How Bob Iger Is Fixing Bob Chapek’s Mistakes
I’m confident you’ve heard the maxim, “a day late and a dollar short.”
Well, I’m here to tell you that the statement isn’t always true. Sometimes, you can show up late and still make a difference.
Photo: Disney
For example, I wrote an article at the end of 2021 about the biggest problems Disney faced in 2022.
In November 2022, all of them still applied. In fact, by this point, Disney’s leadership had created even more problems.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Thankfully, we have someone else in charge of Disney now. In reviewing this article, I found it remarkable how much this person has done to right the ship.
Here’s how Bob Iger is fixing Bob Chapek’s mistakes.
Mistake #1: Imagineering Turnover
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I recently had the pleasure to speak with a pair of former Disney Imagineers. Something that shined through in the conversation was their passion.
These optimists loved their time at Disney, just like so many do.
Photo: Disney
As an Imagineer, you’re literally building new inventions to put smiles on the faces of children.
I defy you to name a more impactful job than that. You can argue doctors and maybe some crisis support workers. That’s it. That’s the list.
Imagineers matter.
Photo: Disney
How did former CEO Bob Chapek treat Imagineers? He told them that their jobs were moving to Florida with or without them.
I’ve probably typed 25 variants of that statement over the past two years, and I still feel my blood boil each time.
Photo: Josh D’Amaro/Instagram
Chapek discredited the work of Imagineers so much that he hired an outsider, albeit an exceptional one, to run the company.
The CEO could have chosen any of the Imagineers who had spent their careers training inside the building, but he lacked the trust in them. It’s maddening.
Photo: Disney Parks
What did Bob Iger do recently to show that he feels differently about Imagineers? He re-hired Bruce Vaughn as Chief Creative Officer and Co-Lead of Imagineering.
That one move signaled that Iger understood the frustration of Imagineers and wanted to show he was sorry.
Mistake #2: Pricing Perception
Photo: CNBC
We won’t re-live the trauma of the Chapek era here other than to acknowledge the obvious.
Bob Chapek knew that whenever he faced budgetary concerns, he had an easy way out. He could raise the price of Disney park visits. So, he did. Often.
Photo:visitorlando.com
I viewed this topic as crisis-level. In fact, here was a statement I made in December 2021:
“As a solution, I would strongly suggest that Disney bring back some cost-saving measures in 2022. The Disney Dining Plan should lead this list.”
Let’s now take a moment to admire what Bob Iger has done since he returned.
While the CEO didn’t bring back the Disney Dining Plan, he introduced something similar, a promo card for qualifying 2023 visits.
Photo: Disney
Disney announced that promotion roughly 50 days after Iger returned. The timing of this move shouldn’t be lost on you.
Let’s be frank that Bob Chapek never would have considered it. In his world, prices can only move one way: up.
Photo: Wikimedia
Conversely, Iger has publicly lamented that Disney prices proved “a little too aggressive” under the previous regime.
Disney’s boss has since added free amenities to services like Disney Genie+ and eliminated hotel parking fees.
In short, Iger cares about Disney’s pricing perception and has taken steps to restore consumer faith in the brand.
Mistake #3: PR Problems
(ABC/BOB DÕAMICO)
I’m serious when I say that Disney’s losing Zenia Mucha may have hurt the company worse than Iger’s retirement.
Throughout Iger’s career, he relied on Mucha for career guidance, especially with regards to public relations.
Image Credit: @zeniamucha/Twitter
Even Iger’s worst critics would acknowledge that he’s a PR savant, partially due to Mucha.
Conversely, Bob Chapek apparently never made it past page one of How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Photo: Disney
Chapek’s PR failures happened so frequently that I started to wonder if he was doing it on purpose.
If he’d wanted to tank Disney’s stock, he wouldn’t have acted any differently on the PR front.
Photo: Bank rate
His unique brand of unforced errors and self-inflicted wounds caused Scarlett Johansson to sue the studio that had made her an international icon.
Even worse, Chapek’s indecisive nature led to his somehow angering both sides of the political aisle on a controversial bill.
Photo: Fox Business
Ultimately, Disney lost control of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District, something that had existed since 1967 (!), due to Chapek’s blundering.
Contrast that to how Iger has behaved since his return. Iger has refused to take the bait from political figures.
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Meanwhile, Disney’s CEO has smoothed over previously frayed relationships in Hollywood and Wall Street Alike.
In fact, Iger’s PR acumen has impacted another of Chapek’s miscues…
Mistake #4: Overwhelmed Cast Members
Photo: WHO
When I wrote the original article in 2021, it applied differently than during the past year.
At the time, cast members faced a herculean number of challenges caused by the pandemic and various health/safety measures in place.
Photo: Disney
Later, these Disney workers faced the subsequent issues caused by the pandemic.
Housing rates soared in Central Florida, as did insurance premiums. Even worse, hyperinflation increased the cost of basically everything.
Photo: Disney
Iger’s team of executives had previously negotiated cast member salary increases for the timeframe of 2018-2021.
By 2021, these Disney employees recognized that their pay increases weren’t keeping up with the cost of living in Orlando.
Norway Photo Props
So, cast members spent the body of the pandemic keeping the magic alive for guests.
For their troubles, they faced more stress in their job assignments. Even worse, their pay proved to be substantially less than they’d expected in 2018.
Photo: Playbuzz.com
How did Iger fix this mistake? Disney just hammered out an agreement with cast members that should address the financial shortfall.
By the end of 2023, Disney’s base pay for its union members will surpass that of any tourism-based business in Orlando.
Image Credit: Disney
In short, Disney has taken care of its own. Under Chapek, these negotiations easily could have taken a turn for the worse.
A protracted standstill wasn’t out of the question. Thankfully, Disney has better leadership now.
Mistake #5: Bob Chapek’s Popularity
Photo: Disney
Bob Iger fixed this mistake the only way anyone possibly could. He returned as Disney CEO, thereby firing Chapek.
Problem solved!
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