BREAKING: Bob Chapek Fired, Bob Iger Returning as Disney CEO

Tom Corless

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Bob Chapek and Bob Iger

BREAKING: Bob Chapek Fired, Bob Iger Returning as Disney CEO

The nightmare is finally over: Bob Chapek has been fired as CEO of the Walt Disney Company and former Disney CEO Bob Iger is returning to Disney in that role. The news was shared in an email to cast members directly from Bob Iger:

Dear Fellow Employees and Cast Members, 

It is with an incredible sense of gratitude and
humility -and, I must admit, a bit of amazement -that I write to you this evening with the news that I am returning to The Walt Disney Company as Chief Executive Officer.

When I look at the creative success of our teams across our Studios, Disney General Entertainment, ESPN and International, the rapid growth of our streaming services, the phenomenal reimagining and rebound of our Parks, the continued great work of ABC News, and so many other achievements across our businesses, I am in awe of your accomplishments and I am excited to embark with you on many new endeavors.

I know this company has asked so much of you during the past three years, and these times certainly remain quite challenging, but as you have heard me say before, I am an optimist, and if I learned one thing from my years at Disney, it is that even in the face of uncertainty -perhaps especially in the face of uncertainty -our employees and Cast Members achieve the impossible.

You will be hearing more from me and your leaders tomorrow and in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, allow me to express my deep gratitude for all that you do. Disney holds a special place in the hearts of people around the globe thanks to you, and your dedication to this company and its mission to bring joy to people through great storytelling is an inspiration to me every single day.

Bob Iger

Just a few days ago, analysts were publicly calling for Chapek to be fired, so the board of directors acted quite quickly to rectify things following disappointing quarterly results.

Chapek will receive a large severance package upon his exit, as expected.

UPDATE: The Walt Disney Company has issued a full statement in regard to the firing of Bob Chapek and the return of Bob Iger. Read it here.

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46 thoughts on “BREAKING: Bob Chapek Fired, Bob Iger Returning as Disney CEO”

  1. Its about freakin time!! That said if Iger’s replacement 2yrs from now is one of the VP’s under Chapek it will be a 2yr waste of time. Now let’s get back to the Disney experience and create some Magic once again! Good luck Iger-good riddens Chapek. Make it about the guest experience not hidden messages.

  2. I wouldn’t say over, a lot of Disney’s issues were started under Igar, the personnel issues are a direct result of Igar and his political ambition…StarWars is Igar and Kennedy…this isn’t over

  3. Thank the good Lord – a Christmas miracle! Chapek and his leadership team has done more damage to the beloved Disney brand in just a couple of years than was even imaginable. His actions have destroyed the trust and respect of long-term, dedicated Disney fans who are committed annual pass holders, DVC members and much more. Chapek calls us undesirables and has subsequently cheapened the Disney brand by squeezing every penny out of us through his ridiculous reservation system and money grubbing Lighting Lanes – which should be eliminated immediately. Chapek’s take aways must be reversed to earn trust back in the Disney brand. Give respect back to guests, start taking care of cast members, return Magical Express and start re-investing in the parks to bring the quality back to meet expectations. MAYBE if the leadership makes major changes, the Disney brand can be salvaged. Gaining trust, credibility and respect of the Disney fans will fix the stock hitting rock bottom. Glad the board FINALLY saw where Chapek was taking the company. Chapek’s minions must to too. We have no need for Christine McCarthy and the way she talks down to guests like her waistline comments and disrespect she shows. Make the improvements as quickly as Chapek destroyed the company and you might can save this Titanic Bob Iger.

  4. I have a great sense of positivity for the future and hope that this great company can be what it once was. P.S Thanks Tom and everyone at WDWNT for making my life better as a Disney fan.

  5. Hi how much of the chapek fiasco was to put someone there to make hard and mostly crappy business decisions to help clear the fox debt and then step away as bad guy but get the big pay day. Iger now comes in as superhero. He will be my superhero if he gets rid of park reservations before the spring! 🙂

  6. He should get nothing for the damage he has done not only to the company , to the cast members but to also the people who choose to vacation and spend their money there . I’m glad they woke up and fired him .
    Also I think the pricing for the military should not have black out dates . I don’t even have a family member in the military however these families sacrifice so much of themselves and should be able to go to Disney on school holidays and such .Bring Disney back to the company that Walt intended it to be .

  7. Iger is still all about the money but he cared too esp about cms and wdi enough he faced music when stuff didnt go wrong unlike others whom blamed wdi or even the fans… lets face it though wo wdi what would get done and wo the fans/aps whom would be at the parks?

  8. At long last the directors of Disney have come to their senses. It would seem that after all of the changes (for the worse and decrement to the company) that were made during the Chapek years were for naught. Obviously it is still early days as to what changes the new regime will bring if any, one would hope that any changes will be for the better of the customers of Disney especially those who have spent a fortune getting to whichever parks they are inclined to visit. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

  9. It’s a Christmas Miracle!! Now we just need them to cancel the Splash Mountain re-theme at Disney World and it will be one of the best Christmas’s ever.

  10. Honestly I don’t hold any hard feelings against Chapek as he was just doing the best he could and he even said so himself. At least Chapek made sure the company survived the pandemic since alot of his strategies were about that. Even the Cast Members I met and other guests said so. Also I am surprised that Iger is in charge again. Nothing will stop this guy. It’s Like when David Tentament returned to Doctor Who recently as the Doctor once more. Actually it’s exactly like that. Both suprising and excited.

  11. OMG NO WAY!!! I cannot believe it but I am so ecstatic! Way to take accountability and action, Disney! Let’s see if this changes things

  12. Great news!! Mr Iger, you have a lot of fences to mend. Hopefully, you will quickly review and reverse the policies of the Chapek regime and make Disney what it once was- a place for families. Please choose your successor carefully, and try not to saddle Disney fans with another egomaniac. Good Luck

  13. YES! KICK ROCKS CHAPEK! I HOPE HE LOSES THAT BIG FANCY HOUSE HE THOUGHT HE COULD AFFORD. He deserves to feel the way he made cast members feel when they had to move out of their homes cause he didn’t pay them at all or very little.

  14. WOW! I’m actually kinda surprised knowing that Disney would actively and immediately undo their biggest yet recent mistake ever. Welcome back bob iger. And goodbye bob cheapek, you will not be missed

  15. This is fantastic news! Please restore Disney to how it was pre-covid! The old fast pass system, and Free DDP offers for UK guests as they used to be! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

  16. Ding Dong the Warlocks gone! Welcome back old friend!!! WDW can now go back to letting everyone be a child with no politics just wholesome fun!!! Thanks WDW for finally waking up! Now we’ll be back.

  17. What a great day! Now stop all this woke nonsense and get back to what people want , good, wholesome fun and entertainment.

    • There’s nothing wrong with being inclusive of others; Why do you think other people shouldn’t be seen in Disney productions?

  18. The best possible news to start the day!! At last – the days of bean counting before guest satisfaction may now be over. I trust Bob Eiger will empower those like Josh D’Amaro to take the parks forward and reignite the passion, creativity and pride in guest experience, which I know is in every cast member.

  19. Respect Walt’s values, childlike wonder and love of his guests and respect a beloved American treasure. Thousands who have left will return, revenues and stock price will rise. Bring back the magic.

  20. hurray. the bean counting sith lord is finally gone. i feel like oz when the wicked witch died! i mean, how inept does one have to be to get fired from disney, the biggest entertainment corp on earth? bye bye bob! it was never nice to know you at all!

  21. bring back the fastpass and get rid of genie plus. i say in disney every time we go and no we dont get any extra for staying on site unless you count 30mins early park entry

  22. bring back the fastpass and get rid of genie plus. I always stay at Disney every time we go and no we don’t get any extra for staying on site unless you want 30mins early park entry. The fast pass system was great and i believe Bob only changed it to make more money and to recover some of the lost lost duo to covid.

    plus please bring back disneys dining plan

  23. I am glad Chapek is gone he did alot of damage to the Disney name. I hope Iger will get things back on track to put Walt’s creation with help from Roy, Lillian Walt’s wife and all the original Imagineers who helped back as the favorite place for families around the world. There is alot of work for him to do and he better do it or he goes too. He needs to fire all the leadership who was in favor of what Chapek did & helped. The Woke Castmembers who took part in their agenda at Disney with Chapek’s OK need to go & their agenda never to return. Walt had said in 1958 that he did not want alcohol in Disneyland & I know it would have carried over to the other parks this has been broken some time back & what Walt said needs to be followed. No more being in politics that should be followed from now on. Disney should try to get up with long time Castmembers who retired early because they were fed up with what was going on to see if they would come back. All that experience was lost in a roles including park & ride maintenace so maybe in time the breakdowns will lessen. Go back to the old standards of dress & conduct of Castmembers. Keep the old time & favorite rides that are classics for Walt’s sake. And do not make changes because of the cancel culture that is going around. If Iger can do this all and in time it will make my Cousin Walt & Roy very happy & will be smiling down on everyone who is happy again!!!

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