Chapek encountered a D23 attendee who was persistent in trying to grab the C.E.O.’s attention. parked backstage (with a refrigerator stocked with water, Diet Coke and Dr Pepper), Mr. Heading toward his dressing room, an R.V. She replied: “I’m working this weekend on the script. “What I’ve read already is just fantastic,” he told her. Lee is writing the screenplay for “Wish,” an original animated musical. Chapek had chatted with Jennifer Lee, the Oscar-winning “Frozen” director and chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Chapek told Jamie Lee Curtis, who will appear in “Haunted Mansion,” a coming Disney film.Įarlier, Mr. “We’re so lucky to have you as part of the Disney family,” Mr. Backstage on Friday, he mingled with stars like Amy Adams, Ariana DeBose, Jude Law and Cynthia Erivo. Chapek’s charm offensive was on display elsewhere. Chapek was also absent at a private Friday cocktail reception attended by some of Disney’s top creative executives.īut Mr. Chapek did not go table to table at a luncheon for Disney Legend award recipients, as the effortlessly charming Mr. In private conversations, a few Disney executives fumed that Mr. (Don’t call this a cult a Disney publicist may appear out of nowhere, like the “Hercules” villain Hades, to scold you.) In 2019, the last time the expo was held, three retail locations at the convention rang up more than $1 million in sales apiece over three days. on Friday for the chance to buy D23 Expo merchandise. Those $899 ticket packages? They sold out in seven minutes. With resorts in Europe, China, Florida and California, the sun never sets on a Disney theme park. Disney has a new residential housing business. One area is dedicated to Disney’s television operation, which has 300 television shows in production. The event is both awe-inspiring and terrifying to witness because it showcases how deeply the company’s products, mythmaking and characters are woven into the cultural fabric. Chapek was “rocking the rare corporate power beard.”ĭ23 is a reference to 1923, the year Walt Disney arrived in Hollywood. But GQ magazine has given its blessing, with a headline on Friday saying that Mr. Chapek resemble Thanos, the Marvel supervillain. Detractors in Hollywood have snidely suggested that the outcropping makes Mr. Schake convinced him to keep his beard after noticing that he had grown one on vacation.
Chapek’s hip as he traversed the more than one million square feet of the D23 Expo.
Schake, who previously helped recast public images for political figures, including Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, was attached to Mr. Chapek’s attempt at a brand overhaul can be attributed, partly, to Kristina Schake, who joined Disney as chief communications officer in April. Chapek’s terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad image. Hence the effort to use D23 Expo to polish Mr. T-shirts, mugs and stickers began selling online bearing the word “Unfavorables” in Disneyland’s signature calligraphy. Last month, Disney told investors that theme park profits would have been even higher if not for an “unfavorable attendance mix” at Disneyland, which annual pass holders took as an affront. Chapek went on a corn dog run into Disneyland, stopping to pose for photos when recognized by startled guests.Īll the while, some of Disney’s most dedicated theme park customers have been growing indignant over price increases they see as nickel and diming. (Disney said it gave credentials to 1,000 reporters and online writers.) With his son by his side, Mr. He shook hundreds of hands from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon, heaped praise on stars in behind-the-scenes schmooze sessions and gave interviews to news outlets and fan sites. He was making an obvious attempt to be more social, which he has said does not come naturally. It was also an opportunity to work on a brand reboot for himself. It was an opportunity for Bob Chapek, Disney’s intermittently embattled chief executive, to try to close a difficult chapter - a political imbroglio in Florida, executive firings, theme park fans in open revolt - and focus attention on Disney’s plans for the future. The message, as is often the case with Disney, is not subtle: Keep buying our stuff!Īt the latest D23 Expo, which took place over the weekend near Disneyland in Southern California, there was, however, another item on the company’s agenda. The three-day event is called D23 Expo, and roughly 140,000 people pay anywhere from $79 to $899 for the chance to see Disney stars, preview upcoming movies and learn about new theme park rides. Every few years, the Walt Disney Company stages a colossal pep rally for its most ardent fans.
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