Ron DeSantis legislation prohibiting public schools from including materials about LGBTQ+ identities in their curricula.
Eventually, following days of bad press, Chapek issued a memo apologizing for not publiclyopposingthe bill.
Disneys approach struck many, including myself, as the apogee of corporate bungling.
A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse stands in a garden in front of Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World on May 31, 2024, in Orlando, Florida.Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
And as a queer Disney fan myself, that message didnt sit well with me.
So I asked this podcast host: How didhesquare his own principles with loving Disney?
Did he feel bad about it?
He didnt have to think twice about his answer.
There are a lot of brands that make things that move people.
I, for one, am moved by fried-chicken sandwiches and carbonated water and $10 canvas sneakers.
Is that really such a difficult tradeoff for affect some concrete, if marginal, change in the world?
As it turns out, for me at least, the answer is yes.
I havent stopped buying my kids Disney-branded clothes and toys.
I havent even canceled Disney+.
The simple explanation for why I do this is because I am a hypocrite who is devoid of integrity.
But I fear the actual explanation is far more complicated.
I am one of a cadre of people who self-identify as Disney adults.
Disney magic is a term thats even more difficult to define thanDisney adult.
But theres another aspect of Disney magic thats more ineffable.
(They were right, but thats not germane.)
Share prices have plummeted.
Over the past few months, I have spoken to various figures within Disneys extensive orbit.
And I dont think things have been steady [at the company] since.
Disneys never hidden the fact theyre all about your money, one former midlevel corporate employee told me.
But theyve also provided high-value entertainment, high-value experiences.
Now, I would say the company has pivoted to nickel-and-diming.
And they are not providing high-quality entertainment and experiences in the same way.
(Disney did not respond to requests for interview or comment.)
Some of your biggest advocates are going to be these people.
Some issued complaints directly to the company, only for such feedback to fall on deaf ears.
They tolerate fans, the former corporate employee told me.
They take their money.
But I feel like the fans and the bloggers and the influencers kind of annoy them, too.
From my perspective, they dont market toward the people who are their biggest moneymakers.
Now, they say, the brand is facing the consequences.
People are revolting against Disney, one former executive said.
They are sick of the bully in the room.
TO BE FAIR, DISNEY HAS BEEN in similarly dire straits before.
That was a very dark point, says the source.
If you are unhappy, we dont need you.
To a degree, that attitude has always existed within the Disney brand.
Something shifted, however.
Theres a pretty obvious decline in quality starting from 2019, one former corporate executive tells me.
The pressure was just so intense to put out as much content as possible.
And the problem is, Disney didnt think it could be brought to its knees.
So now it has to reckon with that.
On the parks side, previously Disneys biggest revenue driver, the company has especially struggled.
These frustrations can be best summarized as the distinct feeling that guests are being cheated.
As a result of the skyrocketing prices, guests are increasingly shying away from the parks.
And thats Universal by far.
Theres only so many animated films they can turn [into] live action.
Theres only so many rides they can turn into films.
The quality, the former employee said, is just not there anymore.
And I ended up on the Its a Small World ride.
Why had I done this?
What was this going to offer me?
How was this going to make me feel better?
This wasnt even an E-ticket attraction.
Frankly, had I done so, it probably would have saved my parents a lot of money.
While it was extended, he left the company shortly thereafter.
