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

[HMF]

Ten plus more years of Bob-style management. Can the company please just fold already?

 

[HMF]

Had to come back to WDWmagic just for this. See you later Bob, don’t let the door hit you on your way out.

I’m not sure how D’Amaro will run things but I’m willing to see how it goes before passing judgement.

If you didn't like Bob, I don't know how this can be considered an improvement.

 

[Chi84]

If you didn't like Bob, I don't know how this can be considered an improvement.

How long are you planning to hang on until you give up?

 

[HMF]

I disagree. Wall Street likes things they understand and know. From day one Wall Street has never liked theme parks or amusement parks and don't understand them. Now that Disney is doubling down on being a theme park company as it's main income source, Wall Street doesn't like it.

You act like Wall Street is still a respected institution.

 

[Jrb1979]

You act like Wall Street is still a respected institution.

Its not at all but it's also how most people setup their money for retirement.

 

[Ayla]

Let’s invite John Lasseter back to the company to run the parks…….

Good god, let's not.

 

[gorillaball]

I am not optimistic.

BREAKING! Stop the presses

 

[gorillaball]

The problem is they’re being run horribly…

It’s been 24 hours…they’re only gleaning solid profit off the parks (their numbers…not mine) and that’s through “cost savings and price increases” (their words every quarter…not mine)…

…and what have they done since yesterday? New tactics to BEG people to show up…again.

And why do you own stock?

 

[Tha Realest]

Wall Street responded negatively to the news that they were spending $60B on parks and experiences. Picking the parks guy to be CEO is in line with their general disdain for the theme park business. Generally can be see as an acknowledgement that the entertainment business is not expected to ever recover.

I remember when Bob was going to spin off and sell the parks.

Maybe Josh will be the one that spins off and sells DTC.

 

[Tha Realest]

Let's not forget - Josh was in charge when DVC dumped their AP discount. Two different divisions, yes, but the fact is DVC owners were shafted with the removal of one of the only perks that was still worth it.

No no no. Don’t you follow? All the bad and unpopular decisions was due to Chapek. (MIND YOU - few of which were reversed after he was long gone).

 

[Disney Analyst]

So any guesses as to who takes over the parks portfolio? Rumours?

 

[wdwmagic]

So any guesses as to who takes over the parks portfolio? Rumours?

Who Will Replace Josh D'Amaro as Disney Experiences Chairman?

Who Will Replace Josh D'Amaro as Disney Experiences Chairman?

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[Captain Neo]

Finish the job, Josh. Drain the Jungle Cruise. Bulldoze Tokyo Splash. Level Kali. Leave no water ride alive. I want a dry and beautiful Disney World, y'see.


I mean uh, hip hip hooray?

Just get it over with and turn the Disney parks into giant Dave & busters

 

[FigmentFan82]

Ten plus more years of Bob-style management. Can the company please just fold already?

Speculation

 

[RSoxNo1]

At least they're going for a semi-split role. It's not Walt and Roy, though, or even Eisner and Wells.

We don't know this yet, but that appears to be the goal here. Getting Dana Walden to stick around has the opportunity to form a solid leadership team.

D23 will be very interesting this year. Now that the streaming expenses are largely behind us, it seems that heavily investing in the parks is the short and long term play. The 2024 event saw a bunch of announcements, but I would expect another chunk of early 2030 projects to be introduced.

I'd love to see a commitment towards bringing back non-IP based attractions and maintenance. I'd love to see a commitment towards actually improving the guest experience and not just lip service. I don't know if a new CEO has the same "First 100 days" type leniency, but the opportunity exists to do quite a bit of fan service in a short amount of time.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The new CEO of the Walt Disney Company, much like the last, answers solely to institutional investors. People have met him and say he "gets it" and maybe he does. In the end, it doesn't matter what he gets. All that matters to him, pretty much by law and contractual obligations, is the share.

The trend right now is that Parks and Resorts are the future of this company. I think the trend was there in 2020 when Chapek took over and he was erroneously deemed as a Parks guy as well (albeit totally different). It seems even then that they realized that Streaming wasn't the future of the company.

That's a long way of saying there are different paths to appease investors. Iger largely grew the company by developing and buying brands and IP. He made a lot of decisions that were good for the finances of the company, but I'm sure if he Monday morning quarterbacked all of them behind closed doors, he may not do all of them again.

Physically adding to the Parks, Resorts and Cruise Line is another way to appease investors, and that process has already started. Until such time that this no longer creates organic growth, I would hope this is the new direction.

 

[Dranth]

D23 will be very interesting this year. Now that the streaming expenses are largely behind us, it seems that heavily investing in the parks is the short and long term play. The 2024 event saw a bunch of announcements, but I would expect another chunk of early 2030 projects to be introduced.

Not sure much will show up this year that is not still tied to Iger as he will be hanging around until the end of the year. Anything approved until he is out the door completely is potentially subject to his input. Additionally, unless they are going to go the blue sky route again on at least a few announcements, there isn't a lot of time to get something new going that didn't start development under Iger as CEO for D23 this year.

Personally, I would wait until at least Jan 1 next year to start looking at what Josh is doing to see if things are going to improve or not. Even then, I expect it will be slow changes over time instead of some massive shift.

 

[bmr1591]

Free picnic basket with every AP.

Nothing can stop us now!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

And why do you own stock?

I got it when is was like $12 a share…
I’m an old sentimental fart

 

[Tha Realest]

We don't know this yet, but that appears to be the goal here. Getting Dana Walden to stick around has the opportunity to form a solid leadership team.

D23 will be very interesting this year. Now that the streaming expenses are largely behind us, it seems that heavily investing in the parks is the short and long term play. The 2024 event saw a bunch of announcements, but I would expect another chunk of early 2030 projects to be introduced.

I'd love to see a commitment towards bringing back non-IP based attractions and maintenance. I'd love to see a commitment towards actually improving the guest experience and not just lip service. I don't know if a new CEO has the same "First 100 days" type leniency, but the opportunity exists to do quite a bit of fan service in a short amount of time.

I’m not sure how streaming expenses are behind Disney. They operate in extremely low margins right now, and their content is not getting cheaper (especially for the pro and college sports rights)