News Bob Iger is back! Chapek is out!!

[Disney Analyst]

I agree with both of you. I haven't gone to the movies in about 3 years. There really hasn't been anything that I'm willing to pay $15 to see. I love being able to watch movies from my own home without other people ruining my experience (talking, using their phone, etc.)

At this point, going to a theatre is reserved for a film that benefits from the sound system and big screen.

Which typically means I only end up going for Marvel movies at this point...

 

[Disney Analyst]

There's a video surfacing around social media showing Disney Fans cheering after news broke of Chapek no longer being CEO at Disneyland in Main Street USA. I can't find the video, but it's out there.

The video I've seen was just someone taking a video shot during the Rise lottery days, when everyone got their boarding groups and cheered, and labelling it "Disney Fan Reaction to Bob Chapek" sort of thing.

A fake.

Haven't found anything real yet.

 

[erasure fan1]

Did you see Bumblebee? The first 5 minutes of that movie was more authentic than all of the MB Transformers franchise.

Yes I did. I really liked it. I am a huge G1 fan so I was a bit disappointed that they are abandoning bumblebee for beast wars. I was not a big fan of the show.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that, given Iger is somewhat less of a robot and cares deeply about public perception, he might have reacted or adjusted policies as they were implemented in a way that at least seemed more palatable. Chapek was following an existing long-term plan, but he kind of mashed down on the accelerator. I'm not saying Iger wouldn't have done the same thing, but I can see how one might think he would have approached things in a more measured way or that he will perhaps be more apt to reverse things now in order to become the anti-Chapek.

There's only one single thing I feel fairly confident would have been different with Iger at the helm. And that is the baseline intelligence to not publicly admit that you're swindling customers. Or making broad and factually incorrect statements about how only children like animated content. But that's pretty much it. Hell, I don't even believe Iger disagrees with Chapek's aforementioned comments, he just probably has the sense to know not to admit it out loud (or would word it in a less stupid way).

I believe that had Iger remained CEO (which he still effectively was until December 2021), there would have been virtually no difference in the way the parks have been managed, priced etc etc. The price hikes and cuts to the guest experience during Chapek's extremely short reign have been entirely consistent with Iger's business practices. I will be shocked if anything changes in that regard with Iger being put back in control again. If anything, I expect them to get even worse.

I'm not jumping up and down or anything but if you need an example of why this change makes me happy, I'll point you to Kareem Daniel as exhibit A.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of either Bob but if I have to eat my veggies and you're giving me the choice of asparagus or brussel sprouts sprouts, I'll take the double serving of asparagus, please.

I have a pretty equal dislike of both those foods, same way I feel about Iger and Chapek.

 

[Vinnie Mac]

There's a video surfacing around social media showing Disney Fans cheering after news broke of Chapek no longer being CEO at Disneyland in Main Street USA. I can't find the video, but it's out there.

I know what video they are referring to and unforutnately it was just a joke (footage was actually of people cheering when they got boarding groups for Rise on the day of its opening).

It is fun to pretend however

 

[Vinnie Mac]

Among Disney fans, this may be true. Outside our community, I very much doubt that more than a tiny percentage of people are even aware of Pandora's existence.

I've heard more people talk about the land than the actual contents of the movie.

Yeah, even outside of the theme park bubble.

 

[brb1006]

I know what video they are referring to and unforutnately it was just a joke (footage was actually of people cheering when they got boarding groups for Rise on the day of its opening).

It is fun to pretend however

 

[networkpro]

I've heard more people talk about the land than the actual contents of the movie.

Yeah, even outside of the theme park bubble.

The Land is amazing, but we're supposed to identify with giant blue space hippies? Nahh, with those exposed nerve sheaths they'd be quickly eliminated with a nice dose of VX or Sarin (nerve gas)

 

[MrPromey]

There's only one single thing I feel fairly confident would have been different with Iger at the helm. And that is the baseline intelligence to not publicly admit that you're swindling customers. Or making broad and factually incorrect statements about the age demographics who they're making animated content for. But that's pretty much it. Hell, I don't even believe Iger disagrees with Chapek's aforementioned comments, he just probably has the sense to know not to admit it out loud (or would word it in a less stupid way).

I believe that had Iger remained CEO (which he still effectively was until December 2021), there would have been virtually no difference in the way the parks have been managed, priced etc etc. The price hikes and cuts to the guest experience during Chapek's extremely short reign have been entirely consistent with Iger's business practices. I will be shocked if anything changes in that regard with Iger being put back in control again. If anything, I expect them to get even worse.


I have a pretty equal dislike of both those foods, same way I feel about Iger and Chapek.

Looking at just the parks, I understand your perspective.

For me, I've kind of written off the parks unless something changes.

I'm a fan of how they were which is why I'm still here right now - not holding my breath anything will improve but will be happy if something does.

It seems Iger's biggest mistake with the parks was putting Chapek in charge of them. I just don't think they held much attention in Iger's mind one way or another for most of his tenure except when he could use them for strategy like the move in China where the theme park was mostly a chess piece.

But stepping back from just the parks, to me, the work that Chapek was doing, was hollowing out the company and I expect that to stop with Iger back.

The reality is, this is chance for Iger to get a do-over on selecting his replacement.

Whoever it is, I expect it will be someone better than Chapek... and god help us, can you imagine if Chapek were to have been around long enough to help select his own replacement?

 

[LittleBuford]

Update: Turns out that video was fake.

I’m not surprised. The vast majority of people at Disneyland (or WDW) have no idea who Chapek is.

 

[fgmnt]

this is so transparent i can see into the back panel of my computer screen

 

[Vinnie Mac]

this is so transparent i can see into the back panel of my computer screen

First and last bullet point is very, very interesting.

 

[fgmnt]

But stepping back from just the parks, to me, the work that Chapek was doing, was hollowing out the company and I expect that to stop with Iger back.

The reality is, this is chance for Iger to get a do-over on selecting his replacement.

Iger, Staggs, Rasulo, Pressler... all of these people oversaw the institutional rot that you ascribe to Chapek alone.

Whether the board and Bob the Elder have had the scales fall from their eyes now, while it is still not too late, remains to be seen over the next few months.

 

[GimpYancIent]

It appears B.I. will take the first step in revealing his intentions on monday.

 

[BobPar]

People can publicly cheer my firing if I get to ride off with millions of $$

Like the guy or not but he is laughing all the way to the bank right now. Granted people when they get to this point do not want to be fired the way he does but walking away with 50+mm along with everything he has made im sure he will be fine. Listen he was awful no defending things he did but lets face it we are bringing back the man who literally created this mess. There is literally NO denying that anyone who tries to is just fooling themselves. Now maybe some of Chapeks moves were desperation bc he needed to cut corners to save company money and knew Fla was the place to do it bc people would come who knows either way we are in not much better shape unless Iger does a 180 and learns from past mistakes…

 

[James Alucobond]

There's only one single thing I feel fairly confident would have been different with Iger at the helm. And that is the baseline intelligence to not publicly admit that you're swindling customers. Or making broad and factually incorrect statements about the age demographics who they're making animated content for. But that's pretty much it. Hell, I don't even believe Iger disagrees with Chapek's aforementioned comments, he just probably has the sense to know not to admit it out loud (or would word it in a less stupid way).

I believe that had Iger remained CEO (which he still effectively was until December 2021), there would have been virtually no difference in the way the parks have been managed, priced etc etc. The price hikes and cuts to the guest experience during Chapek's extremely short reign have been entirely consistent with Iger's business practices. I will be shocked if anything changes in that regard with Iger being put back in control again. If anything, I expect them to get even worse.

Which is a fair assessment. Things may have gone exactly as they did. I'm just pointing out why I imagine some people are perhaps more optimistic than the average poster here. Also, it's just generally more pleasant working for someone who has a modicum of emotional intelligence.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Here's a clip of Bob Chapek's reaction to the devastating news of his removal, the poor man, such unfathomable sadness-

 

[JohnD]

We're 111 pages in. This may have already been posted. But just in case:

Disney CEO Bob Iger to hold town hall with employees on Monday

Disney CEO Bob Iger to speak with Disney employees at town hall on Monday, a week after he was rehired.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Br0ckford]

Here's a clip of Bob Chapek's reaction to the devastating news of his removal, the poor man, such unfathomable sadness-

He's certainly not gonna be hurting, thats for sure. Who knows what his future plans are, or cares, but where do you go from here if you're him and still want to continue your career? A very public firing, mutiny, from the Walt Disney Co. Dumped on by every financial report. This isn't sorrow for the man, was just thinking about it.

 

[MrPromey]

Iger, Staggs, Rasulo, Pressler... all of these people oversaw the institutional rot that you ascribe to Chapek alone...

I think you're inferring a lot from my statement.

I never said every ill to ever befall the company (or the parks) came down to one man, did I?

I've been around long enough to see the damage caused by all of these people (although only one person on you list ever ran the company) and I've said ad nauseam in this very thread, I'm not a fan of Iger, but putting creative people back in control of their own departments - one of the first things Chapek took away and the very first thing Iger started rolling on day-one of his comeback tour - seems like a move in the right direction to me.

Are you saying you disagree?