Less than two months into Bob Iger's return as Disney CEO, the company is reworking some of the most unpopular theme park policies. According to a letter to Disney employees, services that were free under Iger's initial tenure as Disney CEO would revert back to being complementary, including photo downloads from rides at Disneyland California and parking for guests staying at Disney hotels at Disney World Florida.
During Chapek's less-than-3-year stint as Disney CEO, he angered many of the company's most diehard fans, specifically annual pass holders. In 2021, the company mandated the pass holders reserve a spot at the parks, no longer allowing them to drop in when they wanted. The revised policies under Iger's leadership ease that restriction, allowing annual pass holders in Florida to enter some parks after 2 pm on any day except weekends.
Iger, Disney's former CEO of 15 years, was known to have expressed his disapproval of Chapek's policies. Late last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iger had complained to friends at length about Chapek, lamenting that park prices had gotten too high. "He's killing the soul of the company," Iger reportedly said. This move towards reversing some of Chapek's actions may be seen as an effort to restore the company's reputation and win back the trust of its most loyal fans.
In addition to reverting back to complementary services, the company would "significantly" increase the number of days that park tickets sold for their lowest price of $104, as stated by Josh D'Amaro. The company's push towards affordability and reinstating services that were previously free, are seen as a step towards creating a more inclusive and inviting experience for visitors.
Despite the rollback of price hikes, D'Amaro denied that it resulted from the CEO leadership change. "I have a lot of face-to-face conversations with guests when I'm walking the parks, and I read a lot of their comments online," D'Amaro said to the New York Times. This statement emphasizes that the company is making changes based on feedback from visitors, rather than solely due to the leadership change.
Image: Disney
