It wasn’t just the Disney board that got frustrated with Bob Chapek. Theme park visitors frequently had some derogatory comments as well. Now, the new Disney CEO is looking to reverse some of Chapek’s more controversial moves.
In an announcement Tuesday, Disney revealed that effective immediately, guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel at Walt Disney World will no longer have to pay for parking. And visitors to Disneyland will have greater access to the lowest priced tickets.
“We’re happy to share that the Disneyland Resort reservation calendar will offer nearly two months worth of $104 park ticket dates throughout 2023, which means additional opportunities to enjoy our lowest one-day, one-park ticket price,” the company wrote in a blog post.
The company is also mending fences with Disney World annual pass holders, who have been feeling increasingly sidelines. The company said that within the next few months, pass holders will be able to visit the theme parks after 2:00 p.m. without a park reservation on weekdays. And any guest who uses Disney’s Genie+ service, which allows them to bypass standby lines on some rides, will receive the pictures taken of them on those rides at no additional cost. (The days of not having to pay to get a fast pass onto the rides, however, appear to be gone forever.)
Disneyland will also make digital photos taken on attractions free to visitors. And people who buy a Park Hopper pass will be able to switch between Disneyland and California Adventure starting at 11:00 a.m. PT, two hours earlier than they could previously.
The policy changes come as Disney prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary. As part of those celebrations, Disney World will also bring back its “Happily Ever After” fireworks show on April 3—and the long-awaited Tron-theme ride will open the following day.
While Chapek was handpicked for the CEO role by Iger, the relationship between the two quickly cooled and eventually became politely hostile as Chapek strove to put his own unique stamp on the company.
Iger had reportedly complained to friends during Chapek’s almost-three-year-tenure that the then-CEO was raising park prices too high and was driving off the loyalist of customers. He also believed Chapek’s focus on Disney’s streaming business hurt the company’s other divisions, including theme parks and TV.
“He’s killing the soul of the company,” Iger reportedly said.
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