's the Disneyland team that's now in charge at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Update: My favorite line from Disney's official bio for Kalogridis? "George began his career at Walt Disney World in 1971 as a busboy at the Contemporary Resort." This is no outsider.
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From what I have read, the foundation for the Yeti is cracked. They would have to completely dismantle the animatronic monster, re-pour the foundation and put it all back together.
Conservative estimates put the fix at a year to 18 months and millions of dollars. Yeti will never move again....
Granted, I don't know when he started at DAK, nor do I know any of the circumstances he was presented. Still, I think there is a story on why a guy who ran DAK is now going to run Disneyland.
The main challenge will be for DAK to finally get another E-Ticket to take the pressure off of Everest. Once that E-Ticket is built (Pandora) then Everest can go under the knife for a WAYYYYYYYYYY overdue refurb and the Yeti will move again - maybe not the same way he moved before (which was beyond awesome, or "be-awesome"), but his big, beefy arm will swing again, of that you can be sure!
As for the Yeti, I would love to see the beast back in A mode, but it would clearly be an enormous undertaking. Hopefully, Imagineering will come up with a compromise solution.
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However, on the Disneyland side of the equation, I am concerned. Michael Colglazier... isn't he the fella who has allowed Everest's Yeti to sit in strobe lit shame for the better part of five years now? The guy should be sent packing, not promoted to run the current flagship park in the US arsenal.