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History Repeats Itself: Critics Warn Disney is “Rotting From the Head Down”

disney major business problems
Credit: Disney/Canva

With the incredibly tumultuous year that Disney has had in 2023, some have drawn parallels to what happened in the company’s past, citing its “history of corporate drama” as one of the reasons the Mouse House is failing.

The Walt Disney Company has not had it easy for the last few years, but particularly in 2023. The Mouse House, initially known and celebrated for being a trendsetter in the field of entertainment (be that theme parks, movies, or otherwise), has now become more defined by its failures. Think about its series of flops at the box office this year and the growing guest dissatisfaction with the state of the parks.

Critics have long held that even though the company is celebrating its 100th anniversary—its centennial—this year, no small feat, Disney is not doing very well at all. One recently even went so far as to say it was “rotting from the head down.”

Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios Theme Park

Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

Related: On the Event of Disney100, Critics Feel Walt Disney Would Have “Cringed” at Recent Strategies

Disney Making Same Mistakes, Allowing History to Repeat Itself

A recent article from Collider did a deep dive into the history of Disney, fraught with corporate drama, resulting in a company whose modern problems echo its past. The article posited that, in some ways, Disney was making the same mistakes once again, thereby setting itself up for history (i.e., during the time of former Disney CEO Michael Eisner) to repeat itself.

(For anyone who needs a refresher, Michael Eisner saved Disney from certain doom when he took up the mantle of CEO and then was unceremoniously fired due to corporate politics and a shareholder revolt spearheaded by Roy E. Disney.

Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and new Disney CEO Bob Chapek

Disney CEO Bob Iger and former Disney CEO Bob Chapek at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park in Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

As the article explains, “…by the mid-1990s, Eisner was ruling over so much of the company… Not only that, but petty disagreements and corporate politics dictated his every move…it’s a wonder anything got produced at The Walt Disney Company in this era.” 

It also puts forth that during this period, Disney was chasing the wonder of a time past rather than focusing on innovating and creating new, original content.

Sounds familiar?

Michael Eisner and Mickey Mouse

Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner / Credit: Disney

Related: Disney Reportedly Considering “Radical Shake-Up”: “They Bet on the Right Horse at the Wrong Time”

Drawing parallels between what the Disney of Eisner’s time did and the Disney of today is doing under Disney CEO Bob Iger’s leadership, the article suggests that Disney has become “stagnant” just as it did during the last decade of Eisner’s tenure.

Part of the reason for this “stagnancy” is also the lack of new corporate blood in the company. Any Disney Fanatic is well aware that former Disney CEO Bob Chapek (uniquely, Iger’s predecessor and successor) lasted no more than three years in the role, and Iger himself seems unable to part ways with his position.

Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

Related: Wonder Why Former CEO Bob Chapek Failed? Latest Reports Claim It’s Because of Bob Iger

This said, all is not lost for Disney. Were history to truly repeat itself, then the company will—once again—find its way out of the mess it’s currently in, allowing it to flourish and find its footing in a new and improved way.

And, as the article also shares, in order to make this happen, perhaps it’s time for some new, young blood to start influencing leadership and strategy at the company, allowing Disney to find its identity in today’s world, and also allowing for more innovation and creativity in its productions.

About Priyanka Kumar

Priyanka is a writer, artist, avid reader, and travel enthusiast based in Chicago. In her free time, she is probably walking by the lake, catching up on the latest releases on TV, or spending inordinate amounts of time rewatching Moana, Encanto, and her Disney Channel life-long favorites Zack and Cody wreak havoc on the Tipton.

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