Josh D'Amaro on Keeping the Connection to Fans, Guests, and Cast

Most Disney fans were thrilled when Josh D’Amaro was announced as the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company. Social media quickly filled with cast members and guests sharing photos of themselves with Josh, making it unmistakably clear how many people had formed personal connections with him and how deeply those connections mattered.

That realization sparked two competing thoughts for me. First, I was genuinely excited that the rest of The Walt Disney Company would now have the opportunity to experience those same connections. But on the flip side, I worried that the Disney Experiences community might lose the access and moments that had ingratiated Josh so deeply into the hearts of fans and cast members alike. Fortunately, those concerns appear, at least thus far, to be unfounded.

Just days after the announcement, during a visit to the Disneyland Resort, Josh took time to chat with some of us fans and answer questions in an on-the-record conversation. He wanted to make something very clear about his relationship with fans and his presence in the parks: “I am not going to disappear. Something that is very important to me — again, I just spoke to a team of cast members who are newly coming into their roles — is to be with our fans and with our cast members. And I think that anyone who disconnects themselves from that, you can kind of lose touch with what reality is. I’m not going to do that. I expect to still see all of you at the events that we have, and I certainly will stay connected with our fans. I think the stage is just a little broader, maybe, than it was before. But that just means there are more fans to talk to and have those special moments with.”

Josh clearly understands the power of connection, reflecting on the moments he’s shared with fans over the years: “These moments, they were little, but they were significant. And if all of our cast members around the world, all 225,000 of them or so, are doing that same thing, which is what we aspire to do, we are and will continue to be the most powerful company in the world.”

As for my excitement about other divisions of the company getting to experience Josh firsthand, I’m equally optimistic about how that will play out. I recently spent time with ESPN colleagues who were in my neighborhood ahead of the upcoming Super Bowl. Naturally, they were full of questions about Josh. Soon enough, they’ll be forming their own connections and likely adding their own Josh photos to social media.

That matters because Disney has famously struggled with silos. Many of the company’s poorest decisions over the years can be traced back to divisions failing to collaborate or guarding territory in unproductive ways. On this point, Josh spoke directly to one of my longtime rallying cries, “In every environment, every touchpoint that we have with the consumer, my goal is to make sure that all those things are coming together and that a fan doesn’t see an org chart.”

If he can execute on that vision, Disney will be a far stronger organization, even if it challenges the assumptions of some uninformed Wall Street analysts about the true power of a united company.

Josh also expressed optimism about what partnerships like Epic Games could unlock across the organization: “It could be a new film premiering there,” Josh said. “It could be the place that you decide to book your next cruise vacation. You could participate with the Super Bowl in some way there.”

I’m fully aware that this piece may come across as a Josh love-fest. But I truly believe The Walt Disney Company has a bright future with him at the helm. That said, I will continue to share my thoughts, perspectives, and criticisms as Disney navigates a rapidly changing entertainment landscape. The difference with Josh is that he wants that honesty. He wants to hear feedback, even when he doesn’t agree with it.

One of the most important lessons I learned from the best leader I worked for at Disney was to actively seek out feedback and accept it graciously, even when you disagree. Too often, particularly at the executive level, that advice goes ignored. But when leaders follow it, as Josh does, the results can be powerful, both creatively and commercially.

Thank you, Josh, for taking the time to chat. I hope you deliver on the promises you’ve made, but in my heart, I have full faith that you will.

I look forward to seeing you around.