When Destination D23 kicks off this weekend, one notable name will not be there. Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek will not be in attendance. Officially the reason for his absence is a scheduling conflict.
Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler shared the following brief statement with Disney Tips and our affiliates:
“Bob has a conflict in LA on Friday night and couldn’t make it back to Orlando on time.”
Chapek was expected to kick off the three day event, which will take place at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. It runs through Sunday, November 21.
While it could be possible that Chapek has a conflict, the timing seems suspect, especially since the dates for Destination D23 were released months ago. This is the largest gathering of Disney fans to take place in over a year and a half, since the D23 Expo was moved to next year.
In the past several months Chapek’s popularity has continued to nosedive. Many Disney fans are upset that they now have to pay for Disney Genie+ when FastPass+ used to be free.
That is just one instance of where Disney fans claim that Chapek cares more about money than the consumers. He has made comments in the past that made Walt Disney World Annual Passholders think that they were ‘less valuable’ than other Guests, although his comments have often been taken out of context.
There is a growing movement for Disney to fire Chapek as CEO. An online petition has close to 75,000 signatures. The petition mentions the popular Josh D’Amaro, Chairperson of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, as a possible replacement.
D’Amaro will be on hand for Destination D23. He is scheduled to host the panel ‘Connections: A Look at the Future of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products’ on Saturday morning. We are hoping that there will be some important news released that morning!
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