“Fire Disney CEO Bob Chapek” Petition Extremely Close to Huge Milestone

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Bob Chapek with Mickey Mouse/X sign

At the end of last month, a petition was launched to fire The Walt Disney Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Bob Chapek. Created by an anonymous user, the petition reached 50,000 signatures in just two days, with reports that it was being signed and shared by Disney Cast Members and Disney Imagineers.

Now, that same petition is extremely close to reaching a major milestone.

Bob Chapek onstage
Credit: Disney

Related: Fans Say Bob Chapek Caused Disney’s Decline

It’s clear that Disney CEO Bob Chapek has not been warmly received by Disney fans and the wider Disney community. Taking over the role from Bob Iger, the former Chairman of Parks, Experiences, and Products has been directly involved with some of Disney’s more controversial events over the past year.

Most recently, the Disney CEO has been called out for changing the U.S. Disney Parks FastPass and Disability Access Service (DAS) systems with the arrival and launch — in Walt Disney World so far — of Disney Genie. The controversial new element to the Disney Parks experience saw the end of FastPass+ at the Walt Disney World Resort, with the paid-for Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane Selections replacing the formerly free service. Guests can now pay to ride attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney Park.

Genie Disney phone mobile
Credit: Disney

It’s not just the Parks. Before this, Chapek was locked in a lawsuit with Scarlett Johansson over her salary for Cate Shortland’s Black Widow (2021), something which Marvel Studios Boss Kevin Feige also addressed. The Hollywood actress sued The Walt Disney Company over box office receipts when the Mouse House decided to debut the new Marvel Cinematic Universe movie in theaters and on Disney+’s Premier Access simultaneously.

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow
Credit: Marvel Studios

With calls that Chapek is harming Disney’s integrity as one of the world’s leading franchises, a petition was launched on Change.org to oust the executive from his position at The Walt Disney Company. At the time of publication, the “Fire Disney CEO Bob Chapek” petition is at just over 71,000 signatures, and at 75,000, the petition will officially reach top signed status on Change.org.

The petition, in part, reads:

[Chapek] has consistently made decisions that decrease the quality of what is put into the parks, and also ones that favor using Intellectual properties instead of original attractions. He consistently put himself and money above the product, and quality of the company.

Bob Chapek with Mickey and Minnie Mouse on stage
Credit: Disney

Related: Disney CEO Bob Chapek Freezes Hiring, Layoffs Incoming

Former CEO Bob Iger commented recently that Chapek should not purely rely on data but harness the creativity that Disney is known for.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek (left) and executive chairman Bob Iger (right)
Credit: Disney

The petition description goes on to comment on Josh D’Amaro’s reported role in the ongoing Disney controversy:

Josh D’Amaro, the current chairmen [chairman] of parks and resorts, has not been able to do much under current circumstances, but has been very involved in the parks, assuring quality, greeting guests, and even riding through new attractions to assure high quality. He even went out of his way to console and apologize to cast members throughout Disney world and Disneyland that were effected by the layoff.

Josh D'Amaro waving at Disneyland Paris
Credit: Josh D’Amaro Instagram

The petition’s continued popularity comes amid the latest Disney Earnings call, where Iger’s successor revealed that Disney Parks posted $640 million in income, with the CEO also stating that over a third of Walt Disney World Guests are buying and using Disney Genie+.

What do you think of the petition? Let us know in the comments below!

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