On February 8th, 2001, Paul Pressler stood at the gates of Disney's California adventure

and admired his accomplishment.

The new park was a companion piece to Disneyland, on the same plot of land but across a small

plaza and through a separate ticketed entrance.

While Disneyland was the classic, family-oriented park the Disney brand was known for, Pressler

wanted California adventure to be more grown up.

He relied on vendors and merchants to design the park rather than Imagineers, wanting

to create a space that would allow adults to enjoy the Disney experience while simultaneously

spending as much money as possible on goods.

And on that sunny, winter day in Southern California, Paul was probably looking at the

park's palm tree-lined streets and Spanish style architecture, thinking that this would

be his legacy.

A hundred years from now, when they talk about the Disney Parks, this would be what he's

remembered for.

But Paul would be wrong.

See, Paul Pressler would be the man that ushered in what was known as the Dark Ages of the

Disney Parks, a period of time regarded as the bloodiest era in the brand's history.

Today, I'm going to shed light on some of those stories and more.

And as always, listener discretion is advised.

It's that feeling when the energy and the room shifts, when the air gets sucked out of

a moment, and everything starts to feel wrong.

It's the instinct between fight or flight.

...