Originally Posted By SIR at X-S Tech Did anyone see Matt Ouimet at the Cast Christmas party? A friend said Matt was there and was chatting with Ed Grier.
Originally Posted By Dave I'd bet he was there since he attended the Candlelight Procession that week too. <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/Lotion-View-331-2.asp" target="_blank">http://www.laughingplace.com/L otion-View-331-2.asp</a>
Originally Posted By SIR at X-S Tech Doh! You're right it was Candlelight. Sorry, I had this relayed to me last week and for some reason thought it was the Christmas party. My friend did say Candlelight though. Sorry. So this is no big deal right?
Originally Posted By pitapan16 That guy Matt is seems like a great person. A real genuine likeable kinda guy. And he was truely great at Disney. Long live Matt Quimet. Here yee, here yee!
Originally Posted By jonvn He'd have to come in at a corporate level. That's what he is now at Starwood. He'd have no reason to go back to a lower level position.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: I'd be willing to take him back any way I could get him...(sobs of uncontrolled grief heard in the distance.)
Originally Posted By iluvdisneyland You'll just have to forgive thw Witches, jonvn, for not being nearly as well informed as you. Or perhaps they just don't billboard it.
Originally Posted By jonvn So now it's turning into sport, I guess. Exactly where did I say I knew what Matt did? Did I say he did nothing? Did I say he was bad? Did I claim he did or did not do anything? I simply asked, how they even knew what he did or did not do? And I got no answer, except of course yours, which provides no information and does nothing to further the conversation. So, either the person I directed the comment to can answer, or not. That would make a conversation go forward or not. Your comment, on the other hand, has no information and serves no purpose other than to be hostile and pointless. Congrats.
Originally Posted By Westsider From a Lead in Guest Relations who deals with all the logistics of VIP guests at Candlelight each year comes this info... Traditionally past senior executives of Disneyland are invited to attend Candlelight each year. This year the usual yearly invites went out to the executives, wives and families of Ron Dominguez, Dick Nunis, Jack Lindquist, the Cora brothers, etc. Matt Ouimet was also put on that traditional former-exec list this year, he accepted, and he attended. The lone exception to that long standing Company etiquette rule occurred in December, 2003. That year an invitation was not extended to Cynthia Harriss or Paul Pressler. They have not been invited since then, and their names were also absent from any official invites to the 50th ceremonies held several times during calendar year 2005, unlike the other former Disneyland executives who were invited to 50th festivities. Since they were first removed in 2003, Pressler and Harriss have never been put back on the list of former executives invited to traditional Disneyland events like Candlelight. But this year Matt Ouimet attended Candlelight, as well as the Company Christmas party a few days afterwards, and politely took his place amongst all of the other non-disgraced Disneyland execs like Dominguez, Nunis and Lindquist. Interesting how that works, isn't it?
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "Interesting how that works, isn't it?" Interesting isn't the word. I would say it's more strange than anything else. I mean, why wouldn't Pressler and Hariss be invited? If this information is true then the only correct assumption is that they left the company on bad terms.
Originally Posted By gadzuux Well I'd say that both are 'persona non grata' within DLR. Whether that's due to the terms under which they left or not is an open question. Since they left the company at different times and under different circumstances and holding different positions on different coasts - I'd think it's unlikely the reason. More likely is the track record and lasting damage they wrought on the parks. But we'll never really know.
Originally Posted By Westsider There's a group of Guest Relations CM's who work out of an office at the Grand Californian. They basically function as the State Department of Disneyland handling official government visits, visiting dignitaries, or socially important people. A major part of their job is to keep a contact list of past Disneyland executives and important people associated with the Park so that they may be invited to traditionally significant events like Candlelight, Park anniversaries, major ceremonies, major attraction openings, movie premieres, etc. For instance, whenever any major event or celebration is held involving the Disneyland Ambassadors an invitation is also extended to Cicely Rigdon, the woman who created both the Disneyland Tour Guide department and the concept of the Disneyland Ambassador. Protocol is very important for them, and they are experts at the rules of corporate etiquette and behavior. They currently maintain no updated contact information for Paul Pressler or Cynthia Harriss. The department has been instructed to not worry about extending any invitations to Disneyland events to those two names, or any family member connected to them. That says alot.
Originally Posted By jonvn "is also extended to Cicely Rigdon" She is still alive? She's got to be like 90 something. "That says alot." I'm not quite sure what it says. Or if it is even true. That story seems suspicious. I'm not saying it isn't, it just seems very odd.
Originally Posted By avromark Is the "Do not invite" list fairly small or is it standard practice to not invite those who aren't 100% Disney kosher. For example is Eisner on the invite or do not invite list? No matter what when Eisner for most of his career at Disney was considered generally "good".
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "More likely is the track record and lasting damage they wrought on the parks." But to not offer them an invitation to this sort of event when the company has invited all the other living past presidents? "The department has been instructed to not worry about extending any invitations to Disneyland events to those two names, or any family member connected to them." This seems like the type of snub reserved only to those who left the company on an extremely sour note. I know that the general rumor is that Hariss was fired, but didn't Pressler leave DLR when he was promoted to a higher position within the WDC? Was he fired too?
Originally Posted By Westsider >>"That story seems suspicious. I'm not saying it isn't, it just seems very odd."<< Have you ever seen Paul Pressler or Cynthia Harriss at any Disney or Disneyland event since 2003? There isn't a mention or a peep or even a picture by Darkbeer of either one of those two back on Disney property since Cynthia left suddenly to "spend more time with family" in October, 2003. There is no mention of them ever returning to Disneyland because they simply haven't been back. They aren't invited to Company events and the Company no longer keeps in contact with them on an official or unoffical level. Disneyland's Guest Relations department has names and addresses for Card Walker's grandchildren to be invited to the Submarine grand opening in June. But there is no current contact information maintained on file for Cynhtia Harriss. She won't be invited to the Submarine grand opening party. It's as simple as that.
Originally Posted By Westsider >>"She is still alive? She's got to be like 90 something."<< Cicely Rigdon is still alive. She's not quite 90, but she is getting up there. According to the Guest Relations CM who occasionally calls her on the telephone to confirm she got the most recent invite she is getting quite senile and clearly is not the same woman she used to be. But she is still alive.
