Bob Iger to step down

[SaintsManiac]

He just linked to the story and simply said "We are all monumentally screwed"

Thanks for replying. I can't wait for the rant.

 

[Tonyz]

He just linked to the story and simply said "We are all monumentally screwed"

Hahaha! Well brevity is the soul of wit.

 

[PamNC]

He's right - all he will care about is IP and streaming - not the parks. He thinks we don't need cast members... cast members for goodness sake...they are the core of what makes this place we all love special. It's not the attractions, it's the cast members. We're totally screwed, I better head to the parks before they go downhill. UGH

 

[limitdis]

strange?

CEOs of three companies resign within 24 hours: Disney, Mastercard and Salesforce.

 

[rteetz]

strange?

CEOs of three companies resign within 24 hours: Disney, Mastercard and Salesforce.

Iger did not resign altogether tho. He is seeing out his contract as chairman.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

He just linked to the story and simply said "We are all monumentally screwed"

Thanks for helping us poor non-FB people out! It might be just a initial gut reaction. He might have more to say later.

Pete has a DVC show where people are encouraged to lock into decades of vacations at Disney. If Pete blinks on that front, then I will take it as he seriously worried about the direction of Disney.

 

[Morieris]

"Why the sudden announcement? What about 2021?"

I like to imagine that Iger and Chapek knew Pete wouldn't be on yesterday's show and wouldn't be on a show next week and went 'He's gone, now's our chance! ANNOUNCE IT!"

Good luck to the cast members....

 

[rteetz]

"Why the sudden announcement? What about 2021?"

I like to imagine that Iger and Chapek knew Pete wouldn't be on yesterday's show and wouldn't be on a show next week and went 'He's gone, now's our chance! ANNOUNCE IT!"

Good luck to the cast members....

He’s still chairman of the board until 2021 and will have a creative hand in projects.

 

[L&Lfan]

He's right - all he will care about is IP and streaming - not the parks. He thinks we don't need cast members... cast members for goodness sake...they are the core of what makes this place we all love special. It's not the attractions, it's the cast members. We're totally screwed, I better head to the parks before they go downhill. UGH

To me it’s the attractions. I like certain cast members but they’re not make or break for me.... especially over the past 25 years.

 

[V.B.]

Can't wait for next week's podcast to hear Pete's take on this.

You and me both! Actually, that's the FIRST thing I thought. I wish this news had come out before Tuesday's roundtable! This is what the DIS team does best (IMHO), they are all knowledgeable about Disney and even though they love Disney, they are honest, not only with things that Disney does best, but also where they need to improve. So, I really am curious to hear their opinions on if they think it will help or hurt the parks and not just the parks, but Disney in general (as we know, Disney is a massive company).

 

[MikeTaylor]

Yeah, I'm guessing with Iger and his planned retirement, there's something personal not being made public in addition to this quarter taking a huge hit (but the whole market is down-best opportunity to slip the announcement during this time frame) being attributed to Shanghai and Hong Kong being closed, etc.

I don't want to make this post political/speculative by any stretch, but with Cheap-ek at the helm, you should prepare yourself for more automation:

I thought of this immediately seeing 2 cast members when exiting the Skyliner. Buses from Pop and Art to DHS and (I'm assuming Caribbean and Riviera as well) only leave/return once per hour, I'm sure there will be a "green wave" of bus route cuts (along with those jobs) when more alternative transportation is offered. I don't know how close the new rail system from MCO will be dropping off guests, so maybe we get (a PeopleMover! - haha, not happening) another Skyliner station to Disney Springs so you have to take a bus to your resort (that arrives once an hour) or something similar.

Cast members at the resorts in the quick service areas will probably be replaced with cameras and scanning stations. The cooks in the back will just place food items on shelves instead of handing them to you; the red light will become overused to encourage spending at table service restaurants. Maybe this is attributed to "mass health adjustments due to discourage virus outbreaks".

Add-ons will be a more regular thing. FP+ will eventually become buyer's tier or just outright purchase. I said this would happen (a long time ago) as incentive to stay at a higher tier resort (basically, there's already that to a basic extent-60 days out on property vs. 30 days out off property). MaxPass out in DL is what, $20? Now, add 2.5% every 6 months. Maybe APs get this "perk" to as a roll-out, i.e., squeezing money out where there's none now. Parking fees, resort fees, minimum required stays, character M&G signing fees or something; there's a bunch of opportunities available to up-charge your vacation.

I hate to say it, but I think there will be a time when the value resorts reach $200/night minimum. Tent camping at Ft. Wilderness in November (off peak) last year was $85 per night (averaged over 7 nights-two being weekend), so we're not far off from that threshold... especially, since the 50th year of MK is just around the corner.

 

[KingLlama]

Man, Disney World SUCKS.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

So I saw this breaking news and wonder what people think. It seems so sudden. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/25/disney-names-bob-chapek-next-ceo.html

Ive been wondering if it's connected to the Weinstein conviction somehow.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Ive been wondering if it's connected to the Weinstein conviction somehow.

Wow - interesting conjecture, for sure!

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

Wow - interesting conjecture, for sure!

https://deadline.com/2019/12/harvey...-lawsuit-rape-kaja-sokola-miramax-1202814026/
There have long been rumors about how Disney may have looked away and or even helped Weinstein be the super predator he was.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

https://deadline.com/2019/12/harvey...-lawsuit-rape-kaja-sokola-miramax-1202814026/
There have long been rumors about how Disney may have looked away and or even helped Weinstein be the super predator he was.

Didn't know that - thanx for cluing me in. That would make me SO disenchanted, and sad, if ever brought forth, and proven. And I also think it would seal my mind on what I've been contemplating for awhile - if I should sell my longtime shares of DIS or not.

 

[bostonkyle106]

For me, Chapek is the embodiment of a corporate bean counter and watching him speak does not inspire that Disney 'feeling' inside me. I don't like the direction this is going but hey, maybe he will surprise us.

 

[MikeTaylor]

As for Iger... Yes, I saw a piece where an anchor talks about how ABC squashed her reporting (this is all on camera, off-air) on Epstein and (everyone involved with that) for three years. The leaked footage has ruined her career and it makes the company look bad. With cancel culture, coronavirus, and plunging stock market, it's the perfect time to step down with the media too busy talking about other things.

 

[Brandon Lagarde]

I don't know Chapek other than what the DisUnplugged group has said about him in the past. Hopefully, we runs the company better than he ran the parks.

 

[GreatLakes]

I would think if Weinstein was the reason Iger would leave the company completely, not simply change roles.