I did not see this posted here?
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Well that was a quick transition.
I really liked Bob Iger. All rich people tend to be divisive figures, but every time I listened to him speak I felt his love for the company, the parks, and the franchises in the fold was genuine. He made some very smart decisions in his time. Look at how much better DCA is today than it was in 2005. Now we have Pandora, SWGE, New Fantasyland, Disney+, Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, etc. etc. etc.
I’m very suspicious of Chapek, the little I know about him. Maybe someone can calm my fears. (Starting with the fact that he was involved in the decisions cited above?)
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One thing that caught my attention was that the board has spent a few years planning for this succession, looked at internal and external candidates, and their final decision to go with Chapek was unanimous. Seems legit to me.
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I, like @Jeff_AZ, am also a bit “suspicious” or as I might put it, skeptical with this transition. The board has been trying to figure out Bob1’s replacement for years, and now Bob2 is suddenly “the guy”. I’m not sure the board being “unanimous” is much more than the board needing to be united on this. I hope for the best, but we’ll have to wait and see, I guess. These are BIG shoes to fill, no question about it.
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My experience with boards is that all decisions are unanimous. There are exceptions (like when certain board members are forced on a company by a significant shareholder), but generally, management presents their recommendation for an action and the board approves. The negotiating and arm wrestling, if needed to convince a reluctant board member, happens behind the scenes prior to the vote.
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Bring ya fat wallet!
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I think the board needs more IP now.
ummmmmmm. I’m concerned. The guy who continues to cut corners in the park is now going to be in charge of it all?
Excited to listen to the podcasts… people are going to lose their minds.
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Just curious, which podcasts are your go-tos for this sort of thing?
I really like the Dis Unplugged. I’m rarely on their boards but listen to their podcasts (some watch the show on YouTube). The guys who own the company have been following WDW not just as a park but as a company for years. I like that they have long term insight.
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So many CEOs have been stepping down lately. 
I am getting grumpy and discouraged about this long-awaited Disney trip. This Chapek news is part of it. I am trying to lower my expectations. It seems that in addition to raising prices they are lowering the experience, e.g. Shorter hours so they can have more ticketed events.
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I needed lower expectations for my 2016 trip. My 2019 was similar to my 2016 trip. When was your last trip?
I am perhaps naively hoping that, though a Chapek will be CEO, perhaps it will be better to have a little distance between him and the parks.
I have also heard people speak highly of Josh D’Amari (pres of WDW I believe is his title).
Do we know who is taking Chapek’s previous role?
That’s the $64,000 question.
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