Ken Potrock, President of Disney’s Major Events Integration team and the former President of Disneyland Resort, announced his retirement from The Walt Disney Company on LinkedIn, closing out a career that began with the launch of Disney Cruise Line in 1995.
Ken Potrock Announces Retirement From Disney
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Ken Potrock is retiring from Disney after nearly 32 years, staying on through Super Bowl LXI in February 2027.
- His Disney career began in 1995 with the launch of Disney Cruise Line and later included leading Disneyland Resort through the pandemic.
- Potrock said his post-Disney plans include travel and a possible stint at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley.
Potrock made the announcement in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday, writing, “Well, the news is out. After nearly 32 incredible years, I’ve decided to retire from The Walt Disney Company.” He added that the departure isn’t immediate: “But not quite yet… first, we have the biggest Super Bowl ever to help deliver in Los Angeles.” That’s Super Bowl LXI, set for Los Angeles in February 2027, which falls under Potrock’s Major Events Integration role.
A Career That Spanned Cruise Ships To Disneyland
Potrock described his start at Disney as an unlikely one. “My time at Disney started in 1995 with what felt like a crazy idea: help Disney launch a cruise line, in an industry it had never been in,” he wrote. “A lot of people thought we were nuts. We figured it out anyway.”
From there, his career moved through several corners of the company. Potrock listed Disney Cruise Line, ESPN Wide World of Sports, Disney Vacation Club, and Disney Consumer Products among his stops before what he called “the honor of leading Disneyland Resort through its hardest days… and some of its best ones.”
Potrock joined Disneyland Resort in 2020 and led the resort through its post-pandemic reopening, later securing approval of the DisneylandForward expansion project, which unlocks room for growth and investment in Anaheim over the next 40 years. His five years in that role also included the opening of Avengers Campus, the reimagining of Pixar Place Hotel, the expansion of the Downtown Disney District, and continued growth at Disney California Adventure.
In January 2025, Potrock moved into the newly created role of President, Major Events Integration, tasked with building cross-company plans around Disney’s involvement in large-scale sports, entertainment, and tourism events, from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics to the country’s 250th anniversary. He wrote that the role gave him “the honor of helping craft Disney’s commemoration of our nation’s 250th anniversary, collaborating on how we will maximize our company’s first Super Bowl in 20 years, and helping to prepare our organization for a very special celebration… Mickey’s 100th.” That slate has also included the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Potrock has continued to report to Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences.
Reflecting on the nearly three decades in between, Potrock credited the people rather than the projects. “Every chapter along this journey was built by people who cared more than they had to. That’s what I’ll carry with me most,” he wrote. He also passed along a lesson from his father: “My dad always said hospitality is just a way of showing up for people. I found that spirit in every Disney cast member I ever worked alongside. To everyone who has been part of this ride: thank you.”
What’s Next For Potrock
As for what comes next, Potrock said he and his wife Susanne have travel to catch up on and two sons to keep watching “crushing it.” He also floated a possible return to something closer to his first job out of school: “I just might be heading to the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley. My first job selling Gallo wine was trying to tell me something all along.”
Potrock’s retirement takes effect after February 2027, once Super Bowl LXI wraps in Los Angeles. “The next chapter is going to be a really good one,” he wrote.
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