The internet has been pretty torn over the announcement of Josh D’Amaro becoming the new CEO of The Walt Disney Company, which will become effective on March 18th, 2026, and current CEO Bob Iger will become a Senior Advisor until his contract expires on December 31st, 2026.
Josh D’Amaro in Magic Kingdom
Some people are looking forward to what changes he may implement in the company that would affect consumers in the parks and beyond, while others are nervous. But what may we actually see happen as a result of D’Amaro becoming CEO in March? We’ve done some research and chatted with our team of experts, and here are the three things we’re expecting to see pretty early on as he takes over this new position.
Disney Parks Announcements
Currently, Josh D’Amaro is the Disney Experiences Chairman, meaning he’s in charge of overseeing all that’s happening in Disney’s theme parks, Disney Cruise Line, hotels, and beyond. There are LOTS of expansions and new attractions being added to Disney Parks all over the world, but especially in Disneyland and Disney World, so we’re expecting that, to get the Disney fans hesitant about his takeover on his side, he’s going to give us some information about these new additions.
Josh D’Amaro at Destination D23, 2023 ©Disney
Personally, we’d really love to hear some updates about Villains Land in Magic Kingdom, as up to this point, we’ve only got concept art to go off of. However, we also wouldn’t be surprised to hear more about Tropical Americas coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Piston Peak coming to Magic Kingdom, the new Monsters, Inc. land coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or perhaps the Avatar expansion and/or Avengers Campus expansion coming to Disneyland Resort.
Disney and AI
The topic of AI is practically everywhere right now, in practically all different fields of work, but it’s especially prevalent in conversations around creative fields. This is especially true since it was announced back in December that Disney has partnered with OpenAI to bring their characters to Sora, and early in January, Disney announced their plans to bring AI to their streaming platforms as well.
©SORA
In a recent interview with Good Morning America, D’Amaro commented on the use of AI, stating that “AI is here,” and that “it’s something that we’re embracing and you’re seeing it supercharged these creatives in amazing ways, and they’ve embraced artificial intelligence.” The soon-to-be CEO also mentioned, though, that the creativity at Disney does need to stay with real-life people. In that same interview, he is quoted as saying, “The reason this company is so special is because of how creative we are and the human beings that are generating that creativity. In my mind, that never gets replaced.” Therefore, it’s our assumption that when D’Amaro takes over the CEO position, we’ll absolutely be hearing more about these plans for AI and how it will impact Disney.
More NFL Integration
Disney and ESPN have been integrated since 1996, but just recently, ESPN merged with the NFL Network, making it under Disney’s jurisdiction. Not only that, ESPN/ABC will have the Super Bowl next year, and we could absolutely see Josh D’Amaro using that opportunity BIG time to connect it to Disney.
©Disney/ ESPN
Previously, we’ve seen Disney utilize their characters to make sports games a little more entertaining for Disney fans, such as with Monsters Funday Football. We wouldn’t be surprised if D’Amaro continues to make additional similar choices for more ESPN and NFL games, especially the Super Bowl, when the time comes. Imagine having a DISNEY Super Bowl party, watching the Disney version of the game? Yeah, we could see there being a big market for that.
©Disney
We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest Disney news we see come out, before, during, and after this CEO shift, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB!
Hold Up. Hold Up. What’s This About Disney’s New Chief Creative Officer, Now?
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
What are you hoping to see when Josh D’Amaro takes over as CEO? Tell us in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
I would love to see the return of the Disney Magical Express transportation service for those staying at the Disney resorts. Let the magic begin upon arrival at the airport!
So many of us pass holders hope you realize the only way to keep us renewing our passes is with exciting changes. Let’s face it , Epcot world showcase needs a makeover,how can you continue to think you need China!a nearly empty Morocco for the past 5 years,and we all know Canadians don’t like us anymore.Get rid of the old,get some new,now while we are still alive. We want new,exciting places,Greece for sure,maybe A South Pacific destination,Fuji’s Tahiti,Maybe a south American destination,Columbia or how about another European country,better get on it before we alllet our passes expire,please,please know how important this is.