News The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors Extends Robert A. Iger’s Contract as CEO Through 2026

[esskay]

Bye Bob.

If Josh ends up continuing the random solo tours of the parks that'd be a good start. Being shielded and directed around by minions instructed to avoid showing the bad bits made Igers presence at the parks pretty pointless. Not that it would've been any better when he was away, he made it clear long ago that his priorities changed dramatically in the second half of his tenure.

 

[NotCalledBob]

I agree with @peter11435 I think Joe Schott is gonna take the roll. Not a coincidence that they just announced who’s replacing him.

I like Thomas Mazloum. I'm not saying at all that it should be him. Or that it is him that is line for the role. Not in the slightest. But, I like the way he runs things. I like his personality. He's a good fit. My second pick is Natacha Raflalski. Not in a million years will it be her. But I think she is fab.

 

[MisterPenguin]

If there is a head scratching decision Iger’s made recently which should hasten his departure, it was the 1$ billion equity investment in OpenAI a few weeks ago.

It's the "foot in the door."

When streaming was going to be the next big thing, Netflix got a head start. Then Iger (and the BoD) jumped in making it their top priority. And now, Disney's DTC is making billions, while Peacock and Paramount, who got in late, are just now starting to stop floundering.

Buying into Unreal Engine and Fortnite was to keep Disney at the cutting edge of graphics (useful for a content company) and gaming (an area Disney kept failing to get into).

And Disney spent a lot on "the Volume" improve film and TV SFX and, in the end, make it cheaper and faster.

Disney has dozens of programs with smaller startups and with individuals that they invest in. What they're doing can be the next big thing.

It's all similar to how he (and the BoD) bought LucasFilm, Pixar, and 20CFox. He and the board were making sure they didn't miss the next big thing... that might turn around and hurt them.

Thus, the AI deal. Regardless of one's feelings about AI (both informed and uninformed) it's certainly heading to be the next big thing. And you either ride that wave or drown in it.

 

[Serpico Jones]

 

[Andrew C]

Looking forward to what will be the best day ever.

 

[WaltsTreasureChest]

Can we expect an announcement D’Amaro?

 

[MisterPenguin]

I, for one, welcome our new theme park overlord.

 

[GenChi]

At this point it would be a major upset if Josh was passed over. My personal opinion is when Dana mishandled the Jimmy Kimmel affair, it destroyed her chance of getting the big chair. Too bad as I thought she would have been the better choice.

Now that it is looking likely Josh it is, I have to agree this was a deciding factor, not the only but one of them. Was too similar to the Chapek era major pr disasters made out of something that could have been very manageable, enough that even Iger seems fully drained from it now. Mitigating those are a big part of the job and that was a failure to show she would.

 

[HMF]

Yay, More of the same!

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Yay, More of the same!

I don’t think so.

Josh has followed a very, very different path to the top than Iger did. So much of what led Iger’s thinking was informed by the roles he held on the way up. Josh has cut his teeth in the parks whereas Iger didn’t. He was a media guy and as such his priority and focus was always on Disney’s media.

Josh has been a loyal second, but I also don’t think we’ve seen very many purely Josh decisions in the parks. While we may not agree with him in the end, I think Josh certainly sees the parks differently than Iger does and he will be a very parks forward CEO whereas Iger was not.

 

[HMF]

I don’t think so.

Josh has followed a very, very different path to the top than Iger did. So much of what led Iger’s thinking was informed by the roles he held on the way up. Josh has cut his teeth in the parks whereas Iger didn’t. He was a media guy and as such his priority and focus was always on Disney’s media.

Josh has been a loyal second, but I also don’t think we’ve seen very many purely Josh decisions in the parks. While we may not agree with him in the end, I think Josh certainly sees the parks differently than Iger does and he will be a very parks forward CEO whereas Iger was not.

I will believe Josh will bring positive change when I see it. As of right now I see him as one of Iger's Yes men, I honestly hope I am wrong.

 

[Serpico Jones]

Now that it is looking likely Josh it is, I have to agree this was a deciding factor, not the only but one of them. Was too similar to the Chapek era major pr disasters made out of something that could have been very manageable, enough that even Iger seems fully drained from it now. Mitigating those are a big part of the job and that was a failure to show she would.

Josh’s side of the business makes the most money. That’s why he’s been chosen, imo.

 

[CoastalElite64]

At this point it would be a major upset if Josh was passed over. My personal opinion is when Dana mishandled the Jimmy Kimmel affair, it destroyed her chance of getting the big chair. Too bad as I thought she would have been the better choice.

I don't think Dana was responsible for that. That situation tracks with Iger. He didn't learn from his last situation with James Gunn.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I will believe Josh will bring positive change when I see it. As of right now I see him as one of Iger's Yes men, I honestly hope I am wrong.

This is where I’m at also, I desperately hope he proves me wrong.

My gf and I had been DL APs, who visited nearly monthly, for 15 years, we went to WDW once or twice a year on average over those same years, and also went to DL Paris 3 times during those years, according to a Facebook memory we got 2 days ago Jan 30th 2025 was our last visit to DL before we let our Keys go, that’s the last time we’ve set foot in a Disney park… as life long Disney fans, and decade long park fanatics, I never could have imagined we’d go a year without stepping foot in a Disney park, what’s worse is we were talking about it over the weekend and we agreed we haven’t missed dealing with reservations, LLs, the nickel and diming, etc.

We recently got back from a wonderful DCL cruise but we really would love to refind that same excitement for the parks again.

I still follow what happens in the parks because I still love them, the cons currently outweigh the pros for us though, I hope whoever the next CEO is will change that.

 

[HMF]

This is where I’m at also, I desperately hope he proves me wrong.

My gf and I had been DL APs, who visited nearly monthly, for 15 years, we went to WDW once or twice a year on average over those same years, and also went to DL Paris 3 times during those years, according to a Facebook memory we got 2 days ago Jan 30th 2025 was our last visit to DL before we let our Keys go, that’s the last time we’ve set foot in a Disney park… as life long Disney fans, and decade long park fanatics, I never could have imagined we’d go a year without stepping foot in a Disney park, what’s worse is we were talking about it over the weekend and we agreed we haven’t missed dealing with reservations, LLs, the nickel and diming, etc.

We recently got back from a wonderful DCL cruise but we really would love to refind that same excitement for the parks again.

I still follow what happens in the parks because I still love them, the cons currently outweigh the pros for us though, I hope whoever the next CEO is will change that.

I would argue that DL got much preferable treatment than WDW did during Iger's reign. Disneyland Park is still being run well enough to tempt me to visit in my book, unlike the current state of WDW. DCA of course has now fallen into the trap that all the secondary parks have as a collection of disconnected ideas thrown together because they have nowhere else to go which is said because for a few years in the mid-2010s it really did look like they had turned the park around. My current view of DCA mirrors John Hench in 2001, sadly.

Disney California Adventure

Failure, Success, and Back to Failure

vocal.media

 

[coffeefan]

Brickey made a good case on why Dana would be a better pick. He also thinks Dana may go to another studio if she doesn't get the role or a better offer.

 

[Captain Neo]

Josh is more of the same I think. His whole tenure at Disney parks has been when the company was a;ready dismantling original attractions to shove in movie-tie ins and replace audio animatronics and sets with screens

 

[castlecake2.0]

Make Josh CEO, Dana President, Ken chairman of WDPR

 

[HauntedPirate]

What will change with Josh as CEO? Nothing. It’s not as if he will suddenly have legions of construction workers at the ready or is bringing Brinks trucks full of cash with him (they already used those for RDJ). The course for the parks is set for the next 5-6 years.

 

[James Alucobond]

It’s not as if he will suddenly have legions of construction workers at the ready ...

... Should there be more? Three parks have major construction going on at the moment.