2This week, the Wall Street Journal published a glowing piece on Chairman of Disney Parks and Experiences Josh D’Amaro. It’s probably not a coincidence that the article appeared just days after Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that finding his successor was “his top priority.” Reports revealed that Iger was “in love” with Dana Walden as he had been with Bob Chapek.
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The article highlighted some of the projects that D’Amaro is currently working on at the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World, but it also got into some of his missteps, like raising prices at Disney parks so the average family couldn’t afford a trip.
The ultimate conclusion of the Wall Street Journal article was that even though Josh D’Amaro was partly responsible for some of the most hated changes at Disney Parks, fans, for the most part, still loved him. It was the kind of piece that someone running for, say, CEO of The Walt Disney Company would love to have written about them.
No sooner did the article drop than Disney Twitter (X) messaged the author, Robbie Whelan, to assure him that most Disney fans do not really love Josh D’Amaro. In fact, many Disney fans blame him for some of the most damaging changes at Disney theme parks.
Fans love Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s top theme parks executive. Is that enough to win him the job of Disney’s next CEO?
A profile of a rising star at the company who faces a major challenge going forward in growing the parks business in a tough economy https://t.co/vpbiieodsN
— Robbie Whelan (@RWhelanWSJ) August 29, 2024
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During the pandemic, Disney fans’ ire shifted to Bob Chapek for charging for everything from Disney World Resort parking to Disney Genie Plus. D’Amaro mostly flew under the radar while fans focused their anger on Chapek.
The return of Bob Iger once again shifted the attention away from D’Amaro. While Iger tries to rebuild The Walt Disney Company, the focus on parks has been minimal due to their post-pandemic success.
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However, now that the parks are seeing a downturn in attendance, the focus has shifted to D’Amaro, which hasn’t been good. The article did not touch on the failure of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom or the removal of Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island for a Cars Land.
One post to Whelan said:
I hope you realize you got played by Josh’s PR team. He’s not beloved and he’s not a “rising star”. People realize he’s a phony suit and hatchet man who is trashing the parks. He has no story sense, no knowledge of history or legacy, and no place in the themed entertainment field.
I hope you realize you got played by Josh's PR team. He's not beloved and he's not a "rising star". People realize he's a phony suit and hatchet man who is trashing the parks. He has no story sense, no knowledge of history or legacy, and no place in the themed entertainment field
— The Disneylander (@MartyCalling) August 29, 2024
In D’Amaro’s defense, it is tough to satisfy all Disney fans, but having done minimal and raised prices exponentially since the pandemic started has worn on their patience. The average Disney fan doesn’t want D’Amaro to be the next CEO, despite what the Wall Street Journal says.
Of course, D’Amaro is on the shortlist for the next Disney CEO, and having this article can only help his profile, but Disney fans have some other ideas.
How would you feel if Josh D’Amaro was the next Disney CEO?