News Josh D’Amaro Named Next CEO of The Walt Disney Company

[UNCgolf]

Eisner had a strong first half but a very bad second half. The EuroDisney blunder affected WDW too because Beastly Kingdom got scraped. He just never recovered from that.

Even his second half wasn't that bad at WDW (not that it was good). It got us Animal Kingdom -- yes, very underbuilt but so well themed for the most part -- and Animal Kingdom Lodge. They haven't built any hotels even half as good as Animal Kingdom Lodge in the last 20 years, and what they have built is generally bland and underthemed (if themed at all).

We also got some solid attractions/shows like Winnie the Pooh, Philharmagic, Test Track, Expedition Everest, Fantasmic, and Reflections of Earth.

But obviously there was a fair share of bad in there too.

 

[BrianLo]

Oh I just went with the last 15 years - he's been there a while. He's had real power since at least 2017 and is responsible for a lot of that.

Josh has only been the main park exec since 2020 and the former parks exec was his boss and remained his boss through Fall 2022. Park strategies are incredibly long winded.

The only discernible major thing he had finger prints on publicly prior to 2020 was MMRR at just Disneyland; and assuredly his boss and his bosses boss signed off on that.

I’d no later blame or credit Chapek for most things that finally happened in 2016-18 than I would for Josh in 2020-22.

 

[Tha Realest]

The original sub goal was 60-90M subs... in five years.

How many “boutique streamers” acquired another media company for tens of billions to boost its content catalogue and spent billions more at launch for original content?

 

[MisterPenguin]

How many “boutique streamers” acquired another media company for tens of billions to boost its content catalogue and spent billions more at launch for original content?

You do realize that Disney didn't make D+ and then started to shop around spending billions for a beefier content library, right?

Iger didn't go to Murdoch begging to buy Fox. Murdoch was happenstancily looking to sell it.

That led from going niche/boutique to going all in.

 

[BrianLo]

How many “boutique streamers” acquired another media company for tens of billions to boost its content catalogue and spent billions more at launch for original content?

Boutique is not the right word. Crunchyroll is what I’d call Boutique.

It was positioned as a moderate player and Chapek pivoted strategically towards being a Netflix competitor. The exposé’s on their falling out highlights how strategically offside one another they were by the 2020 Investor Day roadmap and subscriber projections.

The goal was the shovel in the dying home video arm, but it wasn’t intended to shovel the entire entertainment arm into, initially.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Josh has only been the main park exec since 2020 and the former parks exec was his boss and remained his boss through Fall 2022. Park strategies are incredibly long winded.

The only discernible major thing he had finger prints on publicly prior to 2020 was MMRR at just Disneyland; and assuredly his boss and his bosses boss signed off on that.

I’d no later blame or credit Chapek for most things that finally happened in 2016-18 than I would for Josh in 2020-22.

Cool, so he let it crash and burn for only 6 years and/or had zero pull with the CEO. Or Worst, he was the architect and agreed the awful decisions at WDW. He did an amazing job raising prices and sucking money out of people, so there is that.

It doesn't matter anyway. He's a 28 year establishment guy. I hate the pick but I hope I'm wrong. The last 10 years have been awful for the company and WDW.

 

[Chef Mickey]

You look at cummunicore hall, the broken lights, the what could have been water area, the souless connections cafe and creations shop with a Mickey slapped on the wall, that horrible stage and see success? You see that and think “good job Disney, you really delivered on this overhaul.” That is truly what you see and feel?

Couldn't have said it better. Connections is AWFUL - captures no essence of EPCOT. The stage...my god what a failure. The music. Just the whole vibe is so bad.

The EPCOT redesign is particularly bad.

 

[BrianLo]

Cool, so he let it crash and burn for only 6 years and/or had zero pull with the CEO. Or Worst, he was the architect and agreed the awful decisions at WDW. He did an amazing job raising prices and sucking money out of people, so there is that.

No, that’s still not exactly what I’m saying either.

The era of Josh’s 6 year leadership window is largely manifesting from about 2023-2030 or so, with greying at the edges.

You can certainly find many faults, but it’s hard to pin a half-built project or strategy on someone who steps into the roll and their boss is the one who set that strategy.

Just as we wrote Chapek’s obituary around his handling of Epcot’s redo or Avengers campus, so too can we look back in a few more years. You really hate Iger and Chapek though, Josh is still a little TBD.

 

[Chef Mickey]

We enjoyed the Encanto show, Guardians, the Moana water feature and absolutely loved Space 220. We did miss the fountain.

On balance I liked the original Future World much more, especially The Living Seas, which went from best to worst in my opinion.

I still enjoy Epcot but I wish Disney had come up with a better idea for redoing Future World.

I hated Space 220. Future World screw up is enough to say EPCOT is ruined.

My issue with EPCOT is it feels nothing like EPCOT used to feel. Wrong rides, poor landscape, and just no brand anymore. It feels empty and dead.

 

[Chef Mickey]

No, that’s still not exactly what I’m saying either.

The era of Josh’s 6 year leadership window is largely manifesting from about 2023-2030 or so, with greying at the edges.

You can certainly find many faults, but it’s hard to pin a half underway project or strategy on someone who steps into the roll and their boss is the one who set that strategy.

Just as we wrote Chapek’s obituary around his handling of Epcot’s redo or Avengers campus, so too can we look back in a few more years.

Why oh why couldn't Josh be more influential if you're going to blame Chapek? The dude has been in a power position since 2020. He's a company vet. He should have pull, influence, and power. Either he agrees with a lot of this stuff or he has zero presence to step in and save it from being horrible.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Eisner had a strong first half but a very bad second half. The EuroDisney blunder affected WDW too because Beastly Kingdom got scraped. He just never recovered from that.

Iger had a FAR worse second half. It's an amazing fall actually. Pretty good first half, disaster second half.

 

[BrianLo]

Why oh why couldn't Josh be more influential if you're going to blame Chapek? The due is in a power position since 2020. He's a company vet. He should have pull, influence, and power. Either he agrees with a lot of this stuff or he has zero presence to step in and save it from being horrible.

I don’t know why you have a hard time accepting parks projects don’t simply manifest the next day.

Does the next unnamed parks exec really deserve much blame or credit for building villainsland, partnering with Miral, having a full slate of ship orders through 2032? And do you really think they are going to talk their boss out of them?

 

[Chef Mickey]

Even his second half wasn't that bad at WDW (not that it was good). It got us Animal Kingdom -- yes, very underbuilt but so well themed for the most part -- and Animal Kingdom Lodge. They haven't built any hotels even half as good as Animal Kingdom Lodge in the last 20 years, and what they have built is generally bland and underthemed (if themed at all).

We also got some solid attractions/shows like Winnie the Pooh, Philharmagic, Test Track, Expedition Everest, Fantasmic, and Reflections of Earth.

But obviously there was a fair share of bad in there too.

Animal Kingdom was huge to get, despite needing more. We got an entire park. Everest is the last "True Disney" ride, IMO.

Iger wishes he had the second half Eisner did. Completely agree the last good hotel was probably AKL.

Fantasmic is an all time show. Test Track was innovative and on theme with EPCOT. Winnie, the Pooh, another classic. Eisner was great for WDW in general, so I'm partial to his run.

 

[CoastalElite64]

Iger had a FAR worse second half. It's an amazing fall actually. Pretty good first half, disaster second half.

I high key disagree if we are talking company wide. The wheels were coming off by the time Eisner left.

 

[Chef Mickey]

I don’t know why you have a hard time accepting parks projects don’t simply manifest the next day.

Does the next unnamed parks exec really deserve much blame or credit for building villainsland, partnering with Miral, having a full slate of ship orders through 2032? And do you really think they are going to talk their boss out of them?

He had plenty of time to undo them. This next day stuff is a cop out. He also was cool with the way parks run currently with crap hours, poor cast training, cutting entertainment, stupid pricing, and stupid operations decisions like LL and scrapping FP. Crap food, small portions, and prices up up up. These are decisions that can be "undone" and changed very quickly. He's on board with those at least.

Strategy stuff needs force of personality and he obviously has none. It's not my job to figure out what needs to change, but my view is he's good with a lot of what is going on today operationally and recent missteps are a reflection of Josh. As one example, Connections should have never been opened in its current form. You don't need 6 years of runway to stop that.

 

[Chef Mickey]

I high key disagree if we are talking company wide. The wheels were coming off by the time Eisner left.

Company wide is different. The Disney company was struggling, but it is now too.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Couldn't have said it better. Connections is AWFUL - captures no essence of EPCOT. The stage...my god what a failure. The music. Just the whole vibe is so bad.

The EPCOT redesign is particularly bad.

The mural feels very Epcot to me. The floor to ceiling windows looking out into the park and the show kitchens give more to look at too.

I hated Space 220. Future World screw up is enough to say EPCOT is ruined.

My issue with EPCOT is it feels nothing like EPCOT used to feel. Wrong rides, poor landscape, and just no brand anymore. It feels empty and dead.

It may not be your favorite but it’s absolutely a very EPCOT fitting restaurant with the at stellarvators, rotating crops, space windows. I’d recommend trying the lounge it’s a lot less hectic. As for landscaping the front is infinitely better with the tombstones removed. The plaza is a mix. It has a lot more greenery, seating areas than before, but kissing a fountain. JOW does have lots of water to be fair.

 

[HMF]

I hated Space 220. Future World screw up is enough to say EPCOT is ruined.

My issue with EPCOT is it feels nothing like EPCOT used to feel. Wrong rides, poor landscape, and just no brand anymore. It feels empty and dead.

Couldn't have put it better myself. Oh wait, I did.

Decline of a Dream

The Long, Slow Decline of Walt Disney World's Epcot

vocal.media

 

[Chef Mickey]

Couldn't have put it better myself. Oh wait, I did.

Decline of a Dream

The Long, Slow Decline of Walt Disney World's Epcot

vocal.media

Will read - thanks for the share.

 

[HMF]

Iger had a FAR worse second half. It's an amazing fall actually. Pretty good first half, disaster second half.

I didn't even think his first half was that good, generally speaking. Those were the days of "Disney Parks" and letting the marketing department vomit on the monorail.