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Another petition? Online plea to replace Chapek with this veteran Disney Exec is also making the rounds

Credit: Disney

Yesterday, we shared the news that a petition at Change.org was started to remove Disney CEO Bob Chapek from his position. It has grown in popularity as Disney news sites like DisneyDining.com have shared the information with fans.

Credit: CNBC.com

The popularity is due in part to the growing pushback from Disney fans–especially long-time Disney fans–who feel that Chapek is “running the company into the ground” and “doing things that would make Walt turn in his grave.”

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Chapek has been accused of serving his own wants and desires, and he’s been called “greedy” so often, that most who feel that way about him now simply transpose part of his last name: they call him “Bob Paycheck.”

The petition was begun by an anonymous writer in Cary, North Carolina, and it details thoughts about Chapek’s performance and perceived failures:

“[Chapek] has consistently made decisions that decrease the quality of what is put into the parks, and also ones that favor using Intellectual properties instead of original attractions. He consistently put himself and money above the product, and quality of the company.”

The petition goes on to detail Chapek’s budget cuts, his decision to layoff nearly 30,000 Cast Members, and his decision to keep executives at their respective full salaries.

But aside from detailing the multiple grievances the conglomerate fan base supposedly has against Mr. Chapek upon which the petition to fire him is based, the petition has a hidden petition within it.

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It’s a petition to move Josh D’Amaro into the role of CEO of The Walt Disney Company in Chapek’s absence, should he be removed.

D’Amaro is currently the Chairman of Parks, Experiences, and Products for The Walt Disney Company. It’s the position Chapek had before taking on the role of CEO. But D’Amaro’s career with Disney spans nearly a quarter of a century; he’s just about done it all!

He has served as Vice President of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He was serving in that capacity during the World of Avatar expansion in the park. He was then named Chief Creative Officer for the Walt Disney World Resort before becoming President of Disneyland Park. He then became President of the Walt Disney World Resort before taking on the role left vacant by Chapek’s promotion.

Credit: Instagram/@JoshD’Amaro

The online petition to fire Chapek–the petition that also attempts to rally support for hiring D’Amaro in Chapek’s position–paints the 50-year-old California native as an ambitious, successful, and compassionate leader:

“[D’Amaro] has been very involved in the parks, assuring quality, greeting Guests, and even riding through new attractions to assure high quality. He even went out of his way to console and apologize to Cast Members throughout Disney World and Disneyland that were affected by the layoff.”

Sure, he sounds like someone Disney fans could rally behind. But we aren’t sure how fans feel about D’Amaro just yet. Sadly, fans’ disgruntled feelings are much more easily aired, and so far, D’Amaro doesn’t seem to have a conglomerate fan base against him.

We just wonder how many who signed the petition to fire Chapek knew they were also signing a petition to hire D’Amaro.

Did you sign the petition? Do you plan to?

About Becky Burkett

Becky's from the Lone Star State and has been writing since she was 10 and encountered her first Disney Park when she was 11. It was love at first Main Street Electrical Parade. Joy is blank lined journals, 0.7 mm pens, and all things Walt, Woody and Buzz, PIXAR, Imagineering, Sleeping Beauty (make it blue!), Disney Parks history and EPCOT. At Disney World, you'll find her croonin' with the birdies at the Enchanted Tiki Room or hangin' with Woody and the gang at Toy Story Land. If you can dream, you really can do it!