Ex-Disneyland Chief to Head Disney’s Parks and Resorts Unit

Former Disneyland chief Paul Pressler, long seen as a rising executive in Walt Disney Co., was promoted to chairman of Disney’s parks and resorts division.

Pressler, 43, replaces Judson C. Green, a 19-year Disney veteran who quit in April to pursue other opportunities.

Although Pressler moves up from president of the unit, his duties remain much the same, and the position he held for the last two years probably will be eliminated.

In addition to Disney theme parks and resorts, Pressler also oversees the Disney cruise line, Disney regional entertainment and Walt Disney Imagineering. He also is responsible for the business’ long-term growth and international expansion initiatives.

He joined Disney in 1987 as senior vice president for Disney licensing and later became president of Disney Stores. In 1994, he took over as president of Disneyland and oversaw the detailed development of Disney’s California Adventure, a second theme park scheduled to open in February.

Disneyland and the other theme parks employ more than 77,000 people, including 12,000 in Anaheim.

Pressler replaced Green as head of the attractions division in late 1998, when Green became chairman of the unit and began focusing on overseas expansion, such as Disneyland in Hong Kong.

Disney’s chairman, Michael D. Eisner, described Pressler as having a “remarkable combination of management skills and sheer creativity.” He said the executive has built upon Disney’s existing successes.