An Interview With Bob Chapek

There has been a lot of talk lately about Disney CEO Bob Chapek. Many Disney fans want him gone, and there is an online petition to remove him. There are also questions about why he will not be at Destination D23 this weekend at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

D23 has just added an interview with Bob Chapek on the podcast ‘D23 Inside Disney’. It is episode 114. The interview begins around the 13 minute mark.

The discussion starts with a bit about the early days of Chapek’s career. He then talks about the recent projects at the Theme Parks and also about the Disney Wish.

Next Chapek shares a bit about what he does not do at the Theme Parks. He points out that he is not responsible for the little things that change, such as merchandise prices and placement in stores.

He stated that part of his job is to look at where the company will be in the next five years, and then to prioritize what it will take to get from point A to point B. He praised the people who are taking care of the “here and now” so he can look down the road to where the company will soon be.

He used Galactic Starcruiser as an example of looking towards the future. He said that if he and other key executives of the Disney community focused on the Grand Floridian today that they wouldn’t be able to envision such a project. He also mentioned reimagining the Guest experiences at the Theme Parks.

Chapek talked about the Parks shutting down and how depressing it was to see them vacant. He also mentioned how the “soul” of the Parks returned when they reopened.

There was talk about Disney+ and what is coming to the streaming service. Chapek is especially excited about ‘Disenchanted’ and ‘Hocus Pocus 2’.

At around 26 minutes Destination D23 was brought up. On not being there Chapek said: “I’m sorry. I had every intention of trying to make it this year. As you know, I’ve made the last several. And I really love that event. Unfortunately, this year, given the new job and given the tugs I get from several different areas, it’s impossible for me to make it, but I will be there in spirit.”

Watching the livestream was then mentioned. Chapek said: “I will. It may be from 50,000 feet, but I will watch the livestream.”

The conversation then turned to the Walt Disney Archives, followed by Make-a-Wish. Chapek is on the Make-a-Wish Board of Directors.

The podcast ended with a lightning round of questions and answers. Chapek’s favorite Theme Park ride is Avatar Flight of Passage and favorite Park snack is pickles.

The interview didn’t touch on any of the hot issues right now. That’s not surprising, since it was hosted by D23, the official Disney fan club.

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