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Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek is finally addressing the high-stakes political war that defined his short-lived tenure at The Walt Disney Company. In his new memoir, Behind the Castle Walls, Chapek revisits his disastrous 2022 confrontation with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. But instead of taking responsibility for the corporate missteps that led to his dramatic firing, Chapek places the blame squarely on his predecessor and successor, Bob Iger.
According to Chapek, Bob Iger acted as a social media “keyboard warrior” whose public interference destroyed Disney’s neutral strategy, provoked Florida lawmakers, and ultimately cost Disney World its 55-year self-governing district at Reedy Creek.
The Neutral Plan vs. The Tweet
When Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act emerged in early 2022, Chapek claimed he was determined to keep Disney completely out of the political crosshairs. Having maintained a functional working relationship with Governor DeSantis during the COVID-19 pandemic—when DeSantis allowed Disney World to set its own health guidelines—Chapek believed corporate neutrality was vital to protect Disney’s massive Florida investments.
His strategy was simple: reassure employees internally, work quietly behind the scenes with state legislators, and let Disney’s inclusive storytelling speak for itself. Chapek claims the entire Disney Board of Directors initially backed this middle-ground approach.
However, Chapek asserts that Bob Iger torpedoed the strategy by publicly tweeting his opposition to the bill. Even though Iger held no executive authority at the time, his tweet went viral, making Chapek look weak to Disney Cast Members and convincing Florida conservatives that Disney was adopting a partisan agenda. Chapek alleges that Iger used the controversy to run a silent campaign to destabilize his authority among senior executives.
The 48-Hour Reversal and the Loss of Reedy Creek
As employee walkouts mounted, Chapek caved within 48 hours. He issued a public apology to LGBTQ+ employees, paused political donations in Florida, and pledged $5 million to advocacy groups.
In Behind the Castle Walls, Chapek calls that apology a fatal blunder he was “pushed into doing” that pleased neither side. Outraged by Disney’s vow to help repeal the law, Governor DeSantis retaliated by stripping Disney World of its self-governing Reedy Creek Improvement District. Chapek writes that he called Board Chairman Susan Arnold immediately, stating, “This is exactly what I said would happen.”
Rewriting Legacy or Setting the Record Straight?
Chapek maintains that if Disney had stuck to his original plan of quiet diplomacy, the company would never have lost control of Reedy Creek.
However, Disney fans and industry analysts remember a much broader picture. Executive rebellions against Chapek had been building for months over theme park price increases, frustrations with Genie+, streaming losses, and high-profile talent lawsuits. Whether you view Chapek as a scapegoat or a flawed leader, his tell-all account confirms that the bitter rivalry between Disney’s former CEOs changed Walt Disney World forever.
