Credit: DisneyDisney has announced a huge change for its theme parks – and fans aren’t feeling overly optimistic.
Today marks one week until Bob Iger officially exits as CEO of The Walt Disney Company. After two tenures, punctuated by Bob Chapek’s brief time at the top, Iger leaves after a notably more controversial run than his first stint. Fans are divided on whether his successor, Josh D’Amaro, will fare much better – particularly when it comes to Disney Experiences, a department that underwent multiple controversial changes (including the closures of Rivers of America, Splash Mountain, and Muppet*Vision 3D) and during his time as its chairman.
With D’Amaro stepping up to the plate as CEO, that leaves a new position open within the company. This week, Disney confirmed that Thomas Mazloum will replace D’Amaro as chairman of Disney Experiences. “Thomas Mazloum is an exceptional leader with a genuine appreciation for our cast members and a proven track record of delivering growth,” D’Amaro said in a Disney press release. “His focus on service excellence, broad international leadership, and strong connection to the creativity that brings our stories to life make him the right leader to guide Disney Experiences into its next chapter.”
During his time at Disney, Mazloum has served as president of Disney Signature Experiences before becoming president of Disneyland Resort in 2025, replacing Ken Potrock. However, it’s his time in the latter role that has some fans worried about what his appointment to chairman may mean for the future of Disney’s theme parks.
What Does Thomas Mazloum’s Promotion Mean For Disney Theme Parks?
In the wake of Disney’s announcement, regular visitors to Disneyland Resort started sharing their not-so-positive opinions of Mazloum’s brief tenure at Disneyland Resort.
“Under Thomas Mazloum’s very short tenure as Disneyland’s President we saw significant cuts to restaurant hours, the loss of Magic Mornings, weird cost saving menu changes, the elimination of most mobile checkout locations, major characters being taken off the schedule … and that’s just what I can think of off the top of my head,” wrote one X user. “I’m not optimistic about what he’s going to do as Chairman of Parks, Experiences and Products. I hope similar changes don’t come to Walt Disney World.”
Under Thomas Mazloum’s very short tenure as Disneyland’s President we saw significant cuts to restaurant hours, the loss of Magic Mornings, weird cost saving menu changes, the elimination of most mobile checkout locations, major characters being taken off the schedule, the loss… https://t.co/EkAYdl0sul
— Matt (@DisneyScoopGuy) March 10, 2026
Unsurprisingly, the same naysayers aren’t overjoyed about the prospect of Disney parks facing more potential cuts and closures now that Mazloum’s influence also extends to properties beyond Anaheim.
“Uhhhh why can’t we get people in there with imagination and heART!” one X user wrote. “Disney has gotta cut the business nerds and get the art geeks back in.”
Others Share Optimism For the New Chairman of Disney Experiences
Not everyone is pessimistic about Thomas Mazloum becoming chairman of Disney Experiences.
“My dad has worked with him a few times he’s an interesting guy pretty much a man who wants a mission accomplished,” one fan wrote on Reddit, which others claimed is needed “if you don’t want new construction projects dragging on for years past deadlines.”
Similarly, another user wrote, “From what I’ve heard and seen he is motivated to get what he feels is best done in the correct way once even if it’s more work. … He is someone who would take shoddy work or perception personally and for better or worse hold those accountable who do the work.”
His efforts to increase refurbishments at Disneyland also generated praise. “It seems like refurbs have increased under him,” one user said. “Which is a good thing. Only a stupid person would think that’s a bad thing.” It’s also worth noting that several of the Disneyland changes for which Mazloum has received criticism, such as the closure of Doctor Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts in Avengers Campus, were actually implemented by his predecessor.
Some fans have also criticized the idea that Mazloum could be “Bob Chapek 2.0.”
“The problem with Chapek was [that] he came from entertainment and consumer products which is not good for a leader of Parks,” one said. “Chapek was the second coming of Paul Pressler who also did not have a parks background.”
What do you think of Disney’s latest leadership changes?