Chapek in the Theme Parks

[rwilson1281]

Chapek is about the bottom dollar and investors, he sees this as an opportunity since the parks are overly crowded to make back the money they lost during the months they were down and the continual months were they were operating at less than 40% capacity. Business is business, if you can't afford it save longer or find a new obsession. Saying that I have no love for the man, he has taken all that was absolutely wonderful about Disney and decided it should changed. Change isn't always good and the only change most of us really want is him gone.

 

[Orion Nebula]

Chapek is about the bottom dollar and investors, he sees this as an opportunity since the parks are overly crowded to make back the money they lost during the months they were down and the continual months were they were operating at less than 40% capacity. Business is business, if you can't afford it save longer or find a new obsession. Saying that I have no love for the man, he has taken all that was absolutely wonderful about Disney and decided it should changed. Change isn't always good and the only change most of us really want is him gone.

I mean who wouldn't? He learned quickly that he could strip things away and charge more in every aspect yet pack the parks. What's crazy is I know several diehards that could afford to go in the years past. Now they can't... so they take out loans and still stay 15 days. It's none of my business of course, it just really hits home on how many people love to complain as they are walking through the gates.

 

[TDSAXX]

I’ve seen Chapek at Hollywood Studios.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

If this were true, he would have fired Kathy Kennedy by now.

I’ve seen Chapek at Hollywood Studios.View attachment 660721

 

[RamblinWreck]

I mean who wouldn't? He learned quickly that he could strip things away and charge more in every aspect yet pack the parks. What's crazy is I know several diehards that could afford to go in the years past. Now they can't... so they take out loans and still stay 15 days. It's none of my business of course, it just really hits home on how many people love to complain as they are walking through the gates.

This is true in the short term.

I doubt it will be in the long term.

 

[Liquidice]

As much as I don't like Chapek - I'm not sure that its as much his job to walk around the parks as it is Josh D'Amaro's.

Sure Walt walked the parks - famously with a trash picker to pickup garbage, Eisner did as well. I could be wrong but did Iger walk the parks? As Disney has continued to grow, the parks have become a smaller part of things.

I do know Josh walks the parks.

 

[rwilson1281]

As much as I don't like Chapek - I'm not sure that its as much his job to walk around the parks as it is Josh D'Amaro's.

Sure Walt walked the parks - famously with a trash picker to pickup garbage, Eisner did as well. I could be wrong but did Iger walk the parks? As Disney has continued to grow, the parks have become a smaller part of things.

I do know Josh walks the parks.

Chapek can't walk the park cause Die Hard Mouseketeers would come out of the woodworks and Tanya Harding him.

 

[anthony2k7]

If he went to the parks it would probably only be to look for cost cutting opportunities! Might be better if he stays away.

 

[IndyToThere]

As much as I don't like Chapek - I'm not sure that its as much his job to walk around the parks as it is Josh D'Amaro's.

Sure Walt walked the parks - famously with a trash picker to pickup garbage, Eisner did as well. I could be wrong but did Iger walk the parks? As Disney has continued to grow, the parks have become a smaller part of things.

I do know Josh walks the parks.

I agree and would also say that this board places too much blame on Chapek, in my opinion. While I agree he can influence the culture of what the Parks are going for and can direct what types of changes to make, I would look more to the executive leadership of the parks (D'Amaro and the leaders who report to him) as the being the primary people who control the Parks experience. Don't get me wrong, I think Chapek could pull back on some of the money-grabbing initiatives, however I would focus more on the Parks leadership.

 

[Arielfan98]

My family spotted him eating at Le Chefs de France in October 2021 when we dined there. He was very well disguised, but couldn't fool my Disney loving dad.

 

[HooperSnag]

Rumor has it that C-suite Disney execs didn't show up on stage at the Magic Kingdom's 50th Anniversary kick off because the fear of being booed. Not sure that would have happened as people were just pumped to be there. My family and I were watching vlog videos of the Oct 1 kick off and was pretty disappointed. No VIPs and a standard "Welcome Show" format (I think "50 years" was dropped once or twice but it wasn't very memorable). We all looked at each other and exclaimed "That's it?!"
Chapek and others need to understand that they are now public figures all the time and their personal "brand" counts. Everyone knows Tim Cook at Apple, for instance, because he projects ownership of the brand. If you just want to work on spreadsheets all day or are apprehensive of customers, then being CEO of Disney isn't your bag.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Rumor has it that C-suite Disney execs didn't show up on stage at the Magic Kingdom's 50th Anniversary kick off because the fear of being booed. Not sure that would have happened as people were just pumped to be there. My family and I were watching vlog videos of the Oct 1 kick off and was pretty disappointed. No VIPs and a standard "Welcome Show" format (I think "50 years" was dropped once or twice but it wasn't very memorable). We all looked at each other and exclaimed "That's it?!"
Chapek and others need to understand that they are now public figures all the time and their personal "brand" counts. Everyone knows Tim Cook at Apple, for instance, because he projects ownership of the brand. If you just want to work on spreadsheets all day or are apprehensive of customers, then being CEO of Disney isn't your bag.

I think people forget that the 50th kicked off in the middle of a pandemic, I refuse to believe that pandemic aside, Disney would have kicked off the start of the 50th the same way, but limitations in staffing, public safety, training, ect all added up to a lackluster kick off.

I would argue that most people know Tim Cook for primarily 2 reasons, 1. he's the CEO of apple (nough said), and 2. Trump called him Tim Apple at a sit down with him. Sure he's a public figure, but on terms of personal brand, he is what i would consider a wet paper bag.
On that topic, Walt did have a personal brand, especially when he started to build a name for himself, and wanted to help promote his company, and especially when he was on TV, and the only reason he was on TV was to raise money to make Disney Land. Roy O Disney, Ron Miller, and Card Walker did NOT have a "personal brand", Michael Eisner did have one, but most people hated it because he was just trying to mimic Walt. I would argue that Bob Iger really didn't have one either, he did get into a few political spats, but for the most part i wouldn't say he had/has a personal brand just my opinion

 

[HooperSnag]

I think people forget that the 50th kicked off in the middle of a pandemic, I refuse to believe that pandemic aside, Disney would have kicked off the start of the 50th the same way, but limitations in staffing, public safety, training, ect all added up to a lackluster kick off.

I would argue that most people know Tim Cook for primarily 2 reasons, 1. he's the CEO of apple (nough said), and 2. Trump called him Tim Apple at a sit down with him. Sure he's a public figure, but on terms of personal brand, he is what i would consider a wet paper bag.
On that topic, Walt did have a personal brand, especially when he started to build a name for himself, and wanted to help promote his company, and especially when he was on TV, and the only reason he was on TV was to raise money to make Disney Land. Roy O Disney, Ron Miller, and Card Walker did NOT have a "personal brand", Michael Eisner did have one, but most people hated it because he was just trying to mimic Walt. I would argue that Bob Iger really didn't have one either, he did get into a few political spats, but for the most part i wouldn't say he had/has a personal brand just my opinion

LOL, yeah I would not wanted to have to follow Walt!

 

[IanDLBZF from MCMagic]

Rumor has it that C-suite Disney execs didn't show up on stage at the Magic Kingdom's 50th Anniversary kick off because the fear of being booed. Not sure that would have happened as people were just pumped to be there. My family and I were watching vlog videos of the Oct 1 kick off and was pretty disappointed. No VIPs and a standard "Welcome Show" format (I think "50 years" was dropped once or twice but it wasn't very memorable). We all looked at each other and exclaimed "That's it?!"

Actually, I think that was out of fear of not only being booed, but also the possibility of civil unrest.