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

[Surferboy567]

He is good at performative empathy.

What about the entertainment CMs that, suddenly now, find themselves out of work for the temerity of being in an industry that’s exercising its collective bargaining options?

To be very fair to the guy, he really didn’t have to do that at all. Showman or not that does show passion.

 

[aladdin2007]

Wait until D23 membership becomes mandatory if you want to buy tickets, make park ressies, or stay in a Disney resort!

Ive been saying for awhile that day is coming, D23 and disneyplus and dvc.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wait until D23 membership becomes mandatory if you want to buy tickets, make park ressies, or stay in a Disney resort!

…the demand is unprecedented

 

[Tha Realest]

To be very fair to the guy, he really didn’t have to do that at all. Showman or not that does show passion.

He’s passionate about cutting entertainment CMs.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Actions speak louder than words and social media posts. He is at least visible in the parks and to both guests and CM’s I’ll give him that.

But he doesn’t seem to have a vision for the parks beyond “yes Bob” (at least he didn’t have to rewrite his script!)

Notice he’s done NOTHING at all and the in park environment has only gotten worse since he was there.

You can’t blame him alone for that…we all know Bob…errr I mean “Slaphead” is pure evil on his Death Star…
…but the joker hasn’t made a dent either.

He’s more personable…for sure. But showing up in Anaheim and telling nametags “it will get better” has just been talk.

False profit

 

[Lilofan]

Notice he’s done NOTHING at all and the in park environment has only gotten worse since he was there.

You can’t blame him alone for that…we all know Bob…errr I mean “Slaphead” is pure evil on his Death Star…
…but the joker hasn’t made a dent either.

He’s more personable…for sure. But showing up in Anaheim and telling nametags “it will get better” has just been talk.

False profit

So he went from an exec of WDW to President of DLR to Chairman and the ones he reports to didn't see this?

 

[Tha Realest]

So he went from an exec of WDW to President of DLR to Chairman and the ones he reports to didn't see this?

He’s doing exactly what is expected of him.

 

[JD80]

I don't understand, when you have a job and a boss, you aren't supposed to do what you're told to do?

 

[Lilofan]

I don't understand, when you have a job and a boss, you aren't supposed to do what you're told to do?

If you go above and beyond, exceed expectations , etc, that may move you up faster than others.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don't understand, when you have a job and a boss, you aren't supposed to do what you're told to do?

The P&R head is ALWAYS the hated bag man…the human shield over the CEO. It started with Pressler…and has increased since.

All that person is tasked to do is increase margins and then make up excuses for it. Discretionary budget of $0

It’s a dictatorship and has been for decades…never forget that

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I don't understand, when you have a job and a boss, you aren't supposed to do what you're told to do?

depends. He wasn’t hired to be a yes man. He was hired to lead the parks. His job is to lead the parks to the best of his ability.

 

[Lilofan]

depends. He wasn’t hired to be a yes man. He was hired to lead the parks. His job is to lead the parks to the best of his ability.

Its one thing to do the best of your ability but one still reports to a boss and follows the company way and its direction or its the highway.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Its one thing to do the best of your ability but one still reports to a boss and follows the company way and its direction or its the highway.

He’s not filling coke cups at Casey’s - he’s leading an entire division.

 

[Lilofan]

He’s not filling coke cups at Casey’s - he’s leading an entire division.

And reporting to his boss

 

[pdude81]

Notice he’s done NOTHING at all and the in park environment has only gotten worse since he was there.

You can’t blame him alone for that…we all know Bob…errr I mean “Slaphead” is pure evil on his Death Star…
…but the joker hasn’t made a dent either.

He’s more personable…for sure. But showing up in Anaheim and telling nametags “it will get better” has just been talk.

False profit

False profit... is that a Disney+ joke?

But what could he do with Iger back as CEO... take credit for the money they are finally preparing to spend in the parks even while demand slow? The big money decisions are always going to be run up the flagpole, but the difference here is someone who is a parks fan and wants to invest rather than squeeze blood from the stone. He spends time talking to guests and cast members to get their feedback and goes into parks regularly to see how things are running.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

But what could he do with Iger back as CEO... take credit for the money they are finally preparing to spend in the parks even while demand slow? The big money decisions are always going to be run up the flagpole, but the difference here is someone who is a parks fan and wants to invest rather than squeeze blood from the stone. He spends time talking to guests and cast members to get their feedback and goes into parks regularly to see how things are running.

He can do absolutely nothing…which is why park guys don’t get the big chair…

Which of course Isn’t the case when the honcho is scared of a virus and throws his id over his shoulder as he speeds away on the 5 on a Thursday afternoon with nobody to take his place

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

depends. He wasn’t hired to be a yes man. He was hired to lead the parks. His job is to lead the parks to the best of his ability.

This has always been my take on senior management also, their job is to be an advocate for their department, not to be a yes man.

He cant force Iger to do anything but if nothing is getting done that’s a sign he doesn't have a vision, or he doesn’t have the ability to sell his vision to Iger, either way he’s failing at his job as the parks advocate.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

This has always been my take on senior management also, their job is to be an advocate for their department, not to be a yes man.

He cant force Iger to do anything but if nothing is getting done that’s a sign he doesn't have a vision, or he doesn’t have the ability to sell his vision to Iger, either way he’s failing at his job as the parks advocate.

If Iger isn’t stewarding the parks well…which he absolutely is NOT…then Joshy can quit.

But he didn’t. He jumped ship when Bob rode back in on his horse and assumed that they would have a business/fianncial uptick. The exact opposite has happened - their problems have become bigger, more public and they have lagged the financial performance of the economy for 2 years by a lot.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

depends. He wasn’t hired to be a yes man. He was hired to lead the parks. His job is to lead the parks to the best of his ability.

Well yes and no. He can't just tell the CEO to go screw themselves if they want to push IP in the parks, green light his own passion projects at any significant scale, and refuse to cut costs when the order comes down from on high. He probably does have some say on how the IP mandate, cuts, and other things are implemented, though. I guess the head of P&R will also be expected to come up with their own ideas, which would also be a way to distinguish between different executives.

All of this is to say that I don't know what I think of D'Amaro as he has managed to surf the Iger and Chapek periods and there has been a mix of good and bad, or at least ebbs and flows over those periods. I think it's pretty clear Chapek was negative for the parks, as have been others (such as Pressler and Rasulo). D'Amaro is harder to read, which may be by design, though if he had any hand in steering the plans from DAK away from those first presented at D23 toward what we seem to be getting now, that may be a sign that he at least has some sensibility for the parks and their fans.

 

[pdude81]

He can do absolutely nothing…which is why park guys don’t get the big chair…

Which of course Isn’t the case when the honcho is scared of a virus and throws his id over his shoulder as he speeds away on the 5 on a Thursday afternoon with nobody to take his place

I get what you're saying, but I get a different feeling here. Since Iger took over (the first time), "nobody" gets the big chair except when he had a panic attack and put Watto in charge. This is all new territory.