Josh D’Amaro may be running Disney today, but Bob Chapek wants people to remember who helped him climb the corporate ladder.
The former Disney CEO is preparing to release a memoir that revisits his controversial tenure, the decisions he made, and the executives he trusted along the way. One name plays a particularly interesting role in Chapek’s version of events: D’Amaro.
Chapek portrays himself as an important force behind D’Amaro’s rise, claiming he recognized his potential and repeatedly pushed for his promotion.
With D’Amaro now sitting in Disney’s most powerful position, those comments give fans a very different look at the relationship between the company’s current CEO and one of its most controversial former leaders.
Chapek Says He Pushed D’Amaro Forward
Chapek discusses D’Amaro in his upcoming memoir, Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place on Earth. The New York Times obtained excerpts ahead of its release.
Rather than treating D’Amaro as simply another executive who worked beneath him, Chapek presents himself as someone who recognized D’Amaro’s potential early.
“I consistently suggested the idea of promoting him,” Chapek writes, according to the Times.
Chapek also claims D’Amaro had been relatively unknown within Disney’s corporate structure before he singled him out.
His description of D’Amaro’s role in his broader strategy goes even further. Chapek calls him “the tip of my spear” when discussing the changes he wanted to pursue inside Disney.
That phrase carries considerably more weight now that D’Amaro leads the entire company.
Their Careers Collided With an Unprecedented Crisis
The timing also makes their relationship notable.
Disney promoted Chapek from chairman of its parks division to CEO in February 2020. Weeks later, COVID-19 threw the company into an enormous crisis.
Disney temporarily closed its theme parks and suspended cruise operations as uncertainty spread throughout the travel and entertainment industries.
Then, in May 2020, D’Amaro moved into Chapek’s former position as chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products.
That promotion placed D’Amaro in charge of Disney’s parks and other businesses during an incredibly difficult period.
The parks eventually reopened, but guests returned to a noticeably different vacation experience. Reservation systems, pricing changes,s and premium products became increasingly prominent, while several complementary offerings disappeared.
Those changes became closely associated with the Chapek era.
Chapek Isn’t Backing Away From His Strategy
Years later, Chapek apparently has little interest in distancing himself from his approach.
His memoir reportedly defends his focus on finding additional revenue opportunities within Disney’s theme park business.
According to The New York Times, Chapek remains proud of introducing airline-style dynamic pricing to Disney’s parks. He argues that higher prices can reduce overcrowding while ultimately improving guest satisfaction.
Many Disney fans saw things differently.
Chapek’s tenure became associated with rising vacation costs and frustration over how much guests increasingly had to pay beyond basic admission.
That history makes his description of D’Amaro as “the tip of my spear” particularly interesting.
D’Amaro developed a much different public presence. He frequently appeared in Disney parks, interacted with Cast Members, and became a familiar face in Disney Experiences.
Chapek’s account, however, links D’Amaro to some of the business strategies that drew intense criticism during his tenure.
D’Amaro Isn’t Responding to Chapek
For now, D’Amaro isn’t publicly debating his former boss.
A spokesperson for the current CEO declined to comment when The New York Times asked about Chapek’s description of their relationship.
D’Amaro officially became Disney CEO in March 2026 after the company selected him to succeed Bob Iger.
Chapek’s time at the top ended under very different circumstances.
Disney’s board removed Chapek in November 2022 after less than three years as CEO and quickly brought Iger back to lead the company.
Nearly four years later, Chapek now has another opportunity to tell his version of what happened.
Chapek Wants His Role Remembered
Ultimately, Chapek’s comments about D’Amaro appear to be about much more than one promotion.
D’Amaro built the career that eventually led Disney’s board to select him as CEO. But Chapek clearly wants his own role in that journey remembered.
Rather than separating himself from the strategies that generated criticism during his tenure, Chapek is defending his decisions while portraying Disney’s current leader as an executive he helped elevate.
That creates an interesting dynamic for D’Amaro as he begins establishing his own identity at the top of Disney.
Chapek has spent years outside the company, while D’Amaro now controls its future. Yet the former CEO’s memoir connects their careers again at a moment when Disney has entered a new leadership era.
Disney may have moved beyond Chapek’s time in charge, but Chapek clearly isn’t finished explaining how he believes his leadership helped shape what came next.
