CEO Bob Chapek?

[Bullseye1967]

He's going to destroy the legacy of Disney, isn't he?

How would he single handed destroy the legacy of Disney???? He may make decisions we don't approve of, but all this end of the world of Disney is nonsense. Disney is a Brand. People like that brand. If they change it too much people will not like it. Disney knows this. End of story.

 

[Disone]

I honestly feel like people talk out of both sides of their mouth about this guy. He's cheap and a cost-cutter, meanwhile the level of domestic investment have shot above anything seen since the strategic planning days?

Chapek IS investing. A lot. People by no means have to like it, but at least give him the credit that he is spending money on P&R right now. From cruise ships to both domestic resorts (infrastructure/transport/hotels/hard theme park attractions) to a DLRP buyout/expansion to another large scale HKDL expansion.

But he's cheap, I guess?

I believe that almost all the projects you mentioned here were green lit prior to him taking over as almost all were rumored prior to his arrival as chairman parks and resorts in April of 2016. Its not double talk.

 

[mikejs78]

The rumour is true, and not good.

The downfall of Disney won’t be from Iger, or Chapek.

The current illness at the House of Mouse has a name. Ike Perlmutter.

Some history ...when Disney got Marvel, it unfortunately got Ike, too.

The Marvel purchase made Perlmutter the largest and most active single shareholder of the Walt Disney Company (after the Jobs estate, who are passive).

And being the largest shareholder comes with great power and sway - over the board and over Iger (it's like Sid Bass' control over Eisner all over again, but much worse).

Mr. Iger thought he could pacify Perlmutter after the 2009 deal. He was totally wrong.

Example. Who did Perlmutter hate in the Disney executive suite for years? Tom Staggs. Rumours continually persisted Ike did not respect Staggs creative sensibilities or decisions, and felt Tom didn’t respect Marvel or their “philosophy.”

In some short Disney history - Perlmutter got former Consumer Products head Andy Mooney booted out, because he didn't like the way Marvel characters were being sold. So he got someone he liked and could control put into run that division - Bob Chapek. When Staggs moved to the COO post, and Chapek took Staggs place at Parks, Staggs then chose well-liked Leslie Ferraro to run Consumer Products. Guess what happened there? Perlmutter did not like Staggs choice in Ferraro either - and poof - 9 months into her new role, she was already gone (under a cloud of suspicion over how and why).

Perlmutter finally told Iger that, as Disney's largest shareholder, there was no way he was supporting Staggs for the CEO job. And Disney's board (representing shareholders!) got the message too - so Staggs was finally out. While Iger put Staggs in the COO post so he could prove he was a worthy heir, it actually proved the opposite - it was never meant to be. Because of Ike.

Notice there has been no strong rumour since Staggs left of a credible successor for CEO? No new President or COO named?

Perlmutter has been, behind the scences, forcefully pushing and grooming for his main man to take over the reins. Bob Chapek.

The current thinking is Chapek becomes CEO, and Jimmy Pitaro (another Perlmutter loyalist) takes over Parks and Resorts. Pitaro currently runs the consumer and digital products’ division, which he took over from - Bob Chapek. Quite the cycle here ...

And, it is absolutely no coincidence with one of the other names often thrown around for CEO, John Lasseter, now out of the mix (for obvious current reasons) - Ike and company are putting out the biggest trial balloon of them all during the vacuum: Bob Chapek for CEO.

Friends, here’s hoping our beloved Disney can be saved from it’s own civil war.

Mickey deserves a better master.

If Ike is really pulling the strings as you say, why did Iger allow Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios to become.independent under Disney Studios, much to Perlmutter's objections? Your characterization of Ike is correct, I don't think you're characterization of his influence over the board is. And after the Inhumans disaster, Perlmutter's clout is even lower.

 

[ford91exploder]

If Ike is really pulling the strings as you say, why did Iger allow Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios to become.independent under Disney Studios, much to Perlmutter's objections? Your characterization of Ike is correct, I don't think you're characterization of his influence over the board is. And after the Inhumans disaster, Perlmutter's clout is even lower.

Perlmutter's clout is FINANCIAL, allowing for Marvel to beccome
'Independent' was an experiment but once it made money Ike left it alone.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I honestly feel like people talk out of both sides of their mouth about this guy. He's cheap and a cost-cutter, meanwhile the level of domestic investment have shot above anything seen since the strategic planning days?

Chapek IS investing. A lot. People by no means have to like it, but at least give him the credit that he is spending money on P&R right now. From cruise ships to both domestic resorts (infrastructure/transport/hotels/hard theme park attractions) to a DLRP buyout/expansion to another large scale HKDL expansion.

But he's cheap, I guess?

Chapek’s spending hews closest to Michael’s capex spending in the mid to late nineties. @ParentsOf4’s chart shows Capex, as a percentage of revenue, was high up until 9/11. The problem wasn’t so much the level of spending, but how the money was spent. We got lots of new things like the Disney Cruise Line, Boardwalk Hotel, Coronado Springs, the West Side, Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately, funds were clearly stretched. DAK, even with the Asia expansion in ‘99 , wasn’t a full day park. DCA had more offerings at opening, but wasn’t a Disney quality park and they had to beg guests to come. The less we say about WDSP the better.
For most of his tenure. Iger spent little, but it was more focused on need/priority like fixing DCA, beefing up HKDL and WDSP, and increasing capacity at the MK and DCL. Shanghai and Aulani have been the splashiest and riskiest of his P&R projects. Too many of Chapek’s projects are divorced from the reality of the parks/resorts needs like building a Tron coaster when SM needs a major rebuild or creating BRAND lands like Pixar Pier or thinking self driving Minnie vans will be cheaper and more efficient than a full build out of the monorail system.

Additionally, Chapek, like Kalogridis with DCA 2.0, inherited many things like the EDL buyouts, HKDL expansion, and Galaxy’s Edge from Staggs.

Ideally, Disney returns 15-25% of annual P&R revenue into capex, but the money needs to be spent carefully and it’s better to focus funds on fewer items than green lighting everything, at varying levels of quality or need.

 

[larandtra]

This is not the first time there has been internal division amongst top level Disney execs. It happens at every company occasionally. The problem is it was never quite resolved after the last one and divisions remained. One voice with a vision and the support of key people, squashes those divisions and puts things back on the right track. If you get the right CEO supported by the right people all speaking with one voice to "fix" the mess that has become WDW, the naysayers will either resign or be forced out, leaving one absolute voice and direction.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Yep, say hello to more Marvel and Pixar...

I'm down with that. They have a lot to offer as long as they're executed properly.

 

[ford91exploder]

Chapek’s spending hews closest to Michael’s capex spending in the mid to late nineties. @ParentsOf4’s chart shows Capex, as a percentage of revenue, was high up until 9/11. The problem wasn’t so much the level of spending, but how the money was spent. We got lots of new things like the Disney Cruise Line, Boardwalk Hotel, Coronado Springs, the West Side, Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately, funds were clearly stretched. DAK, even with the Asia expansion in ‘99 , wasn’t a full day park. DCA had more offerings at opening, but wasn’t a Disney quality park and they had to beg guests to come. The less we say about WDSP the better.
For most of his tenure. Iger spent little, but it was more focused on need/priority like fixing DCA, beefing up HKDL and WDSP, and increasing capacity at the MK and DCL. Shanghai and Aulani have been the splashiest and riskiest of his P&R projects. Too many of Chapek’s projects are divorced from the reality of the parks/resorts needs like building a Tron coaster when SM needs a major rebuild or creating BRAND lands like Pixar Pier or thinking self driving Minnie vans will be cheaper and more efficient than a full build out of the monorail system.

Additionally, Chapek, like Kalogridis with DCA 2.0, inherited many things like the EDL buyouts, HKDL expansion, and Galaxy’s Edge from Staggs.

Ideally, Disney returns 15-25% of annual P&R revenue into capex, but the money needs to be spent carefully and it’s better to focus funds on fewer items than green lighting everything, at varying levels of quality or need.

First you fix what is BROKEN, then you add new stuff (like hotels unless you open a SWING resort which is large enough to compensate for major hotels being 'offline' for renovations) and you do it FAST not spread the expense and pain over years

 

[WondersOfLife]

CEO Chapek = death of originality in the parks.

If it doesn't come pre-loaded with a successful movie, tv show, or comic strip, it doesn't get made.

That death happened a while ago.

 

[ford91exploder]

This is not the first time there has been internal division amongst top level Disney execs. It happens at every company occasionally. The problem is it was never quite resolved after the last one and divisions remained. One voice with a vision and the support of key people, squashes those divisions and puts things back on the right track. If you get the right CEO supported by the right people all speaking with one voice to "fix" the mess that has become WDW, the naysayers will either resign or be forced out, leaving one absolute voice and direction.

Or you get the WRONG guy and he with the same dynamic destroys the business see Polaroid, Kodak and Radio Shack for examples

 

[rael ramone]

My Non Insider Spidey Sense thinks there is something to this.....

Not that it's guaranteed to happen (or even will happen), but that someone out there wants to see if this trial balloon sticks, and I don't think it's Bloomberg News....

Chappies camp? Ike? Or other members of upper management and/or the BoD in case more shoes drop with Lasseter & other employees forces an acceleration of 'regime change'?...

 

[larandtra]

I dont think they get the wrong guy this time.

 

[shortstop]

I'm down with that. They have a lot to offer as long as they're executed properly.

Outside of Cars Land, when has that been the case with either of these properties?

 

[spacemt354]

Outside of Cars Land, when has that been the case with either of these properties?

- Ratatouille in Paris, soon to also be Epcot
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Finding Nemo: The Musical
- Wilderness Explorers (great use of Up without veering away from the spirit of DAK)
- Mission: Breakout (say what you want about removing ToT, but the attraction itself isn't that bad)

Everything might not be a home run (Toy Story Playland, Seas with Nemo) but Cars Land is not the only good example.

 

[Nubs70]

Chapek will be it. After the Staggs dismissal, DIS cannot afford another bungled attempt at succession planning.

 

[Hatbox Ghostbuster]

As long as it's a quality experience, and that it fits the vibe of the area it's going in, I don't care.

You have a point. And I'm certainly not against ALL IP attractions. The ones done properly will be great.
But "done properly" is what worries me. I expect Disney to keep with their current IP shoehorn model...

 

[HauntedPirate]

Better him than Staggs or Rasolu

Is there a "None of the Above" option? I know, I know... be careful what you wish for, because you just may get it. I'm sure there are worse candidates out there than Chappie.

 

[mj2v]

Yep, say hello to more Marvel and Pixar...

Awesome!

 

[BrianLo]

I believe that almost all the projects you mentioned here were green lit prior to him taking over as almost all were rumored prior to his arrival as chairman parks and resorts in April of 2016. Its not double talk.

Chapek started in Feb 2015. Perhaps not double talk on your behalf, but I think that’s where you developed the misunderstanding.

Even still, very little of the D23 rollout from this year was even greenlit in April 2016... being worked on formerly, but it was all green lit in the Chapek regime. Which was 14 months deep at that point.

 

[WondersOfLife]

- Ratatouille in Paris, soon to also be Epcot
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Finding Nemo: The Musical
- Wilderness Explorers (great use of Up without veering away from the spirit of DAK)
- Mission: Breakout (say what you want about removing ToT, but the attraction itself isn't that bad)

Everything might not be a home run (Toy Story Playland, Seas with Nemo) but Cars Land is not the only good example.

Even Nemo was honestly executed the best it could be given the space provided. Turtle Talk with Crush is a hit. Also, Laugh Floor Comedy Club is always a lot of fun.