President, Worldwide Operations, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts  

Al Weiss serves as president of worldwide operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He is responsible for operations at the company’s theme parks and resorts spanning three continents and including the Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Resort Paris. He also oversees Disney Cruise Line and Disney Vacation Club.  

Al began his 34-year Disney career in 1972 as an hourly Cast Member and worked his way up through a variety of roles and leadership positions. He was named president of the Walt Disney World Resort in 1994 and named the top operations leader for Disney’s vacation destinations around the globe in November 2005.  

Within the company, the community and the corporate world, Al is known for his passion for creating an unparalleled experience for each and every guest, taking the business to new heights, giving back to the community and creating a world-class work environment for Cast Members.  

Al has directed the largest resort expansion in Walt Disney World history, overseen the successful opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and launched Disney Cruise Line. He reports to Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.  

Al has received the Pop Warner organization’s most prestigious national award – the Warner Award – for achieving excellence in athletics, scholarship and life’s endeavors with integrity and humanity. The National Conference for Community and Justice named Al the 2001 Humanitarian of the Year, honoring his work to promote respect and understanding among all races, religions and cultures. He has been designated as a distinguished alumnus by his alma mater, the University of Central Florida, and both UCF and the Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business have inducted Al into their Halls of Fame. Staying closely involved with his alma mater, Al has served as chairman of the UCF Foundation Board of Directors and is a member of the UCF Board of Trustees.  

He is an active community leader, serving on the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, the Florida Council of 100 Board of Directors, the SunTrust Bank Central Florida Board of Directors, the Orange County Minority/Women Business Enterprise Alliance and the Give Kids the World Advisory Board. Because of his support of the Heart of Florida United Way, Al is a member of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society and its Membership Cabinet. In addition, he has been named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International for his commitment to that organization.  

Al was named “Most Influential Businessman in Central Florida” by the Orlando Business Journal in 2005 and has received the Tree of Life Award from the Jewish National Fund for his visionary and humanitarian leadership in the community.  

An advocate of balance, Al makes his family and his faith top priorities. He has been an avid Little League coach in years past, and enjoys playing basketball and golf with friends and family. A native of Chicago, Al has lived in Central Florida since 1970. He is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and received his MBA from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. He and his wife, Doreen, have two grown children and live in Kissimmee, Florida.