When Disney CEO Bob Iger returned to take on the position for a second time in 2022, everyone — fans included — had high hopes.

After the pandemic, things started to slowly spiral downhill for a lot of media giants — Disney included. For starters, the relatively new Disney+ was expensive to build, and the revenue wasn’t rolling in like Disney had hoped, and theme park revenue and attendance were down because of COVID-19. Bob Iger, who’d recently retired from his position as CEO and was serving as a chairman, seemed to be the company’s only hope. So, in November 2022, he was back in the position. Now, over a year later, some analysts believe Disney doesn’t seem to be much better, although Iger has shared his hopes to make a profit again by the end of fiscal 2024. A former executive has chimed in.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) shared an article in which they compared Iger to former Disney CEO Michael Eisner. In many ways, they are the same: they had a great few years as CEO, stakeholders and fans alike were rooting for them, and things seemed to be on the up and up.

However, after a few years, things started to decline for both of these CEOs. In reference to former CEO Michael Eisner, WSJ said, “After more than a decade in which he had revived the fabled Disney brand and appeared untouchable, he lost momentum and his leadership descended into controversy and financial decline. He eventually stepped down following a shareholder rebellion.”

Iger replaced Eisner in October of 2005, and in 2022, Iger was confident that Bob Chapek could continue to turn things around post-pandemic. After Chapek implemented a series of changes that left many Disney fans upset, The Walt Disney Company pivoted once again. In 2022, Iger returned, as folks were confident in his ability to lead the company based on his previous run.

Well, based on the past few earnings calls, things still aren’t looking too great. Even IF Disney does begin to make a profit in the box office, within streaming, and in the Parks and Experiences again like they’re projecting, Disney owes money to a lot of folks. Disney is still paying off its acquisition of 20th Century Fox, and in 2023, Disney finalized the acquisition of the remaining shares in Hulu. (To put things into perspective, Disney still isn’t generating a profit but agreed to an $8.61 BILLION deal to acquire the remaining Hulu shares.) Whew!

Investor Nelson Peltz stated that Iger’s actions so far — from job cuts to cost savings to reviews — are inadequate. His investment partner Isaac Ike Perlmutter, former Marvel entertainment chairman, said, “Iger is a copy of Eisner. The entire board is his friends.” He went on to say that the entire board needed to be restructured so that it’s more independent.

Another spot where Iger and Eisner compare is their succession situation. Although Iger did end up succeeding Eisner, WSJ reports that there was a lengthy bit of time when Eisner didn’t have clarity on the best option for a successor — similar to where Iger stands now. However, where the two differ, according to former Disney chief financial officer Gary Wilson, Iger has all but soiled his chances of finding a suitable successor.

Wilson said, “Iger has systematically eliminated any executive who could become a successor. To me it’s a real black mark on Iger’s record.”

Another place where the two differ is that in 2004 and 2005, Eisner didn’t have to consider things like streaming platforms, direct-to-consumer within streaming, or streaming competitors like Apple or Amazon, who, according to WSJ and Wilson, aren’t under the same amount of pressure to create a streaming solution that actually WORKS to generate revenue.

Executives have predicted who Iger’s successor will be, and we could find out who that person is as early as THIS year. Although Iger’s contract won’t end until 2026, championing and training an executive to take on the role of CEO is no small feat and could take over a year. Hopefully, Iger will take after Eisner once again and find a fresh face to take on the position and turn things around.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated with more Disney news, so make sure to follow along for more so that you never miss a thing.

Click here to see Bob Iger’s 2023 Salary 

What do you think of the Eisner and Iger comparison? Let us know in the comments!

The post “Iger Is a Copy of Eisner” — Is Disney’s CEO Just Repeating History? first appeared on the disney food blog.

We bring you a lot of stories every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Daily Recap for Friday, January 26, 2024.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• On its closing night, Country Bear Jamboree experienced some slight malfunctions, as the Henry and Liver Lips animatronics stopped working mid-show.
• As a result of those malfunctions, the show did not come back online, and Country Bear Jamboree closed out its final day at Magic Kingdom with no final performance.
• A Walt Disney World trespasser tried to sneak into Magic Kingdom during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and all he got for Christmas… was “escorted to the ground.”
• Most of the scrim has been removed from Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom as its months-long exterior refurbishment nears completion.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

• The Vice President of Hospitality, Sales, and Marketing for Hilton Head’s Sea Pines Resort has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest at Walt Disney World for drunkenly slapping a teenage Cast Member.

New Merchandise

• Disney’s Beach Club Resort has a few new merchandise items available for purchase.

Other Walt Disney World News

• Walt Disney World has once again extended park hours for Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom on most days during the week of Valentine’s Day 2024.

Disneyland Resort

• Disney has released the soundtrack for the reimagined Pixar Place Hotel on music streaming services, just four days ahead of its opening.
• A new Evil Queen ear headband is now available for the fairest of them all at Disneyland Resort.
• A new color trend collection, “Peach Punch,” is now available at Disneyland Resort, with Spirit Jerseys, a Loungefly mini backpack, and more.

Disney Cruise Line

• Disney Cruise Line is hosting multiple open-call auditions to join the inaugural team aboard the Disney Treasure cruise ship.

WDW News Today

Major Avatar Attraction Tease for Disney Parks

That’s it for today; we hope you enjoyed this Daily Recap. Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

The post Country Bear Jamboree Ends Its Closing Day With No Final Show Due to Technical Difficulties, Man Sneaks Into Magic Kingdom Without Ticket, All He Got for Christmas Was ‘Escorted to the Ground’, & More: Daily Recap (1/26/24) appeared first on WDW News Today.

It seems that the Country Bears have gone into hibernation earlier than expected, as the Country Bear Jamboree did not have a final show to close out its run at Magic Kingdom this evening.

Country Bear Jamboree Closes Early Due to Techincal Difficulties

Oh no, Henry is broken! pic.twitter.com/Cf2rQaJg2r

— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) January 27, 2024

Around 8:30 p.m. ET, both the Henry and Liver Lips McGrowl animatronics froze up mid-show, and caused the attraction to temporarily halt performances in an effort to get it back up and running for its final performances.

Liverlips is not working either pic.twitter.com/exPGZUSZZW

— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) January 27, 2024

Guests continued to wait in line, despite the line being temporarily cut off. The line resumed shortly afterward, before being cut off again at the pre-planned time of 9 p.m. ET.

The Country Bear Jamboree has still not reopened and hundreds of guests remain in line pic.twitter.com/tczjx8kDch

— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) January 27, 2024

As of 9:46 p.m. ET, the attraction had still not reopened, and hundreds of guests continued to wait in line in the hopes that the bears would be able to put on one last show.

It’s starting to look like the Country Bear Jamboree will not return tonight. They seem to be preparing to give out posters of the new show to those exiting, which were given to Cast Members today. pic.twitter.com/zxepVauVlz

— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) January 27, 2024

Cast Members working at the attraction kept waiting guests entertained with trivia and sing-alongs, before finally calling it a night at 11 p.m. when Magic Kingdom closed.

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The post PHOTOS, VIDEO: Country Bear Jamboree Ends Its Closing Day With No Final Show Due to Technical Difficulties appeared first on WDW News Today.

With tonight being the final evening of performances for the Country Bear Jamboree at Magic Kingdom before it closes to be reimagined into the Country Bear Musical Jamboree, it seems that the bears have gotten a bit of stage fright — both the Henry and Liver Lips animatronics have begun malfunctioning, freezing up mid-show.

Henry and Liver Lips Animatronics Broken on Closing Night of Country Bear Jamboree

We saw this malfunction as it was happening, and Henry was shown frozen in place. His arms were outstretched and his mouth did not move, but his audio could still be heard as he introduced The Five Bear Rugs.

Normally, this kind of issue would cause the attraction to close, as Henry is a major part of the show. But with just a couple of shows left between the malfunction and closing time, it appears that the show must go on.

You can see our video of Henry freezing up below:

Oh no, Henry is broken! pic.twitter.com/Cf2rQaJg2r

— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) January 27, 2024

Liver Lips McGrowl (soon to be renamed Romeo McGrowl) also had an issue in which his animatronic completely stopped moving, but his audio continued. The crowd even helped him out by singing along. We also got video of his malfunction:

Liverlips is not working either pic.twitter.com/exPGZUSZZW

— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) January 27, 2024

Following the malfunction, Cast Members announced that the bears were feeling “nervous” and that guests’ wait to catch the final Country Bear Jamboree shows may be longer than expected. As of 8:50 p.m. ET, the line to get in to see the bears’ final show has been cut off due to “technical difficulties.”

Here’s hoping that the Country Bears can get through their final performance without a hitch!

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Peach Punch is the newest color trend at Disneyland Resort, with merchandise in the new collection including a Spirit Jersey, ear headband, Loungefly mini backpack, and more.

Peach Punch Merchandise Collection

We found the adult Spirit Jersey, ear headband, Loungefly mini backpack, PopSocket, and ball cap at The Disney Dress Shop in Downtown Disney District. The youth-sized Spirit Jersey was available in World of Disney, and the Starbucks tumbler was found in China Closet in Disneyland Park.

Peach Punch Adult Spirit Jersey – $79.99

“Peach Punch” is an orange-pink color similar to coral. The merchandise collection pairs the color with gold accents. The Spirit Jersey is peach punch-colored with gold flecks across it and the Disneyland Resort “D” logo in gold on the left breast. There are a few golden stars around it and “Est. 1955” below it. 1955 is the year Disneyland Park opened.

“Disneyland Resort” is across the back in large shiny gold letters. Behind the resort’s name is the outline of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Four-pointed stars and dots are above and around the castle. The gold elements pop out from the Spirit Jersey.

Disneyland Resort also has a new Lunar New Year Spirit Jersey.

Peach Punch Ear Headband – $34.99

The mouse ears and headband are covered in a shiny peach punch pleather material. The ears are thin with exposed stitching around the edges. The Minnie bow between the ears is covered in sequins.

The sequins look like various shades of peachy colors thanks to the light reflecting off them. The sequins are across the entire bow, which is nice and puffy.

Both sides of the ears are blank to show off the unique color. The inside of the headband is lined in soft orange velour.

This ear headband is also available at Walt Disney World.

Peach Punch Loungefly Mini Backpack – $98.00

The Loungefly mini backpack is covered in sequins that match the ear headband’s bow. The backpack has a main zip pocket, a small front zip pocket, and side slip pockets. The pockets and zippers are lined with peach punch pleather.

A pleather bow is on the front of the bag, above a sparkly pink Disney Parks and Loungefly plaque. There are also flat pleather ears sticking out of the top of the bag, on either side of the handle.

The sequins cover the front and sides of the backpack. There are no sequins on the back. The adjustable straps are also solid peach punch.

The interior lining is peach punch with light polka-dots. The zippers are gold-tone.

Peach Punch PopSocket – $21.99

The PopSocket is plastic and Mickey-shaped. It’s peach punch-colored and filled with golden glitter for a sparkly effect. The PopSocket works as a grip and a phone stand.

Peach Punch Ball Cap – $29.99

The ball cap is a slightly darker shade of peach punch but covered in golden glitter just like the Spirit Jersey. A Mickey head is on the front. It has an embroidered outline but is filled with sequins.

“Disneyland Resort” is embroidered on the adjustable strap on the back. The thread color blends in with the hat color.

Peach Punch Starbucks Tumbler – $29.99

The colors of the Starbucks tumbler are closer to pink than orange. A shiny metallic silhouette of Mickey is on the side of the cup, below “Disneyland Resort.” The rest of the tumbler is pink and sparkly.

The lid is solid peach pink. The straw is the same color but slightly translucent. The Starbucks wordmark is in white on the opposite side of Mickey’s silhouette. The wordmark is near the cap of the tumbler.

Peach Punch Youth Spirit Jersey – $54.99

The youth Spirit Jersey has the same design as the adult version, just in smaller sizes. It’s peach pink with golden sparkles embedded in the fabric. The Disneyland “D” logo is in gold on the chest.

The Disneyland logo uses a medieval-style typeface similar to the one used for “Sleeping Beauty.” Though Sleeping Beauty Castle was part of Disneyland when it opened in 1955, the “Sleeping Beauty” film was not released until 1959.

“Disneyland Resort” is across the back over the outline of Sleeping Beauty Castle with stars around it. In the full wordmark, “Disneyland” uses the medieval typeface while “Resort” is in a simple sans serif typeface.

How do you feel about the Peach Punch merchandise collection? Were you a fan of Disney’s previous color trend collections? Let us know in the comments.

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

The post NEW Peach Punch Merchandise Collection Arrives at Disneyland Resort, Featuring Spirit Jerseys, Loungefly Backpack, & More appeared first on WDW News Today.

Most of the scrim has been removed from Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom after a months-long exterior refurbishment.

Columbia Harbour House Refurbishment

Since our last refurbishment update, scrim has been wrapped around the bridge that crosses over the walkway between Columbia Harbour House and Memento Mori, The Haunted Mansion gift shop. Inside the bridge is a seating area for Columbia Harbour House guests and it does not actually lead into the gift shop.

Scrim and construction walls previously covered most of the Fantasyland side of the quick-service restaurant. They have all now been removed, revealing the refreshed exterior. The façade hasn’t seen significant design changes.

Flower boxes are still missing from this tower on the Fantasyland side. Flower boxes were removed from another section and returned, so we’ll likely see the flowers back here soon. The flower boxes were under each set of windows.

The top section of the tower was also a pale red color instead of the same cream color as the rest of the facade. It may still be repainted or Disney may keep the whole building the same color.

The refurbishment of Columbia Harbour House began in September. Since then, construction has continued on both the Fantasyland and Liberty Square sides. Though the restaurant is technically located in both lands, it is listed as part of Liberty Square and has Liberty Square theming inside.

Columbia Harbour House has remained open during the exterior refurbishment work. The restaurant usually opens for lunch at 11 a.m. and closes at 8 or 9 p.m. It serves New England-style food.

There is an entrance door in Fantasyland unmarked except for the menu board beside it.

On the Liberty Square side, scrim and construction walls are down from around the main entrance. It’s located across from The Haunted Mansion.

There is some scrim around scaffolding behind construction walls at the far end of the building.

Do you dine at Columbia Harbour House during your Magic Kingdom trips? Let us know in the comments.

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The post PHOTOS: Most Scrim Removed From Columbia Harbour House at Magic Kingdom appeared first on WDW News Today.