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

[HMF]

Maybe Bob wanting to sell off the parks in his first few years?

Could a third party run them any worse?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Could a third party run them any worse?

Visit sea world and then you tell me. (And sea world isn’t the worst)

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

Could a third party run them any worse?

Have you seen Six Flags? They are also adopting the "we want less customers who pay more" type strategy but without investing proper money into their parks. You can get a million ride clones and flat rides off the shelf and maybe they'll occasionally throw in a decent coaster once in a blue moon.

 

[rio]

Have you seen Six Flags? They are also adopting the "we want less customers who pay more" type strategy but without investing proper money into their parks. You can get a million ride clones and flat rides off the shelf and maybe they'll occasionally throw in a decent coaster once in a blue moon.

Six Flags only avoided bankruptcy again because they were bought out, I mean merged with, Cedar Fair. The combined chain also took a play on the “get as many people in the parks this year as possible” book. I only paid about $750 for fast pass at every park in NA every visit, food at every park in NA on every visit, parking IN NA, and admission in NA. Without the fast pass everything else was $120.

They’re trying to raise prices, but the quality isn’t there yet, and the obligations on their balance sheet are likely too high to overcome. Maybe we’ll see this strategy have legs after parks are sold off to Enchanted

 

[HMF]

Visit sea world and then you tell me. (And sea world isn’t the worst)

Fair point but what if it was something along the lines of OLC?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Fair point but what if it was something along the lines of OLC?

Of course it could be better, but Disney does a lot right. Even Herschend has some really carnival / flea market style 3rd party stuff in the parks that I don’t see at Disney.

 

[JoeCamel]

https://variety.com/2026/film/features/disney-ceo-josh-damaro-star-wars-marvel-ai-1236671533/ I know nobody is going to like what I’m saying, but after reading that article about Josh D’Amaro, I like what I’m hearing. He sounds like a great guy! I wonder if he’s a Christian?

Sounds like he's human, I don't think religion enters into it. The parks have always been a reflection of Walt who like most during his time did practice christianity so the celebrations and he was patriotic so things like flag retreat and USA on Main Street shape the flavor of the experience but overall a celebration of America and all that it means and it's diversity.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The parks have always been a reflection of Walt who like most during his time did practice christianity

I mean it’s still the worlds #1 religion. Disneyland and Epcot have a more religious service than many mega churches do now.

 

[HMF]

I mean it’s still the worlds #1 religion. Disneyland and Epcot have a more religious service than many mega churches do now.

Most mega churches tend to be money-laundering schemes anyway. Also, from what I have read Walt doesn't strike me as particularly religious in an overt sense though Diane Disney Miller did say he had respect for all faiths apparently (That was obviously in response to the antisemitism rumors.)

 

[Dranth]

Fair point but what if it was something along the lines of OLC?

I think the issue for most is that the chances of us getting an OLC type is pretty slim.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I mean, on the other hand, are we to believe that Iger had no idea what his number 2 thought about the direction of the company? Maybe I fall somewhere in the middle. I absolutely think Iger got out because he thought things would fall off for Disney with Covid. And I believe he picked someone to take over that he thought he could control somewhat, and wouldn't be considered as good as him (thus making people look back on him fondly). I don't think he expected Chapek to think he knew everything immediately, and I don't think he expected him to try to implement everything he talked crazy about (and thus fail as spectacularly as he did).

This is sort of how I view things. Despite supposedly his first call with Eisner including a lament that he wouldn’t be CEO of Capital Cities/ABC, he has long tried to portray himself as a reluctant leader. His contract extensions were framed as him wanting to retire but the Board asking him to stay because they just couldn’t find anyone else. He had aspirations to move into politics but didn’t want to just run, and again be asked for run, apparently even trying to get Oprah involved (which in hindsight he should take as a huge compliment that she didn’t).

If he had just said he wanted to stay there’s really no indication that the Board would have fought back and forced him out. He didn’t need some elaborate ruse to sink a successor and get the job back. What I think he absolutely expected from Chapek was a lot of texts and phone calls asking for advice and for him to stop by to look at things. The story would be that he finally retired but he’s such a mensch he’s there all the time helping because they keep asking for his guidance.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Sounds like he's human, I don't think religion enters into it. The parks have always been a reflection of Walt who like most during his time did practice christianity so the celebrations and he was patriotic so things like flag retreat and USA on Main Street shape the flavor of the experience but overall a celebration of America and all that it means and it's diversity.

I could be wrong but I think @TsWade2 was wondering if his spiritual path led to him being a (seemingly) particularly good person, not worrying about which “club” he identifies with. I have to admit I had similar thoughts. Kind of like if you see a particularly attractive person and you wonder if they’ve had work done (and what), if spiritual types see a particularly shiny person we are prone to wondering “Ooo… what path? Ayahuasca retreat? Journey of discovery through Nepal? Religion? Which one?” etc.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Josh should put The Sweatbox on Disney+.

 

[TsWade2]

Sounds like he's human, I don't think religion enters into it. The parks have always been a reflection of Walt who like most during his time did practice christianity so the celebrations and he was patriotic so things like flag retreat and USA on Main Street shape the flavor of the experience but overall a celebration of America and all that it means and it's diversity.

I could be wrong but I think @TsWade2 was wondering if his spiritual path led to him being a (seemingly) particularly good person, not worrying about which “club” he identifies with. I have to admit I had similar thoughts. Kind of like if you see a particularly attractive person and you wonder if they’ve had work done (and what), if spiritual types see a particularly shiny person we are prone to wondering “Ooo… what path? Ayahuasca retreat? Journey of discovery through Nepal? Religion? Which one?” etc.

Okay, I'm not saying he's a Christian, I just wondered if he's Christian or not. But I guess his religion is none of our business. Also, I think that article is very well written and hopeful that Josh D'Amaro will do well as CEO of Disney. Of course, I'm afraid seeing how well he does in a few years is the real test.

 

[CaptinEO]

You know, I put a lot of thought into it today, Josh is probably the best thing to happen to the parks since early Eisner.

We best not sleep on that.

Could end up going sideways, if you live long enough you eventually become the villain after all, but he’s bringing with him an angle and energy that’s been so needed.

Josh has continued the death by a thousand cuts at themeparks that potential Iger successors have all done since the 2000s (and Eisner potential successors did in the late 90s).

He just has a friendly outgoing personality, but don't mistake that for him being someone who actually cares about the US Parks quality. Just like Chapek, Staggs, and Jay Rusulo he has torn away at the themeparks piecemeal.

Yes we are getting rethemes and investments but it is for new lightning lane revenue, not to improve the guest experience.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Josh has continued the death by a thousand cuts at themeparks

We don’t know if that’s Josh, or Josh following orders.

I’d rather have him than anyone else I can think of who would realistically be chosen.

(Personally I’d put Tony, Joe and Kevin in charge!)

 

[CaptinEO]

We don’t know if that’s Josh, or Josh following orders.

I’d rather have him than anyone else I can think of who would realistically be chosen.

(Personally I’d put Tony, Joe and Kevin in charge!)

The orders in a public business are to provide value to the shareholders. He isn't going to go on a spending spree plussing up the parks to how they were pre 2020 because he is a friendly guy. You get to CEO by providing value. I'd imagine he wants to keep that role.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The orders in a public business are to provide value to the shareholders.

I wasn’t suggesting he didn’t do that.

Improving the parks provides value to shareholders… that’s why they are investing a crazy amount into the parks right now.

 

[CaptinEO]

I wasn’t suggesting he didn’t do that.

Improving the parks provides value to shareholders… that’s why they are investing a crazy amount into the parks right now.

They are adding attractions that can bring in hotel guests and lightning lane revenue. Which is a good thing for guests, but the guest experience, value, and staffing has been slowly gutted at both coasts.

Would only take a very very small fraction of this 60 billion to fix these cuts but sadly no one there cares about the guest experience.

There are shuttered former attraction buildings on both coasts just sitting there unused. There are empty theaters that used to provide much needed rest and a break from the sun. But fixing those issues are never going to be a priority for someone who's job is to hype things up to shareholders.

You can just tell how little the executives care about the guest experience when their visits involve publicity photoshoots and skipping the lines of each ride.

Think Josh or Bob have had to make park reservations? Wait in line? Book their own travel? Wake up at 5am to book a dining reservation 6 months out?

Until we have a down to earth executive who is there with the guests at their own level, I don't expect anything to change in this regard.

Keep in mind people also claimed Chapek was "following orders" but would be a knight in shining armor for his realm, themeparks, when he became CEO but we all know how that turned out.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Think Josh or Bob have had to make park reservations? Wait in line? Book their own travel? Wake up at 5am to book a dining reservation 6 months out?

Fwiw, he has definitely been spotted in lines. I realize that’s not the same as waking up early to get reservations and all the rest, but it’s something.