When former Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger returned from his not-so-retired-retirement to replace Disney’s much-maligned CEO Bob Chapek and take the helm once again, many Disney fans were ecstatic.
However, Iger has faced many challenges since returning to the position of Disney’s CEO, with one big issue being the wage negotiations with Disney’s unionized employees (which have not gone well) and the ever-increasing awareness about Disney Cast Members’ dissatisfaction with their working conditions.
Many Cast Members have actually revealed that they are living at the poverty level, and are struggling with challenges like homelessness — but Iger still praised Disney’s employees openly during a visit to Walt Disney World Resort recently, opening himself up to backlash, and now the Disney CEO has just done it again!
As part of the Disney100 celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company and Disneyland, Iger shared the following Tweet on social media. “Today I want to share this video, which celebrates the @WaltDisneyCo‘s 100 year milestone,” Iger Tweeted. “We are enormously grateful to our storytellers, our cast members and our fans. Thank you and enjoy.”
Today I want to share this video, which celebrates the @WaltDisneyCo's 100 year milestone. We are enormously grateful to our storytellers, our cast members and our fans. Thank you and enjoy. #Disney100 pic.twitter.com/LowCx9t2Iv
— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) February 12, 2023
As usual, Disney does an adequate job in this video when it comes to channeling Disney magic — even if many Disney fans no longer feel like that Disney magic is accurately represented in the Disney Parks or Disney Resorts — but Iger’s comment that he paired with it about Disney’s “storytellers” (i.e. employees) and Cast Members (i.e. the employees that Disney leadership have been pitted against in the news for months) will most likely antagonize onlookers.
Are you a fan of the Walt Disney Company CEO, despite all of the controversies that involve Disney? Were you a fan of CEO Bob Iger during his former role as Disney’s CEO, and what did you think of former CEO Bob Chapek? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!