Disney's New Ceo Has A Mandate: Global Growth, More Magic, Less Drama

D’Amaro joined nan institution successful 1998, starting astatine nan Disneyland Resort. He spent much than 2 decades moving done roles crossed finance, marketing, strategy and operations earlier going connected to lead some nan Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.

He was named president of Disney Experiences successful 2020, overseeing nan company’s world taxable parks and resorts, Disney Cruise Line, user products and Walt Disney Imagineering.

Under D’Amaro, Disney’s parks section weathered a once-in-a-generation shock: The Covid-19 pandemic, which forced extended closures and capacity limits astatine parks that brought nan business to a adjacent halt.

As recreation recovered, nan section faced inflationary pressure, user backlash complete rising prices, and much recently, intensifying title successful Orlando from Universal’s Epic Universe. In its most caller quarter, gross for nan NBCUniversal parks business jumped astir 22% from nan aforesaid play a twelvemonth ago. (NBC News is portion of NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast.)

Despite those headwinds, Disney’s parks business rebounded sharply starting successful 2021 and 2022 arsenic resorts reopened and recreation request returned.

In nan 3 months ended Dec. 27 of past year, Disney’s parks section posted grounds quarterly revenue. For full-year 2025, Disney’s parks and experiences conception generated $36 cardinal successful revenue, cementing its domiciled arsenic nan company’s superior profit driver.

While guidance has flagged world visitation headwinds astatine home parks weighing connected near-term results, Disney reiterated its full-year guidance for precocious single-digit operating income maturation connected Monday, pointing to beardown forward-looking indicators specified arsenic edifice bookings weighted toward nan backmost half of nan year.

Analysts person mostly viewed those pressures arsenic manageable. Evercore ISI expert Kutgan Maral described nan world headwinds arsenic “not a caller concern” successful a statement to clients Tuesday, adding that Disney has truthful acold been capable to navigate astir them.

Under nan caller activity structure, D’Amaro will beryllium paired pinch Dana Walden, nan co-chair of Disney Entertainment and a seasoned tv executive, who was named president and main imaginative officer.

Together, nan duo represents a equilibrium Disney has been moving toward since Iger’s astonishment return successful 2022 — pairing imaginative cohesion pinch a leader who has delivered accordant financial capacity done volatile cycles.

“D’Amaro’s ascension from nan Experiences conception somewhat mirrors nan prime of erstwhile CEO Bob Chapek to win Iger backmost successful 2020,” wrote Doug Cruetz, media expert astatine TD Cowen. “However, while D’Amaro lacks acquisition connected nan imaginative broadside of nan business, Walden’s elevation straight addresses immoderate contented activity gap, pairing D’Amaro’s operational strengths pinch proven imaginative expertise.”

“It will nevertheless beryllium captious for nan 2 executives to beryllium capable to forge a beardown partnership,” Cruetz said.

But arsenic pinch Disney’s past succession, really that translates beyond nan parks and wrong a institution still successful nan midst of a transition, will only go clearer pinch time.