A new development has added fuel to the speculation that Disney Parks & Experiences boss Josh D’Amaro could be the next Disney CEO, replacing Bob Iger.
The Walt Disney Company just made a move that could reshape the future of its leadership—and theme park fans aren’t thrilled.
Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro via Disney Parks YouTube
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Disney has announced that Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, will represent the company at the MoffettNathanson Media, Internet & Communications Conference on May 14, 2025. It may sound routine, but for those watching the race to succeed Bob Iger as CEO, it’s anything but.
This is the same high-level financial and media event where Iger himself spoke in 2024. In 2023, then-CFO Christine McCarthy—once seen as a potential successor—took the spotlight. Now, in 2025, the baton has quietly been passed to D’Amaro.
Bob Iger via CNBC Television YouTube
It’s the clearest sign yet that D’Amaro is in serious contention to take over Iger’s office (and shower!) when his contract ends. But if Disney’s board is floating a trial balloon with this appearance, they may not like the feedback from their most passionate audience: the fans.
Under D’Amaro’s leadership, Disney Parks and Experiences has been a tale of two stories. On the balance sheets, the division has recovered post-2020 and even posted record revenues. But for everyday parkgoers, it’s been a slow erosion of value, magic, and trust. Prices have skyrocketed, perks have dwindled, and once-cherished experiences have been replaced or stripped down. Many longtime Disney fans view D’Amaro not as a steward of the brand, but as the architect of its commodification.
The Decline of Disney Parks Under Josh D’Amaro
As Chairman of Disney Experiences, Josh D’Amaro has become a highly visible face of the Walt Disney Company—often smiling on stage, delivering optimistic keynote speeches, and walking the parks shaking hands with guests.
The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island in Walt Disney World – Photo Credit M. Montanaro
But behind the PR charm offensive lies a troubling pattern: Disney Parks have steadily deteriorated under his leadership, and the numbers back it up.
Pricing Out the Magic
One of the most immediate criticisms under D’Amaro’s reign has been aggressive price hikes.
The Wall Street Journal reported in 2024 that the cost of a four-day Walt Disney World vacation for a family of four had ballooned to approximately $4,266, up from $3,230 just five years earlier.
Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World at Magic Kingdom during a clear Orlando day – Photo Credit: M. Montanaro
Nearly 80% of that increase came from new charges on services that used to be free—like individual Lightning Lane access. Where FastPass once allowed all guests to skip lines for free, now those with deeper wallets enjoy a premium experience while others are left behind.
Genie+ and the End of Convenience
The rollout of Genie+ (now Lightning Lane), which replaced the free FastPass system, has been among the most universally criticized changes in Disney Parks history.
The Tree of Life in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World – Photo Credit M. Montanaro
It forces guests to wake early, stare at their phones all day, and constantly chase booking windows for rides—undermining the relaxed vacation experience Walt Disney originally envisioned. While D’Amaro has praised the system as “flexible,” guests have described it as exhausting and stressful.
Declining Guest Satisfaction
Guest satisfaction metrics have confirmed the decline in overall park experience. Internal Disney surveys, cited by The Wall Street Journal, showed a significant drop in the number of visitors planning return trips beginning in late 2023. This drop has been attributed to rising prices and the diminishing value of a Disney vacation.
The Mama Odie animatronic in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Walt Disney World – Photo Credit: M. Montanaro
Meanwhile, in the 2023 Axios Harris Poll 100, Disney’s corporate reputation fell to 77th place—down from 65th the year prior. While Disney Parks & Resorts still ranked highly in Newsweek’s 2025 “Best Customer Service” rankings, it fell to second place behind Dollywood, suggesting competitors are closing the gap in guest experience.
Maintenance and Operational Decline
Magic Kingdom, once the crown jewel of Disney’s theme park empire, has taken visible hits under D’Amaro’s watch.
Fans frequently cite issues like declining food quality, inconsistent ride maintenance, and fewer live entertainment offerings. Plus several instances of massive sewage leaks (plural) that closed down Frontierland and even caused a ceiling in EPCOT’s Land Pavilion to collapse.
A section of collapsed ceiling in Soarin’ at Epcot’s Land Pavillion in Walt Disney World – Photo Credit, M. Montanaro
Complaints of extended attraction downtimes and unclean facilities have become more common—something unthinkable in prior eras.
Unfulfilled Promises
D’Amaro has also made grand announcements that have gone nowhere.
Projects like the Mary Poppins attraction at EPCOT and the Play! Pavilion, originally announced by former Disney Parks boss and shor-lived CEO Bob Chapek have all disappeared from public updates under D’Amaro’s reign. Even more ambitious “Blue Sky” concepts teased in 2022—such as a Magic Kingdom Villains land or Encanto expansion— were announced to be moving forward last year but have yet to break ground despite D’Amaro saying they were “shovel ready.”
The five themed lands of Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe – YouTube, Universal Orlando Resort
In the meantime, Universal’s Epic Universe is rising rapidly in Orlando, putting pressure on Disney to deliver something equally ambitious.
This comes at a time when Disney is desperately trying to regain goodwill after years of culture war entanglements, political missteps, and franchise fatigue. The last thing many fans want is a CEO perceived as more of the same.
The Competition isn’t Fierce
Any competition Josh D’Amaro faces for Disney CEO isn’t without its own baggage.
Dana Walden, co-chair of Disney Entertainment, was once widely seen as the frontrunner. But a recent report from Puck’s Matthew Belloni suggests that her decades-long friendship with Vice President Kamala Harris is now seen as a liability.
HULU ON DISNEY+ CELEBRATION – Some of the biggest stars across The Walt Disney Company celebrate the official launch of Hulu on Disney+ at an exclusive cocktail reception hosted by Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with special guest Bob Iger, on Friday evening in Los Angeles. (Disney/Greg Williams)
DANA WALDEN (CO-CHAIRMAN, DISNEY ENTERTAINMENT, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY), ROBERT A. IGER (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY), ALAN BERGMAN (CO-CHAIRMAN, DISNEY ENTERTAINMENT, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY)
With Donald Trump’s massive political comeback and Disney still reeling from its past run-ins with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Walden’s close association with a high-profile political figure could make her (and by extension the Disney company as a whole) a target.
Belloni even referred to Disney’s recent legal settlement with Trump as a “presidential bribe”—a dramatic label for a lawsuit resolution, but indicative of how fraught the terrain has become.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 27: (L-R) The Walt Disney Company Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger and Chris Pratt attend the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 World Premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on April 27, 2023. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney)
Alan Bergman, Walden’s entertainment co-chair, probably should be in the mix, but he’s not really spoken of when discussing future Disney bosses. He’s quiet, steady, and uncontroversial—three traits Disney might value now more than ever.
Jimmy Pitaro, head of ESPN, also remains a dark horse, especially with live sports becoming increasingly vital to streaming platforms.
Dana Walden via Variety YouTube
But none of them are currently standing in front of investors on May 14. Josh D’Amaro is.
This moment may well be a test—an audition not just for analysts, but for Disney’s board. Can Josh D’Amaro handle the scrutiny under pressure to become Disney CEO? Can he shift his public image from “parks guy” to “global executive”? And perhaps most importantly, can he unite the company at a time when its fanbase feels more divided than ever?
The DVC Polynesian Island Tower at Walt Disney World’s Polynesian Village Resort – Photo by M. Montanaro
If this is the direction Disney is headed, many fans will see it as a continuation of what they perceive as a corporate-first mentality that has come at the expense of creativity and guest experience. For Wall Street, D’Amaro might look like a safe pick. For Main Street—and Main Street, U.S.A.—he’s anything but.
With Iger’s exit looming in early 2026, the clock is ticking. And now, all eyes are on May 14.
Do you think Josh D’Amaro will be the next Disney CEO? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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D’Amaro is a businessman, first and always. He doesn’t care what experience you had at the park; he cares that his “parks and experiences” division is making money. If he has to drain parkgoers and cruise ship patrons of cash, that’s fine with him. He doesn’t have to create sustainability; he just has to make enough money fast enough to look promotable. Apparently he’s accomplished this, so whatever wreckage he leaves in his wake doesn’t matter.
Perhaps this is a positive for the film and TV division, though; perhaps D’Amaro will go where the money is, rather than be ideologically driven.
How sad is it that we want a CEO who’s all about the money after seeing the alternatives?