New Bombshell Erases Controversial Legacy of Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek

In one fell swoop, Disney CEO Bob Iger has effectively killed the legacy of his incredibly controversial predecessor, Bob Chapek.

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Over the last several years, Disney has undoubtedly faced some of the biggest struggles the company has ever seen. From disappointing financial performance on Wall Street to multiple controversies at its theme parks, Disney is still very much finding its footing in a post-COVID world.

Disney has also faced a lot of legal and political trouble due to its highly publicized fight against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who stripped the company of its long-held special protections in the Sunshine State.

Disney’s theme park division is a consistent moneymaker for the company, and as such, a lot of time and money is spent on further developing Disney’s theme parks worldwide.

One of the most significant “upgrades” to the Disney park experience came in 2021 with the introduction of Disney Genie+, a new way for guests to plan their vacations. This paid service replaced Disney’s previously free FastPass+ service, which allowed guests to book reservations for specific rides and attractions.

Disney Genie+ was arguably one of the most controversial additions to the Disney parks. However, the company recently announced that it will be discontinued and replaced with a new system called Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

While Genie+ may have been shut down under Bob Iger’s reign, the service was introduced during Bob Chapek’s tenure as Disney CEO.

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Bob Chapek was named CEO of The Walt Disney Company in late 2019, officially replacing longtime Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger on February 25, 2020.

For nearly 40 years, only two men served as CEO of The Walt Disney Company: Michael Eisner, who served from 1984 to 2005, and Bob Iger, who served from 2005 to 2020. Iger was succeeded by Bob Chapek, a longtime Disney executive who first joined the company in 1993.

During his brief time as CEO between 2020 and 2022, Bob Chapek introduced many changes for Disney. However, Chapek’s legacy would ultimately be tied to Disney’s Genie+ service, which many disapproved of.

It’s easy to blame Chapek for Disney’s struggles, though it’s important to remember the CEO joined the company at an unprecedentedly difficult time in history, having to deal with the outbreak of COVID-19 just a month into his new position.

Disney was far from the only company scrambling to recoup revenue as the world shut down during the initial Coronavirus breakout, though Disney’s theme park division struggled significantly. Chapek quickly introduced price hikes across both U.S. Disney resorts to make up for sinking profits, which affected everything from admission prices to increased costs for food and beverages.

Eventually, things got back on track, but the Disney parks of 10 years ago were nowhere to be found. The modern-day Disney theme park experience has changed substantially, requiring guests to be as fast with their fingers as they are on their feet. Guests must now be able to utilize My Disney Experience to make the most of their day, and Disney Genie+ was a crucial part of the smartphone application.

Many criticized Disney Genie+ for being very complicated, with the service coming equipped with many rules to follow and hoops to jump through.

However, the most significant point of contention regarding Disney Genie+ came with the service’s price.

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Unlike FastPass+, which allowed guests to book three experiences at a time for free, Disney Genie+ was a paid service that charged guests to make reservations to rides and attractions. These reservations were called Lightning Lane passes and allowed guests to skip the long standby queues the same way Disney’s original FastPass+ system did.

To make matters even more confusing, Disney Genie+’s price changed daily, meaning the service was priced higher during busier times of the year and lower during less-crowded times.

Tickets to enter the four parks at Walt Disney World are already expensive, costing an average of $150 for a single day, and Disney’s decision to start charging even more to skip the line at its parks rubbed many guests the wrong way.

During its initial rollout, some fans stated that the Disney theme parks were too expensive, with many claiming Chapek’s approach toward the business had priced them out of a Disney vacation entirely.

Criticism regarding Genie+ persisted, and despite the lackluster response to the new system, Disney revealed in multiple quarterly reports that Genie+ generated millions for the company. Despite a lot of fans disapproving of the service, more than enough guests were still buying into it.

However, this all changed in 2024, with The Walt Disney Company dropping a bombshell on guests looking to plan a Walt Disney World or Disneyland vacation. In June 2024, Disney revealed it would end its Genie+ service entirely, replacing it with a new system simply called Lightning Lane.

This new service works similarly to Genie+ but allows Disney to do a few key things differently under the new name. One of the biggest changes over the original Genie+ service is the ability to book Lightning Lane reservations a week before guests’ vacations, meaning they no longer need to wake up at 7 a.m. the morning of their park visit to snag reservations.

As stated earlier, Genie+ made Disney a lot of money and was far from a failure. However, the service’s branding and implementation were sorely lacking, and the company knew it, addressing these complaints with the newly unveiled Lightning Lane system.

Guests will still need to pay to make Lightning Lane reservations, so the price issue still remains for guests looking to visit Disney on a budget. However, the elimination of Genie+ and the new streamlined nature of Disney’s new Lightning Lane service is a step in the right direction for a company that has lost a lot of goodwill from its dedicated and passionate community.

The end of Genie+ marks the end of former CEO Bob Chapek’s complicated legacy at Disney, with Iger now looking for his next successor.

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It’s unclear who will replace Bob Iger once his contract is up, though there are certainly a few frontrunners.

Bob Iger first became CEO of Disney in 2005, guiding the company through some of its most transformational years. Under Iger, Disney expanded significantly, acquiring dozens of brands, franchises, and entertainment products along the way.

In 2009, The Walt Disney Company bought Marvel Studios, a decision that would fundamentally change both Disney and the entertainment industry forever. Disney bet big on Marvel, and this bet ultimately paid off, with each new Marvel Studios release generating hundreds of millions at the box office.

Hype surrounding Marvel Studios films has softened lately, though upcoming titles like this year’s Deadpool & Wolverine, as well as next year’s The Fantastic Four and Captain America: Brave New World, will undoubtedly capture the curiosity of both longtime Marvel fans and newcomers alike.

In 2019, The Walt Disney Company also purchased 21st Century Fox, giving Disney access to and ownership of some of the world’s most iconic brands, franchises, and film series of all time.

Disney also bet big on streaming under Iger, launching its own platform in 2019 called Disey+. Iger has made it his mission to transform Disney into an entertainment giant, even more so than it already was, though streaming has been somewhat of a challenge for The Mouse.

Since its introduction, Disney+ has operated on a net loss, with Iger working hard to shrink the gap. Disney’s most recent report revealed that Disney+ lost the least amount of money since its inception, indicating the company is doing something right.

Disney has a lot in store for its theme parks. Earlier this year, the company revealed that it is allocating a whopping $60 billion toward future theme park development over the next ten years. These projects will include all Disney resorts, both international and domestic, with certain changes already taking place at locations like Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida.

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While things are always changing at the Disney parks, few areas have undergone as many changes and overhauls as Frontierland. This iconic land is found inside the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and features some of Disney’s most beloved and cherished attractions of all time.

Rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad can be found here, as can Disney’s newest ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. This new spin on Disney’s classic Splash Mountain log flume adventure officially opened on June 28, 2024, ushering in a new age for both Magic Kingdom and Disney itself.

The ride takes guests on an all-new adventure alongside Princess Tiana and her friends as guests travel along the Louisiana bayou. A second version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is being built for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, meaning guests on both coasts will get to enjoy this new ride.

However, this is far from the only change at Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland, with several classic attractions closing down forever in 2024.

Earlier in June, Disney closed the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade. This opening-day experience allowed guests to practice their shooting skills on a variety of targets and was completely free to all guests. Disney announced this location would be torn down and replaced by a lounge for Disney Vacation Club members.

Disney’s iconic Country Bear Jamboree attraction also closed in 2024, with Disney announcing a brand new show would take over the space. The Country Bears themselves ain’t going anywhere, but the decades-old show is being overhauled into a new experience where the bears will sing popular songs from a variety of Disney movies.

The opening dates for both of these new Magic Kingdom additions have yet to be revealed, but this is just a small taste of what Disney has in store for Frontierland at Magic Kingdom.

Plenty more information will be available during Disney’s D23 Expo event later this year.

What are your thoughts on current-day Disney? Do you like Disney under Bob Iger’s leadership?