Credit: DisneyA new report has shed light on the financial fears that drove some decisions at Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) in recent years – including the cancellation of new Marvel rides and a brand-new version of Tomorrowland.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the plans were axed because “senior parks executives didn’t trust WDI could deliver projects on time and on budget.”
Ongoing Changes at Disney Parks
Disney is currently on a mission to transform its theme parks and experiences, pouring $60 billion into its properties and cruise ships worldwide in an effort to boost attendance and rejuvenate its portfolio.
At Walt Disney World Resort, this looks like a brand-new Cars Land (different from the version found at California Adventure) and, at some point, a Disney Villains land, taking over the space once occupied by Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America in Magic Kingdom.
While Disney’s Animal Kingdom will welcome a new Tropical Americas land, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is set to debut Disney’s first Monsters, Inc. land – complete with the company’s first suspended roller coaster – and a new area inspired by Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.
Over on the actual West Coast, Disneyland Resort is doubling down on all things new at California Adventure. This means a new Avatar land, a Coco (2017) ride, and a massive expansion for Avengers Campus that will see it add two new rides: Stark Flight Lab (which will feature the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man) and Avengers: Infinity Defense.
Why Did Disney Axe New Marvel Rides?
These new Marvel attractions remain a long way from completion, but The Wall Street Journal reports that new Marvel rides nearly moved forward much earlier, with Bob Chapek axing the projects during his brief tenure as CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
After Chapek brought in new people to manage expenditure within WDI, things went downhill for its creative output.
“Senior financial executives were visiting WDI daily, sitting down to approve or disapprove budget items, even tiny ones, line by line,” Imagineer Bob Weis wrote in his memoir “Dream Chasing.”
These executives struggled to believe that WDI could work within their budgets, and so not only killed plans for “several major Marvel attractions,” but also rejected a planned transformation for Tomorrowland.
While the latter is revered as one of Disneyland’s OG lands, it has also received plenty of flak for reflecting a retro-inspired concept of “tomorrow” that no longer exists. Fans have long pushed for the “depressing” land’s rejuvenation, making this move even more of a blow.
“Executives calculated it wouldn’t do enough to increase attendance,” The Wall Street Journal claims, having spoken to several people familiar with the situation.
Theron Skees, an Imagineer for 23 years who exited The Walt Disney Company in 2020, told the publication, “It wasn’t fun anymore.”
Tides Turn For Walt Disney Imagineers
Over three years on from Bob Chapek’s dramatic exit as CEO, it sounds like Imagineers feel more optimistic about their creative future.
In winter 2023, shortly after Bob Iger returned as CEO, Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro invited Bruce Vaughn to lunch. Vaughn, a former Imagineer, expected a casual catch-up. Instead, D’Amaro outlined a plan to nearly double Disney’s investment in parks, cruise ships, and related technology to $60 billion over the next decade.
“That blew my mind,” said Vaughn, who spent 23 years at Imagineering after starting his career in visual effects, later serving as a startup CEO and Airbnb executive.
D’Amaro, widely viewed as a leading internal candidate to succeed Iger, believed Vaughn had the creative, operational, and leadership credentials to guide Walt Disney Imagineering through a pivotal period. Vaughn initially co-led the unit with Bob Weis’ successor, Barbara Bouza, before becoming its president in 2024.
Notably, D’Amaro is widely considered to be the prime candidate for the CEO position when Iger steps down in late 2026. An official announcement is expected early this year.
Are you surprised that Bob Chapek’s Disney axed new projects?