Disney CEO Faces Backlash From His Own Fans

Last summer, the average Disney Parks and Disney Resorts fan might have said that the Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek was their least favorite Disney employee — and many Disney fans would also have danced with glee upon learning that, in just a few weeks, there would be an upheaval at the Walt Disney Company that would oust Bob Chapek and bring back former Disney CEO Bob Iger (who had stayed on, despite being retired, for a cushy consulting gig).

Now that Iger is back and Chapek is gone, however, the former Disney darling and reinstated CEO Bob Iger seems to be facing his own challenges.

Disney discontent has replaced Disney magic on many fronts as of late, ranging from Disney Parks’ struggle to control misbehaving Guests to Cast Members’ poverty-level wages to Disney’s continuously rising prices, and not even Iger seems to be immune to the negativity coming from Disney visitors.

Iger recently visited EPCOT with Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro (who typically tends to be popular, as well), and the CEO shared a cheerful social media post (shown below) thanking Cast Members and extolling the virtues of Disney after the visit.

Had a great visit to @WaltDisneyWorld this week and I'm always so inspired by our spectacular cast members, who bring such talent and dedication to everything they do. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/9T1CeUMtgs

— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) January 19, 2023

Some comments on the Tweet were positive ones aimed at Cast Members, Disney, or Iger himself. However, others were less than complimentary — and there was such a significant amount of negative comments that the good comments actually would be hard-pressed to outweigh the bad!

Many of the comments related to the poverty-level wages that Cast Members are being paid, since Cast Members have recently been very open and vocal about their struggles with homelessness, financial insecurity, and basic expenses due to being underpaid.

Since Iger specifically mentioned appreciating the Disney employees that work under him in the Tweet, Twitter users were quick to say things like the following: “so pay them a livable wage please and thank you.”

“Then give them a raise,” another person responded. “Since there’s no shortage of money, perhaps it’s a great time to pay your spectacular cast members a living wage,” another Disney fan wrote.

“Did you feel inspired to pay them a livable wage for all they do? It’s literally the LEAST you could do for them,” another social media user responded.

“Enough with the ‘kind words of support’ Robert. Kind words don’t put food on the table or a roof over our heads,” someone (who is presumably a Cast Member) wrote.

“We’ve done the math,” another presumed Cast Member wrote. “$25 an hour is very doable. That’s how you say ‘Thank You for a job well done.'”

Other complaints involved Disney’s high prices and reservation systems — as well as the long waits for rides.

“We love WDW and would go every other year but feel we are being priced out,” one former Disney Guest wrote. “We paid over $600 per night at Wilderness Lodge in June. That was considerably higher than we’ve ever paid at WL. At that price point, there are far better vacation options for us here and abroad.”

“Hope you can put the ‘magic’ back in the park experiences,” another Disney fan wrote. “Recent changes have made it less enjoyable & more a job to schedule, reserve & ticket. When added to the drop in service at property stays the high cost is no longer justifiable, please fix it.”

“Haven’t visited in 5 years, used to visit 2x a year,” another former fan wrote. “Pricing families out, no park hopping, genie, reservations are keeping us from returning.”

“Wow I was there this week also,” another Disney Guest wrote in a seemingly sarcastic tone. “Got to ride 3 rides in 3 days or wait for over an hour. Also love having to wake up at midnight for the virtual que and then again at 7am just to book the one ride, two if you are lucky.”

Disney’s “woke” actions in the past year have also antagonized some Disney fans, and at least one Twitter user did comment on a variety of those “woke” decisions — as well as the lack of Johnny Depp in the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean films after the Depp v Heard trial.

“Stop ignoring the serious issues that we all know about,” the former Disney fan wrote. “If you want to be buddies with employees fine, but address real issues. Political interference, gay issues and cartoons, firing Depp, all need your immediate attention.”

Were you surprised to learn that the formerly-beloved Disney CEO Bob Iger is now facing many of the same allegations and negative opinions that Bob Chapek faced?