Credit: DisneyAfter 36 years at The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle is hanging up his Mickey Mouse ears. Vahle, who took over as commander-in-chief of the Central Florida vacation destination in 2020, is retiring in late July. His replacement has not been announced.
Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle Announces Retirement
On Monday afternoon, Vahle announced his planned retirement on LinkedIn, writing:
“Today, I shared with our team that after 36 years with Disney, I’ll be retiring this summer.
I started my career as an engineer at Magic Kingdom, and I’m wrapping it up with the best job ever, leading Walt Disney World into a period of remarkable growth in partnership with our incredible Cast Members and community.
I’ll be here through late July, so I’ll save the reminiscing for later. In the meantime, there’s a lot ahead, from launching Cool KIDS’ Summer to opening Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets and an updated Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
It’s an exciting time at Walt Disney World, and I’m looking forward to being part of it in the months ahead.”
Vahle broke the news just minutes ago, so other representatives for The Walt Disney Company have yet to issue statements on his upcoming retirement. Neither the outgoing Walt Disney World Resort president nor Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro has announced a replacement. D’Amaro is likely to speak on Vahle’s retirement, as the current Central Florida Disney Park president replaced the now-CEO when he was promoted to the now-called Chairman of Disney Experiences in 2020.
Vahle’s retirement takes effect in late July, though he did not announce an exact date. He will likely spend much of his last few months on the job training his replacement, as well as celebrating the grand opening of attractions like the Magic of Disney Animation and Rock’ n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
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