The Walt Disney Company has replaced one of the last traces of former CEO Bob Chapek, whose controversial tenure ended in his abrupt departure and Bob Iger’s return in November 2022.
Chapek is often credited with some of The Walt Disney Company’s most controversial decisions, from diving headfirst into a quantity-over-quality model for Disney+, spending $71.3 billion on 21st Century FOX, and pushing for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel at Walt Disney World Resort. The latter, widely considered an expensive failure, closed just 18 months after it opened.
Just days after Chapek left The Walt Disney Company in 2022, Disney Cruise Line removed a tribute to the contentious executive from its private island, Castaway Cay. A sign on the Pump House 1 building, near the island’s pier, previously read “Bob Chapek, Master Ship Builder.”
It took over two years for Disney Cruise Line to install a new sign in its place. According to WDWNT, a near-identical sign recently appeared on the Pump House 1 building. It reads: “Joe Schott, Master Ship Builder.”
Schott was appointed as president of Disney Signature Experiences in January. A division of Disney Experiences, the Disney Signature Experiences department focuses on the company’s non-theme park family travel and leisure offerings. As president, Schott oversees Disney Cruise Line, Storyliving by Disney, Adventures by Disney, and Aulani—A Disney Resort & Spa.
The Pump House 1 building on Castaway Cay also features tributes to other current Walt Disney Company executives. One sign reads “D’Amaro Dock Trawling Co. Offices: The Ocean’s Harvest,” referencing current Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro. Interestingly, Schott reports directly to D’Amaro.
A sign on a nearby fence reads “Captain Bob Iger, Shrimp Distributors,” a tribute to the current Walt Disney Company CEO, who returned in November 2022. Before retiring from his first term as CEO, Iger appointed Chapek as his successor.
What did you think of Bob Chapek as Walt Disney Company CEO? Disney Dining would love to hear from you in the comments!
I think it was a good move to get rid of him, but I also think it’d be even a better mood to get rid of bob iger. And It looks bad that he makes the Money that he makes and then the people who work at Disney make the money that they make, which is nothing in percentage-wise to what Bob iger makes.
Chapek got a raw deal. He was removed for implementing actions that were put in place by Bob Iger. Then they bring Iger back to “fix” the mistakes that he caused.
How can Chapek be responsible for anything? Every activity that he is blamed for began before he even took office. His term began in February 2020 and lasted until November 2022. Covid was confirmed to be a pandemic in March 2020 and was declared to be under control in May 2023. So in other words, he was the Covid CEO. He couldn’t accomplish anything during these years, this is all Bob Iger. Bob Iger set this whole thing up, choosing a fall guy for the pandemic and to look like a hero. Bob Iger has been destroying Disney for years and he is the problem. After he leaves the company, he is leaving a mess for whomever takes over.
He was the fall guy