From the Orlando Business Journal in Early June - I hope it wasn't already posted elsewhere. The good stuff is toward the bottom.
Rasulo: Looking to the next 50th
James "Jay" Rasulo, 47, took charge of the Disney kingdom of theme parks and resorts last September, replacing Paul Pressler who moved into the CEO spot with the Gap Inc.
Rasulo rules over Disney's Tokyo, Paris, Orlando and Anaheim entertainment centers, as well as the current expansion into Hong Kong, scheduled for a 2005/2006 opening.
His 17-year Disney career has included stints with the company's strategic planning, corporate alliance and regional entertainment divisions.
However, it was Rasulo's highly lauded and visibly successful turnaround of the Disneyland Paris project that led to his selection for the current job.
Rasulo's first meeting with the media in the Magic Kingdom park was part of the typical Disney media event staged to update the company's 1- year-old safety program.
Rasulo appeared comfortable in a sport coat and open-necked shirt as he sat on a directors' chair at the theme park's train station, overlooking Main Street, U.S.A. Nearby, a portable air conditioner quietly blew a refreshing stream of cold air on a warm May morning.
Q: How has the focus on safety changed since last year's announcement?
A: Over the past year and a half, along with the federal, state and local government, we have focused on security around our parks in accordance with their advice. We remain quite diligent on that front.
This program is a pre-peak season opportunity to educate our guests and their children.
We want to be sure that when people come to our parks they behave with the same kind of common-sense behavior as in the rest of their lives.
We're using Timon and Pumbaa, two characters from The Lion King, and Disney storytelling to be a little more engaging, to make our guests a little more interested and maybe be a little more "top of mind" about being safe than they otherwise might be.
Q: How has the threat of terrorism affected your safety operations?
A: We are in very close contact with the authorities about safety and security.
Some are very obvious to our guests, such as checking bags. This is something the guests tell us they actually want to see and be part of.
Some, to be effective, are less obvious.
Q: Can you put a dollar figure on what the safety initiative program cost in its first year and what the return, if any, was on the investment?
A: The amount of money, time and energy we invest is very, very hard to quantify.
Q: Since assuming the top parks job last September, what impact have you had on the upcoming season and products you are offering?
A: I think we have been managing our business in a certain way by using a certain formula which focuses on our guests, the quality of their experience and on the novelty in terms of new attractions, new shows and in new promotional offers, such as recently announced national and local programs.
We engage in a lot of research, and we know that among our potential visitors the desire and intention to visit a Disney park has never been higher.
We are following the principles by which we manage our business: be present, be relevant in terms of communication and continue to enhance and grow our product so when guests arrive, they find their old favorites and something new as well.
Q: Going beyond this year's new products, the special summer package prices, Mickey's PhilharMagic and Mission Space, what's next? We've heard you plan to add a new stunt show that's been successful in Disneyland Paris at the Disney-MGM Studios.
A: In two years, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. We've expanded that to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our company's involvement in the theme park business.
While the celebration will be anchored at Disneyland, we will reflect our celebration around the world.
Some of the ideas that we've had for Walt Disney World do involve bringing attractions from other parks.
Q: So the stunt show at Disney-MGM Studios is a distinct possibility?
A: Absolutely.
Q: How about the Soarin' over California attraction from California Adventure, somehow modified to fit into new surroundings at Epcot?
A: Soarin' is also a possibility that we've looked at. But we're still in the formative stages of our planning.
Q: Disney's family of sponsors, or participant companies, has fallen off in recent years with companies such as AT&T, Met Life and United Technologies ending their relationship.
Since working with these companies was one of your responsibilities earlier in your career, are you doing anything to turn that trend around?
A: Since the beginning -- and some of these programs are 20 to 30 years old -- there's been some turnover.
The premise under which they join us is a win-win situation. It is a novel way to get to our customers in places where our participants do business and the Disney equities are an engaging way for our participants to do business with our customers.
We've had strong efforts in that direction for years and years, and I think that record will continue.
Interview by Bob Mervine.
Rasulo: Looking to the next 50th
James "Jay" Rasulo, 47, took charge of the Disney kingdom of theme parks and resorts last September, replacing Paul Pressler who moved into the CEO spot with the Gap Inc.
Rasulo rules over Disney's Tokyo, Paris, Orlando and Anaheim entertainment centers, as well as the current expansion into Hong Kong, scheduled for a 2005/2006 opening.
His 17-year Disney career has included stints with the company's strategic planning, corporate alliance and regional entertainment divisions.
However, it was Rasulo's highly lauded and visibly successful turnaround of the Disneyland Paris project that led to his selection for the current job.
Rasulo's first meeting with the media in the Magic Kingdom park was part of the typical Disney media event staged to update the company's 1- year-old safety program.
Rasulo appeared comfortable in a sport coat and open-necked shirt as he sat on a directors' chair at the theme park's train station, overlooking Main Street, U.S.A. Nearby, a portable air conditioner quietly blew a refreshing stream of cold air on a warm May morning.
Q: How has the focus on safety changed since last year's announcement?
A: Over the past year and a half, along with the federal, state and local government, we have focused on security around our parks in accordance with their advice. We remain quite diligent on that front.
This program is a pre-peak season opportunity to educate our guests and their children.
We want to be sure that when people come to our parks they behave with the same kind of common-sense behavior as in the rest of their lives.
We're using Timon and Pumbaa, two characters from The Lion King, and Disney storytelling to be a little more engaging, to make our guests a little more interested and maybe be a little more "top of mind" about being safe than they otherwise might be.
Q: How has the threat of terrorism affected your safety operations?
A: We are in very close contact with the authorities about safety and security.
Some are very obvious to our guests, such as checking bags. This is something the guests tell us they actually want to see and be part of.
Some, to be effective, are less obvious.
Q: Can you put a dollar figure on what the safety initiative program cost in its first year and what the return, if any, was on the investment?
A: The amount of money, time and energy we invest is very, very hard to quantify.
Q: Since assuming the top parks job last September, what impact have you had on the upcoming season and products you are offering?
A: I think we have been managing our business in a certain way by using a certain formula which focuses on our guests, the quality of their experience and on the novelty in terms of new attractions, new shows and in new promotional offers, such as recently announced national and local programs.
We engage in a lot of research, and we know that among our potential visitors the desire and intention to visit a Disney park has never been higher.
We are following the principles by which we manage our business: be present, be relevant in terms of communication and continue to enhance and grow our product so when guests arrive, they find their old favorites and something new as well.
Q: Going beyond this year's new products, the special summer package prices, Mickey's PhilharMagic and Mission Space, what's next? We've heard you plan to add a new stunt show that's been successful in Disneyland Paris at the Disney-MGM Studios.
A: In two years, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. We've expanded that to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our company's involvement in the theme park business.
While the celebration will be anchored at Disneyland, we will reflect our celebration around the world.
Some of the ideas that we've had for Walt Disney World do involve bringing attractions from other parks.
Q: So the stunt show at Disney-MGM Studios is a distinct possibility?
A: Absolutely.
Q: How about the Soarin' over California attraction from California Adventure, somehow modified to fit into new surroundings at Epcot?
A: Soarin' is also a possibility that we've looked at. But we're still in the formative stages of our planning.
Q: Disney's family of sponsors, or participant companies, has fallen off in recent years with companies such as AT&T, Met Life and United Technologies ending their relationship.
Since working with these companies was one of your responsibilities earlier in your career, are you doing anything to turn that trend around?
A: Since the beginning -- and some of these programs are 20 to 30 years old -- there's been some turnover.
The premise under which they join us is a win-win situation. It is a novel way to get to our customers in places where our participants do business and the Disney equities are an engaging way for our participants to do business with our customers.
We've had strong efforts in that direction for years and years, and I think that record will continue.
Interview by Bob Mervine.
