“Disney has strayed so far from what Walt Disney wanted.” “The Company is no longer sticking to Disney’s core values.” These are criticisms some fans bring up but how does current CEO Bob Iger feel about the values at Disney? We found out.
Bob Iger has returned to a Disney Company that is different than the one he left. Disney has faced a heavy amount of criticism about its handling of the Parental Rights in Education situation in Florida, some of its latest films, and certain theme park choices (like Genie+ and price increases). And now Iger has spoken to the matter of company values and just how he is approaching things.
It’s a criticism Disney often receives — they’ve “strayed” from the values of the original creator — Walt Disney. They’re no longer sticking to Walt’s “vision,” whether that’s for the parks or the movies.
One such incident took place back in 2021 when an individual wrote an op-ed in The Orlando Sentinel about Disney’s “wokeness” and how it was “ruining the experience.” That individual complained about everything from Disney’s updated uniform and tattoo policies to changes on rides like the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean.
In that op-ed, the individual wrote, “The more Disney moves away from the values and vision of Walt Disney, the less Disney World means to me…Disney, please return to the values and vision of Walt.”
Even Governor Ron DeSantis (FL) has discussed this supposed “stray” from Walt’s values. When he signed the legislation that renamed Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District and made other key changes to the District, he discussed how there is a desire to make Disney what Walt always envisioned. He said that when individuals lose their way they need someone to tell them the “truth.”
Bob Iger has already responded to accusations surrounding a “woke agenda” at the Walt Disney Company — you can see our full post about that here. But recently, Iger had more to say about the Company’s values.
Bob Iger recently made Time’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2023. Time shared a full interview with Iger where he touched on a number of topics, from DeSantis to the firing of a controversial executive. But one interesting thing he discussed was Disney’s “values.”
During the interview, Iger was asked “Can you change a company and keep the values?”
Iger responded by saying, “I actually think that if you study great companies over time and you try to figure out why some companies stand the test of time and others do not, you would quickly conclude that most companies fade away because they’ve abandoned the core values that created the company in the first place.”
He shared that some Companies, “in the interest of staying relevant…distance themselves from the essence of what they were.” So it seems Iger is also focused on the “core values” of the Disney Company.
But he did note that there is a space for modernization. Iger ended the response by saying, “There is a way to completely adhere to those same values but to present them to the world to your customers, and to your employees in much more relevant ways.”
So just what are Disney’s “core values.” Well, during the last shareholder meeting, Iger noted that Disney prides itself on being “accessible to all people.” He went on to say that “For generations, the stories that we’ve told have touched people’s hearts, because they’ve been infused with right values.”
Some of those values (as put forth through the films) could be what Iger described those films to be focused on — “They’ve celebrated heroes, emphasized the value of family and friendship, they’ve instilled a steady faith in the belief that good triumphs over evil, that tomorrow is always brighter than today.”
Iger shared that things at Disney should NOT “be agenda driven. It should be entertainment-driven. That should be the goal in all of our stories.” He went on to say, Disney is “committed to delivering age-appropriate content for family audiences while also telling stories that reflect the world around us and that foster greater understanding, greater perspective, greater acceptance of all people.”
He shared, it’s “my hope that Disney continues to be a source of hope and optimism for the world.”
In a previous Q&A session, Iger also discussed Disney’s values. According to Variety, he shared, “one of the core values of our storytelling is inclusion, and acceptance and tolerance.”
He continued, “And we can’t lose that, we just can’t lose that… how we actually change the world through the good must continue. We’re not going to make everyone happy all the time, and we’re not [going to] try to. We’re certainly not going to lessen our core values in order to make everyone happy all the time.”
So it seems acceptance, inclusion, tolerance, and reflecting the world around them while also fostering greater perspective seem to be high on the list of “core values” at Disney. And, according to Iger, there’s a way to stick to those values but present them in a modern way.
What do you think Disney’s “core values” were, are, or should be? Tell us in the comments. We’ll be on the lookout for more updates and let you know what we see.
It’s NOT Walt’s Disney World Anymore — And That’s Ok
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What do you think about the Walt Disney Company and Bob Iger as CEO? Tell us in the comments.
All this nonsense about Walt’s vision. It’s quite clear what his vision was. I encourage the power that be at Disney corporation to look at their archives. Walt spoke openly about his vision often. It was completely centered on a place where FAMILIES could come and enjoy their day. A place for children to play and interact WITH their parents. A place that was AFFORDABLE for these families. That was his vision for the parks. He also had the movies that he worked on. But the park was for families. Any other questions just watch Walt on the multitude of interviews he had before Disneyland opened. Remember that Bob Iger!!
What ever happened to common decency and freedom of speech? As a former Republican this Maga and Woke agenda is nothing but a way to divide the country and increase hate and racism. Since when can’t a company make a comment? But just like cattle Republicans follow the Fox News channel and tow the line to hell. God is watching this story play out, and he is very unhappy with the vitriol on the Republican side. He taught us to love and accept one another, not to hate,fear and loathe our differences Democrats are not perfect, but there are by far closer to what God asked us to be as people. Helping and respecting people in need and each other. Disney has not strayed from its original purpose, America has become a cesspool of ugliness ungodlness and hate.
Why are negative commenters reading this website if they hate Disney and are done with it?
Happy that Bob Igor is back. Things were GREAT with him in charge. Hopping to see it happen again.
No offense to Mr.Igor, but I’d love to see Michael Eisner come back also to help with restoration.
After having an annual pass for 25 years, I have cancelled it. Disney’s woke agenda became too much for me. What use to be my happy place is gone.
“Inclusion of all peoples” is important, and I think Disney is trying to continue with that core value. If more people were more tolerant, then we would have less strife. I applaud Bob Iger and Disney for doing their part in an ever-changing world.
Maybe Disney should pull up stakes and move to a non fascist state. Freedom of speech and choice are being attacked every day by mini Mussolini.
Where do you draw the line of inclusion, acceptance and tolerance? How far with these leftists pummel the company into immoral black hole, ‘accepting’ and ‘including’ every perversion and sickness until the brand has no virtues left? It seems the only intersectional category the company isn’t including and accepting is the moral majority of its customers: straight and Christian. Disney will eventually die a glorious death at the hands of its own kind: the intolerant and hateful of anything truly moral and virtuous.
Don’t look at what Iger says, look at what Iger’s Disney does. (Chapek only had some control of Disney for about 10 months. So almost all of what Disney has done has been Iger.)
– Does the old Disney represent your values?
– Iger led the fight against the parental rights bill. Does this represent your values?
– Does Buzz Lightyear represent your values?
– Does the reasoning behind replacing Splash Mountain represent your values?
– These are now Disney’s core values. To me they are not the same as the old Disney.
I could go on, but to me the change is clear.
Disney was the most wonderful place in the world when I was child. I’m 42 I can no longer say that. As an individual I know my core values are the same.How can there core values be the same and yet now we disagree? My last visit to Disney was in 2010. It’s not the same place. Exceptance or tolerance is not the issue with Disney but discluding natural family values that has shattered it’s value. Disney regardless of Iger’s words, has become woke and in your face to the Christian Family and I’m sure they’re okay with that.
Family, Christianity,straight,etc.can not be integrated with the opposite values because of ungodliness .As the saying goes”Hate the sin,but love the sinner.”Furthermore ,you should never condone sin but God can save you from your sins.Darkness is Evil and Light is Holy
It’s not supposed. Disney has veered from Walt Disney’s core values, to the point where I wouldn’t let a kid watch a Disney show unsupervised. Disney inserts sexual content totally inappropriate for children, casts according to identify politics to the degree that the story suffers, and no longer hires the best creative people — only woke hacks.
Disney has always celebrated diversity. That’s what is meant by inclusion,acceptance and tolerance. It’s only the extreme right that has been so severely and negatively influenced by their chosen media sources and politicians who have recently decided those long time core values are somehow inappropriate. They’ve hijacked a very posiyive word, “woke”, which also means enlightened as in tolerant, and even accepting and inclusive, and somehow twisted those to be negative. When they finally wake up (become woke!) Disney will still steadfastly be adhering to their original values that they’ve never strayed from.
It’s sad that intolerance has become the norm. I was at Disney last year and there where families from all over & I was glad to see it, Disney says your family however it looks is ok with us. The world we live in must be inclusive, when did being part of the LGTBQ community become a depravity? People who stand behind I am a Christian, please look it up even the Pope said he accepts LGTBQ people, why all of the hate. No one should be made to feel they are not welcome because of intolerant people. All we can do is combat their hate with Love. No one should be made to feel less than.
I wish people would get past “What would Walt do” or “that’s not what Walt would’ve done”. Yes, Walt is a hero of mine, but he’s been gone for over 56 years. Times change and companies have to adapt. If you live in the past, then you won’t have a future.
You can take his ideals and use that as a clay and mold it to how it could work in a modern world. The next thing to do is look to maximize the guest experience in the parks, create content that fits the needs of the viewers.
Well said!
Disney is & ALWAYS has been a money making machine.i don’t understand WHY no one ever seen or understood that. They are one of the BIGGEST Stable companies in the WORLD….They are NOT going anywhere ANY TIME Soon. As long as the wing nuts KEEP Forcing women to have babies Disney will CONTINUE to rake in $1000.00 per family of 4 with 2 FREE Toddlers .if Disney CHOOSES to Accept the LGBTQ workforce & community that’s REALLY Their business NOT Mine YOURS & or The Autocrat in training
I can not let my grandkids watch a disney movie because EVERY one has in appropriate language. The f word seem to me in every movie. STOP IT there are children watching!!!!! And what’s with the back end nudity? Basic values of modesty and speak.
I think Disney should always project the view of the World in the eyes of a kid. That’s what made Walt Disney so famous. Everything he did was projected in the eyes of a kid.
After his death, Corporate greed for more and more profits got involved and Disney lost it’s way. Disney should be split into two (2) companies. One focused on Disney’s original values and one focused on our new world values. As always said, one cannot serve two Masters.
Yes Disney has gotten so far from Walt’s values that he would be very angry with all of leadership. They are turning Disney from what Walt envisioned into something completely different to where it is not family friendly to a Woke friendly mess!!
“Through the eyes of a kid.” Indeed! Except what the eyes of a child in 1950 saw is not what the eyes of a contemporary child sees. And what most people really mean “by eyes of a child” is a white, middle class, American child, which was Disney’s primary market during Walt’s lifetime. Times change, values change, the whole world has changed. Any company that wants to stay relevant must reflect that, or otherwise end up a relic in a museum.
I don’t understand how those differ. How are acceptance, inclusion and tolerance of differences not appropriate values for children?
So tell me do you know what Disney’s values were? Did you know him personally? Being woke means to be inclusive. I don’t care what the right thinks it means. All people of any color or decision orientation have the right to enjoy Disney whether the right likes it or not. This same people have the same rights as a white Christian male has like it or not.
“Bob Iger also discussed Disney’s values. According to Variety, he shared, “one of the core values of our storytelling is inclusion, and acceptance and tolerance. So it seems acceptance, inclusion, tolerance, and reflecting the world around them while also fostering greater perspective seem to be high on the list of “core values” at Disney. And, according to Iger, there’s a way to stick to those values but present them in a modern way.” Bob Iger has it right – DeSchmantis has it all wrong.
So true, I think he needs to evaluate the words acceptance versus promoting. Disney has crossed the line in my opinion and seems to be pushing their agenda onto the public. This is both unfair and unwanted.
Or as Iger said, they continue to pride themselves on their core value of accessibility for all, which I think they at least do a good job at attempting to do and if someone is offended by a small change that makes countless people happy they can learn to get over it.
It was ways profit driven. The idea is wasn’t is a rose colored classes folktale. Price kit how much it was to go to Disney in 1955. Then price how hoe much each ride was, because you had to pay per ride. Then adjust for inflation. It isn’t significantly different than it is today.
I agree with John. I don’t know how you can be “woke” and not make some waves.. not everyone wants all the “different” lifestyles thrown at them in a confined space that is supposed to be about kids and fun, not drama and coercive behavior.