Disney's Parks Chief Bob Chapek Emerges as Strong Contender to Succeed Iger

Common but lazy thinking in corporate America. I worked at Bloomberg in the early naughts. When Mike left to go be mayor they had an interim CEO for a while and had an internal competition for the CEO position. The guy that won was the manager of the London office because London had taken off for sales while the U.S. was kind of flat. All those smart people didn't bother to look at the base numbers. London's sales territory had a ridiculously low penetration, the U.S. market was mature. So the guy from London won based on a bogus assumption of doing a good job and he crashed and burned in a few years doing some pretty decent damage on the way.

Chapek is kind of in a similar position. The influence is on the Parks right now. He's coming from Parks, and Parks are doing well financially, so he must be a strong candidate with exactly the experience Disney needs in the right area. A much more in depth analysis of the long term prospects of the Parks, especially the U.S. Parks, based on Chapek's policies, should give just about everyone pause. But it won't. Because Boards don't work that way a lot of the time. U.S. corporate governance is... not good. Disney is no exception.
 
Uh.... that sucks....

To be honest though, is there really anyone better placed? And no, I don't mean that as a complement. Disney have stacked their upper echelons with spreadsheet warriors. They have creatives, and they have numbers guys, but they don't exactly have a deep pool of creatives who can also make the numbers work.

Really Chapek is not the problem here, he's just another symptom. He might at least be a competent symptom.
 


To be honest though, is there really anyone better placed? And no, I don't mean that as a complement. Disney have stacked their upper echelons with spreadsheet warriors. They have creatives, and they have numbers guys, but they don't exactly have a deep pool of creatives who can also make the numbers work.

Really Chapek is not the problem here, he's just another symptom. He might at least be a competent symptom.
Why not go outside the company though. I worry because Chapek's background is in consumer products. We think Iger is bad with IP everything, I fear Chapek would be much much worse. He just doesn't strike me as CEO material either.
 
Why not go outside the company though. I worry because Chapek's background is in consumer products. We think Iger is bad with IP everything, I fear Chapek would be much much worse. He just doesn't strike me as CEO material either.
But at the same time it seems as though Iger's strategy is to go to IP everything. The company is being looked at as a business rather than an entertainment source now, and going in the direction of IPs would definitely increase profits by a large margin for Disney.
 
But at the same time it seems as though Iger's strategy is to go to IP everything. The company is being looked at as a business rather than an entertainment source now, and going in the direction of IPs would definitely increase profits by a large margin for Disney.
Iger at least came from a background of entertainment and media. Disney is first and foremost an entertainment company.
 


I don't know if I could trust him or not. I mean, I'll hold my judgement, but I've heard bad reception from fans on wdwmagic and micechat. What if he's going to destroy Walt Disney's legacy like get rid of classics like Pinocchio, Fantasia, and etc? Because I've heard he doesn't care about the classics. All he cares about Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. So, I'll try to give him a chance, but I hope he's not a nostalgia hater.:scared:
 
I don't know if I could trust him or not. I mean, I'll hold my judgement, but I've heard bad reception from fans on wdwmagic and micechat. What if he's going to destroy Walt Disney's legacy like get rid of classics like Pinocchio, Fantasia, and etc? Because I've heard he doesn't care about the classics. All he cares about Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. So, I'll try to give him a chance, but I hope he's not a nostalgia hater.:scared:

Not to be rude, but do you have any direct sources and/or links?
 
I don't know if I could trust him or not. I mean, I'll hold my judgement, but I've heard bad reception from fans on wdwmagic and micechat. What if he's going to destroy Walt Disney's legacy like get rid of classics like Pinocchio, Fantasia, and etc? Because I've heard he doesn't care about the classics. All he cares about Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. So, I'll try to give him a chance, but I hope he's not a nostalgia hater.:scared:

I'm curious what you mean by "destroy classics" here. Do you mean in the parks? If so, let's think logically about this: If classics, like say Peter Pan's Flight, are doing well and popular, there's no reason to spend the money to change it. Heck, even for things not doing well they don't change or update it. So in that sense, no I don't think they'd "destroy" those classics for the sake of doing it. I could see them adding more modern IPs in places like Adventureland or Future World in Epcot but even then I don't see it as necessarily a bad thing. Fact is, these guys don't wanna spend money, they want to cut costs and raise prices for the purpose of profit creation. I think if we're talking a "legacy" of a family friendly, egalitarian type place where everyone can go, that ship has long sailed in a lot of places, not just in Orlando or Anaheim.
 
Are you asking for approval/agreement or are you being sarcastic?
Neither. I'm just worried and don't know how to trust him, if nobody is going to like him.
I'm curious what you mean by "destroy classics" here. Do you mean in the parks? If so, let's think logically about this: If classics, like say Peter Pan's Flight, are doing well and popular, there's no reason to spend the money to change it. Heck, even for things not doing well they don't change or update it. So in that sense, no I don't think they'd "destroy" those classics for the sake of doing it. I could see them adding more modern IPs in places like Adventureland or Future World in Epcot but even then I don't see it as necessarily a bad thing. Fact is, these guys don't wanna spend money, they want to cut costs and raise prices for the purpose of profit creation. I think if we're talking a "legacy" of a family friendly, egalitarian type place where everyone can go, that ship has long sailed in a lot of places, not just in Orlando or Anaheim.
I don't know. Like I said, I'm overreacting. You should of seen the comments on WDWmagic.com and micechat.com. They hate him because all he cares is merchandise. Some people say he might replace classics to marvel and star wars. I just don't know how am I going to trust him if he's selected.
 
If there are no current plans to pull out Speedway, a low capacity ride that uses up a massive amount of prime real estate in the loudest and smelliest possible way for an attraction that can be found at pretty much any 2 bit family amusement park, I don't think too many classic rides are at risk. Now that doesn't mean things like Tiki Room or CoP aren't eventually going to end up on the block. They are lightly attended at best. So it kind of depends on what you call Walt's legacy. MK is not going to be frozen in time. Disney has made that abundantly clear over the years. Things will always change and I don't think having Chapek in charge or not will change that philosophy.

But do I think Chapek will let out some maniacal laugh and close Peter Pan for fun or start selling gum in the gift shops? No I don't. I do think you'll see much more IP in EPCOT as it is redeveloped, but we expect that anyway.

And really, what was the last major MK attraction to open that wasn't IP based? Barnstormer is light on IP, but it's still there. Astro Orbiter has no IP, but it really was a revamp, not a new attraction. The last non IP attraction to open in MK was Big Thunder Mountain railroad in 1980. It's been 37 years. Chapek adding IP isn't going to matter one bit to MK, and MK is really the only Park that is truly Walt's Legacy. EPCOT has nothing to do with Walt's vision, and DHS and AK weren't even a twinkle in his eye.

Now I do totally agree with the previous poster. If you define Walt's Legacy as a middle class resort that is going away and started long before Chapek and will continue through whoever takes over next. That vision sailed and there is no turning back the clock on it...
 
I'm going to play contrarian here: setting aside whatever "Walt's legacy" is (and reasonable minds can disagree on that definition), we know that Walt Disney was a creative visionary with a distinct taste for innovation, progress and pushing past earlier accomplishments. Which is why it seems odd to me to suggest that Disney himself would want the parks or his company frozen in time in reverence to the classics. Respected, yes - but not slavishly preserved at the expense of new possibilities. He might disagree with the method of getting there or the end result - but not the process of change. Fantasia itself is a good example - while a "classic", it wasn't intended to be what it is today - Disney originally planned it as a continuously traveling roadshow combining animation and classical music, with new animation shorts to be created and replace older segments over time. It just didn't work out that way. The options for current corporate leadership may be grim, but as Rick Pitino would say to fans: "Walt Disney is not walking through that door..."
 
If there are no current plans to pull out Speedway, a low capacity ride that uses up a massive amount of prime real estate in the loudest and smelliest possible way for an attraction that can be found at pretty much any 2 bit family amusement park, I don't think too many classic rides are at risk. Now that doesn't mean things like Tiki Room or CoP aren't eventually going to end up on the block. They are lightly attended at best. So it kind of depends on what you call Walt's legacy. MK is not going to be frozen in time. Disney has made that abundantly clear over the years. Things will always change and I don't think having Chapek in charge or not will change that philosophy.

But do I think Chapek will let out some maniacal laugh and close Peter Pan for fun or start selling gum in the gift shops? No I don't. I do think you'll see much more IP in EPCOT as it is redeveloped, but we expect that anyway.

And really, what was the last major MK attraction to open that wasn't IP based? Barnstormer is light on IP, but it's still there. Astro Orbiter has no IP, but it really was a revamp, not a new attraction. The last non IP attraction to open in MK was Big Thunder Mountain railroad in 1980. It's been 37 years. Chapek adding IP isn't going to matter one bit to MK, and MK is really the only Park that is truly Walt's Legacy. EPCOT has nothing to do with Walt's vision, and DHS and AK weren't even a twinkle in his eye.

Now I do totally agree with the previous poster. If you define Walt's Legacy as a middle class resort that is going away and started long before Chapek and will continue through whoever takes over next. That vision sailed and there is no turning back the clock on it...
I don't get the hate for Speedway. Yes it takes up space and yes it smells but so can driving on the freeway. The attraction is something Walt wanted in the parks and something kids can do. When I was a kid I loved the attraction because I could drive. Not many places I could do that.

MK is built around themes that fit. Fantasyland I accustomed to IP because its an easy fit there. Adventureland is probably another one. Tomorrowland is not as easy to place IP. To me Tron fits in Tomorrowland. Does Stitch and Monsters Inc? not so much.

My problem is that Chapek's background is consumer products. Paul Pressler comes to mind when I think of Chapek. Things didn't go well then. There are better in house options in my opinion than Chapek however I still would like them to go outside the company.
 
I don't know. Like I said, I'm overreacting. You should of seen the comments on WDWmagic.com and micechat.com. They hate him because all he cares is merchandise. Some people say he might replace classics to marvel and star wars. I just don't know how am I going to trust him if he's selected.

Of course, people don't like change at all. They want things to go back to the way they were in 1985 because that's what they remember, even if it's glorified nostalgia. But let's put the pitchforks away. The business will do what the business will do, a CEO is really not going to be the end all be all, if anything the board and activist investors will have their way no matter what.
 
I don't get the hate for Speedway. Yes it takes up space and yes it smells but so can driving on the freeway. The attraction is something Walt wanted in the parks and something kids can do. When I was a kid I loved the attraction because I could drive. Not many places I could do that.


I've got 4 different places around me in Birmingham AL where kids can drive Go Carts of varying speeds on varying tracks. From ones the parents need to accompany but tykes can drive straight through the 50 mph scare fests. On I Drive alone off the top of my head you can go to Nascar Karts, Magical Midway, and Fun Spot America and drive go karts. The first two are even... battery powered ... so they don't stink. Then there is K1 Speed and Orlando Kart Center not far away.

Speedway has nostalgia. But really, for a park that is (artificially) constrained by space, Speedway just is a poor option given the size, the low capacity, and the high maintenance (ever try and keep gas go kart motors running? It's a chore I promise you!). Further, I think most people go to Disney to experience things they can't get anywhere else. Your local amusement park simply doesn't have the quality attractions, rides, and shows you get at Disney. Even the basic spinners are better themed than anything you get anywhere else (Astro Orbiter anyone?). Plus the place is clean, with wonderful music and smells that they actually sell in terms of scented candles.

When you get right down to it, Speedway is the antithesis of all of the above. Every family fun park can do it. It's not themed at all. It is dirty in both sound, smell, and environmental pollution, so it drowns out the music and drags on the atmosphere.

The hate? Well I wouldn't say I hate it. It just isn't Disney. Absolutely nothing about Speedway to me says unique to Disney. The only Disney thing about it is that it has always been there so we have memories of it being there. I don't want Speedway replaced by something for adults. But I think you could absolutely replace it with 2 unique and interesting attractions that fit the Disney image and accommodate the toddler through tween customer, add capacity and better the Park.

But I get that other people have other opinions. I just don't understand them.
 

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