Disney’s Reputation Falls to Only “Fair”
The Walt Disney Company has seen its reputation fall further, with a drop to only “fair” for the first time ever on the influential Axios Harris Poll for 2025. This post takes a look at what changed, how Disney performed relative to the competition, along with our commentary about what this does–and does not–mean.
It’s been a rough few years for Disney’s reputation. This is a topic we’ve discussed at length, with Is Disney Ruining Its Reputation? and Disney’s Reputation Falls Further covering the company’s self-inflicted brand damage, loss of goodwill, and pricing perception problems. Those posts focused specifically on prior years of this Axios Harris reputation poll.
As of 2025, the focus has shifted. Fan concerns about Disney’s tarnished reputation are still front of mind, but we’ve seen the tone and tenor of those change. Look no further than Is Walt Disney World Pricing Out the Middle Class? That was one post in an ongoing series (see Walt Disney World is Worried About Its High Prices). Suffice to say, pricing is very much a hot-button issue with Disney fans, and for good reason.
Concerns about pricing are very much reflected in the Axios Harris Poll 100 and 2025 Corporate Reputation Rankings. This year, Trader Joe’s ranked #1, followed by many other value-prioritizing companies. This included Costco and Arizona Beverage Company, both of which have gained online fame and loyal fan-followings for their commitment to low prices.
Jim Sinegal, Costco’s co-founder, once told the company’s then-CEO Craig Jelinek, “If you raise the effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out.” And so, Costco’s hot dog deal is still priced at $1.50. That’s exactly what it cost in 1985, before the Great Recession, housing crisis, pandemic, and the latest bout of decades-high inflation.
Similarly, the 23-ounce can of AriZona Iced Tea has sold for 99 cents since 1992. Even amidst inflation and shrinkflation, AriZona has held strong. When asked on the Today show whether they’d raise prices, the company’s founder said: “Not in the foreseeable future. We’re gonna fight as hard as we can for consumers.” He added that AriZona is successful, debt free, so why do they need to raise prices? He continued: “Why have people who are having a hard time paying their rent have to pay more for our drink? Maybe it’s my little way to give back.”
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that one of my personal favorite brands, In-N-Out Burger, made the list for the first time ever at #20. Its exclusion in the past likely has more to do with methodology and awareness since In-N-Out Burger is a regional brand. It is nevertheless a success story of value-for-money, high quality, and concern for customers.
Unfortunately, there are no fun anecdotes about In-N-Out’s founders threatening to murder anyone if they raise prices, which is likely because the family-run business tries to avoid the spotlight. And perhaps because they’re anti-murder. Hard to say. Here’s hoping that Buc-ee’s breaks through on the 2026 list!
As it turns out, pricing is the main theme of the 2025 Axios Harris Rankings. According to the pollsters, consumers criticized businesses for passing along higher costs, delivering poorer perceived quality for their stretched dollars, and even capitalizing on tariffs to pad profit margins:
- 77% of Americans say companies often sell lower-quality products & services while charging higher prices.
- 70% believe companies are taking further advantage of inflation to increase profit margins.
- 60% feel companies will use tariffs as an opportunity to raise prices more than needed to boost profits.
According to Axios, it’s prices as opposed to politics that are driving most brands’ reputations in the 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100 rankings, with the election in the rear-view mirror and tariffs and inflation top of mind. None of these priorities are the least bit surprising, and it’s also unsurprising that Disney might’ve fared negatively on a poll where consumers are fixated on costs.
Against that backdrop, here’s a look at Disney’s 2025 performance:
In 2025, the Walt Disney Company ranked #76 with a score of 69.6. It’s down 9 spots, which is far from the first time it’s been one of the companies that has taken the biggest tumbles in the rankings. This is the first time we’ve ever seen the score dip below 70, and puts Disney into the “fair” tier for the first time ever. While we’ll elaborate on this further in a bit, look at the little grey graphic to the left of the 69.6 score.
That shows Disney’s rankings trend since 2019, as the company has fallen from the top of the list to outside the top 75. If you look at the full list, you’ll see almost no other companies have seen this same type of slide. There are only two others–Boeing and Tesla–that have declined in the same way over the last 5+ years.
Here’s a look at just how much Disney has dropped since 2019, alongside other poor performers:
In 2024, Disney ranked #67 with a score of 71.8 and was in the “good” tier of the list. This could’ve been viewed as a comeback story, with the company gaining 10 spots and showing positive trajectory for the first time in several years.
That came off the company’s worst performance ever in 2023, when the Walt Disney Company had a score of 70.9 and ranked 77th, which was still in the “good” tier of the list. It’s in the “fair” higher with a higher ranking because most companies saw their scores decrease this year.
In 2022, Disney scored 73.4 and ranked 65th on the list, which was a drop of 28 spots as compared to 2021–meaning that the company was down 40 spots in the course of just a couple years.
For the duration of Bob Iger’s first tenure as CEO, Disney had scored above 80, always near the top of the list in the “Excellent” tier. Here’s a look at the consecutive years when Disney ranked as high as #5 on the list:
Before going further, it’s worth noting that there’s inconsistency in the rankings. Southwest Airlines dropped, but still ranks pretty high given the year it has had. Then there are companies like Walmart and McDonald’s, both of which have made a concerted effort to restore lower prices in some regards and still underperformed.
I’ll also admit to being surprised by multiple oil, pharmaceutical, and gambling companies outperform Disney (as well as other more consumer-oriented brands). If you asked the question differently–which brand do you respect more, BP or Disney?–I’d imagine more Americans would favor Disney. Ditto ExxonMobil vs. Taco Bell.
It’s possible that the Harris Poll is a flawed way to rank certain high profile companies and a good way to rank others. There are a lot of brands we’re generally aware of, but don’t hear about with regularity. The average American probably doesn’t know much about those businesses, which could explain why many of these companies yo-yo around the rankings.
By contrast, there are companies like Disney where the reputation is part and parcel of the brand itself. There are several lifestyle brands like this, that have actual enthusiasts and a wider degree of awareness among the general public. Aside from Disney, companies that come to mind here include Apple, Starbucks, Nike, Tesla, SpaceX, Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Nintendo, and Trader Joe’s. There are undoubtedly others, as well.
Below is Disney’s 2025 breakdown in the individual category scores of Character, Trajectory, Trust, Culture, Ethics, Citizenship, Vision, Growth, and Products & Services. On the plus side, at least the ‘trajectory’ is high–suggesting there is optimism for where things are headed:
The plot twist here is that, despite the pollsters indicating that the 2025 Axios Harris reputation survey had more to do with prices than politics, the Walt Disney Company is actually one of the few exceptions to this.
According to Axios, Ben & Jerry’s (+16.4 D), Pfizer (+13.3 D) and the Walt Disney Company (+12.3 D) are the most polarizing companies that skew the most towards Democratic consumers in terms of reputational perceptions. Conversely, there are even bigger gaps for the companies that most skew toward Republicans: Elon Musk-brands Tesla (+32.3 R), X (+29.5 R) and Space X (+28.7 R); and the Trump Organization (+45.3 R).
With these notable exceptions, polarization scores have largely decreased across the rankings as a whole (hence prices mattering more than politics). “Are we now entering an era of post-polarization?” questioned John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. “We used to get so upset by the culture wars, and now the absolute dominant priority and attention has been focused by the consumer on value.”
To that point, 8 in 10 consumers told the pollsters that they care more about how brands can keep prices down than their politics. However, 2 in 3 say they aren’t interested in supporting companies that have become too political. But two-thirds also say political polarization in business is inevitable.
It’s also worth noting that companies like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, and Chick-fil-A all ranked very highly despite politics. This could vindicate a “quality will win out” perspective, where consumers are willing to overlook differences of opinion if brands deliver quality products people love. Or perhaps that sincerely-held but quiet beliefs are more accepted? I know about the politics of all three brands, but their CEOs aren’t making constant headlines trumpeting their values.
With regard to Disney, what’s interesting is that the company has found itself mired in various political controversies–there’s no denying that. But those seemed to peak a couple of years ago and have died down over the last ~18 months. The last year in particular has been largely controversy-free for the company, at least in terms of coverage you’d see on the nightly news. Disney vs. DeSantis is long-settled, the last proxy fight has been over for a while, and it’s been over a year since the dust-up between Bob Iger and Elon Musk.
Since late 2023, CEO Bob Iger increasingly has stressed the importance of steering the company away from political messaging. “Our primary mission needs to be to entertain and then through our entertainment to continue to have a positive impact on the world. And I’m very serious about that. It should not be agenda-driven,” Iger said during the company’s 2023 investor meeting.
He has made similar statements on CNBC repeatedly, noting that he would “quiet the noise” in culture wars and make more of an effort to reach the audience that “can be turned off by certain things…We just have to be more sensitive to the interests of a broad audience. It’s not easy.” During the 2024 investor meeting, Iger said Disney’s job was to “entertain, first and foremost” and reiterated that “we know our job is not to advance any kind of agenda.”
It doesn’t end there, either. In “‘Politics is bad for business.’ Why Disney’s Bob Iger is trying to avoid hot buttons,” the Los Angeles Times offered a rundown of how and why the Walt Disney Company has backed away from the culture wars and tried to remove itself from controversies.
The Walt Disney Company has largely repaired its relationships with major U.S. political figures. Although it hasn’t garnered much media attention, Governor DeSantis has touted Disney’s investments in Florida and hasn’t had any negatives–only positives–to say about Disney over the last year.
Disney CEO Bob Iger and President Donald Trump have seemingly resolved their differences. During a press conference in Abu Dhabi to discuss investments between the UAE and US, Trump revealed that Iger paid a visit to the White House to show him Disneyland Abu Dhabi.
Here’s what Trump had to say about the meeting with Iger: “We have American companies [like] Disney [investing in the Middle East]. The new [Disneyland Abu Dhabi] theme park is going to be incredible. Bob Iger was in my office the other day and he was showing it to me. It’s going to be incredible.” Iger meeting with Trump is the most notable example, but it’s only one instance of many suggesting that the two have repaired their previously-strained relationship.
It’s fascinating that this Disney’s politically polarized reputation has been so “sticky” and hasn’t really reflected the controversy-free year that Disney has enjoyed. When trying to recall significant backlash within the last 6 months, the best I can come up with is the Snow White. That would’ve been released right as this polling was conducted, so perhaps that’s the big driver?
There are certainly assorted “controversies” within the fan community, but as far as the broader Disney-consuming public goes, I can’t really think of anything else from the last ~365 days. It’s been a mostly positive year for Disney on balance, with strong box office results, higher guest satisfaction scores for the parks, and an increasing Disney+ domestic subscriber count.
Perhaps most notably for broader public perceptions, Disney dominated the box office last year. Inside Out 2, Moana 2, and Deadpool & Wolverine were all huge hits. Other films performed really well and added to Disney’s box office haul, but I’m skeptical those movies (e.g. Alien Romulus) would register with the public as being “Disney,” and that’s what matters for the purpose of the survey.
Star Wars and Marvel have continued to underperform expectations, and there’s undeniably a lot of breathless coverage about this online. It’s difficult to discern the extent to which this is organic and mainstream, and the extent to which it’s manufactured outrage online driven by ragebait. As someone with only a passing interest in both Star Wars and the MCU, my perception is just that the quality is low because too much of it has been churned out. I’m inclined to believe “fatigue” and bad reviews/word of mouth are a bigger driver of this than politicized content.
Personally, I’m skeptical that any announcements the company has made for the theme parks would materially impact their reputation. Disgruntled theme park fans may not want to hear this, and point to unpopular decisions like replacing MuppetVision, razing the Rivers of America, poorly-received ride reimaginings, DAS changes, Lightning Lane Premier Pass, and so forth.
Much of this is unpopular with hardcore fans, but not the general public. If it’s on their radar at all (and it mostly isn’t), the perception is probably very different. When I’ve explained to normie friends what’s happening, they’re more focused on the Monsters, Inc. Doors Coaster and Cars Land parts of the news.
Some of this has ‘broken containment’ from our sphere, but honestly, whenever I see coverage of the Rivers of America in mainstream outlets, the broader reaction mostly seems to be that Disney Adults are weird. Which, sure, we are…but we’re also right about this being a mistake!
All of this is precisely why, when I first read the Axios Harris press release about prices mattering more than politics, it all made sense that Disney would’ve seen its reputation fall further to “fair.”
Disney has garnered a lot of negative media scrutiny about pricing. There was that bombshell article in the Wall Street Journal back in February (shortly before this polling), and that led to tremendous fallout and broader conversation about Disney’s high prices and affordability among average middle class Americans. That garnering so much attention is likely what led to “Cool Kid Summer” and an influx of discounts. While the theme parks aren’t everything for consumers, streaming service prices have also increased.
So if pricing is seemingly the more logical explanation for Disney’s decline, why does its polarization remain so high? My best guess is that political coverage and perceptions of Disney haven’t improved all that much. The company became a poster child for cultural polarization, and that damage isn’t undone easily or overnight. It probably also doesn’t help that the quality of content has still been hit or miss. Basically, there have been enough negative headlines to maintain baked-in perceptions and not enough positive news to undo previous damage. Honestly, I have no clue–just spitballing.
What I do know is that this matters a lot to Disney. Both public perceptions–which is precisely why Bob Iger has worked to consciously uncouple from culture wars–and the brand’s ranking on this particular poll by Axios Harris. This list is highly as influential within the industry, including with Bob Iger, who according to the Wall Street Journal, based some of his fears that his successor/predecessor Bob Chapek was killing the soul of the company on this same poll.
Iger feared then that fans were “falling out of love” with the Disney brand. And those results were better than 2025! Suffice to say, the Axios Harris Poll is important to the company and its CEO (Disney touted being one of the highest-ranking companies on the poll as recently as 2019). There’s no way to spin this or paint it in a positive light: the results are bad (again) for Disney.
While I have no clue how to reconcile the politics vs. pricing perceptions, my advice to Disney would be to follow the lead of the companies that have seen their rankings rise over the last few years. Even though the businesses are very different, lessons can be learned from Trader Joe’s, Patagonia, Costco, Arizona Beverages, Nintendo, and yes, even In-N-Out Burger. A couple of these charge premium prices, but they also deliver commensurately premium products. The moral of the story: “quality will win out…it’s proven it’s a good business policy. Give the public everything you can give them, keep the place as clean as you can keep it, keep it friendly.” ~Walt Disney.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What’s your take on Disney’s spot on the 2025 Axios Harris Poll 100? Think the company can bounce back with focusing more on quality, and less on politics? Think pricing or value for money actually does play a role in the rank, even if the pollsters disagree? Will another year removed from controversies help? Hope Disney gets its groove back soon? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Since Disney went political and shoved their woke agenda done our throats, a lot of my friends and I on the right and middle of the road decided we were not wanted at Disney. We don’t care about your politics, and don’t want to know about them. Unfortunately the left are not afraid to show their disdain for people who don’t share their opinions and values. My family doesn’t feel welcome at Disney anymore. We stopped going in 2020. Why would we want to spend our hard earned dollars at a place where we feel uncomfortable and unwanted? It’s a shame Disney didn’t stay out of politics. I prefer to not know what side of the political fence you are on. That’s why my family has been spending all of our money and time at Universal Studios. They have great rides, the lines aren’t overwhelming, and we have no idea if Universal is woke or not. I hope they keep it that way. If so, they’ll be reaping the rewards of keeping their opinions to themselves. We want to escape the reality of everyday life. That was the allure of the old Disney. That’s what I believe most people want. Keep politics in the real world and out of our vacations. Then maybe Disney’s ranking will improve in the polls.
I’m sorry but I’m sincerely laughing. I have never seen any Obama/Biden/Harris gear at WDW but plenty of MAGA gear over the years. I just can’t get over how people say Disney is WOKE like that’s a bad thing. They stood up for something that affected a decent percentage of their employees. Then it escalated into a show I blame the state for as much as Disney. And last time I looked Universal is absolutely WOKE as well. If you mean that they support marginalized communities like LGBTQ+. Ummmm they do it more so than Disney in June since 100% of their Pride merch goes back to nonprofit organizations. So stop looking at the news making mountains out of molehills.
Disney toys to cram what they think Americans want instead of doing what Walt would want. Disney today would make Walt sick. Get back to supporting families!!
How is Disney not supporting families? There’s an interesting anecdote told by Walt’s son-in-law Ron Miller who ran the company after Walt’s death, 1980-84. He recalls watching To Kill a Mockingbird with Walt’s entire family in 1962. After the movie, Walt said he was really interested in doing stories to help the civil rights movement, but felt that audience expectations restricted the kinds of stories the company could tell, and in the 60s the Disney audience wasn’t ready for it.
I hope that sixty years later the audience and Disney as a company are ready for those stories like Walt wanted to tell so long ago.
My argument has always been that Disney has to balance two things. First, it needs to bring in new customers. But second, it has to appeal to past generations whose appeal is mostly nostalgic. Those generations bring their kids and their grandkids. And nostalgia is a lot like milk. Once it sours, there’s nothing you can do to make it better.
I would argue that many of Disney’s moves have been fine but simply poorly executed. Take the Muppets. Look, that occupies a lot of space and isn’t exactly pulling in the crowds. That area needed to be rethemed. Did Disney think about how to execute and market this without losing that nostalgia?
I’d argue the movies are yet another example. The problem with Snow White is that it doesn’t bring in any new customers but does alienate a group of older customers. Whether you like the change or not, it doesn’t accomplish any long term objective (unless that objective is to totally obliterate the old IP and replace it with new IP). Same with the Little Mermaid.
Splash Mountain is yet another example. Whether they did or not, Disney certainly made it seem like current cultural politics was the primary cause of their decision to retheme the ride. That ride desperately needed updates and an overhaul. But the marketing execution was terrible.
Finally, I will say that as a passholder I don’t get worked up about the complexities of the system. We’ll just do it some other time is the motto of the day. But if I had to plan a once ever few years trip? It is ridiculously complicated and relies on an app that often doesn’t work properly. I’m sure that combined with the expense trickles out into the general public over time. Drip, drip, drip until you have as bucket full of water. Which drip was it? Well, not any specific one. It just accumulated over time until your reputation is trash.
Disney is interesting because their product is generally a reflection of what corporate America thinks is “mainstream” in the moment.
Disney usually tries to play it safe. When they do something “woke” or cast somebody “diverse” or whatever, it’s NOT because this large corporation is trying to impose its ideology.
Disney’s ideology is “quarterly growth.”
Disney never does ANYTHING they don’t think America is ready for. If Disney does something, then it’s ALREADY mainstream enough for corporate America.
…which is why people get so upset if Disney does something they don’t agree with.
(I think that’s why the Hall of Presidents seems to be in a holding pattern.)
Basically, Disney got SO big by following the mainstream, they became a FRONT in the culture war. Not a lot of other companies have that problem!
Disney’s reputation has fallen because their focus is no longer on families with young children. Now, Disney Corp focuses on upper middle-class adults with no children and more money to spend on enjoyment. This is obvious in all parts of the parks and Disney company in general.
More lounges/taverns are being added to the parks.
Thrill rides are being added over family type rides.
Numerous expensive formal dining added to parks and hotels. Example: “Be Our Guest” restaurant.
A few, if any, “character meets” on Main Street while putting “meets” out of sight in buildings.
Bringing violent themes into the parks. Adding Marvel characters, where possible, and now creating a villain section in Magic Kingdom.
Focusing on political correctness – which was never a concern for families with children.
Changing Snow White & Ariel’s ethnicity as well as their storyline. Try and explain to a young child their skin color changes.
Families with children and true “Walt” fans focus on the Walt Disney dream. They want to enter a world of pretend surrounded by characters and the magic they bring. They are willing to spend the money. However, they are not going to spend the money to see a “nightmare” instead of a “dream”.
You would think Disney Corp would have realized their focus is going in the wrong direction when they closed the “Star Wars hotel”. This hotel was not built with the average “Disney” family in mind nor is anything Disney Corp. is creating now.
I don’t think anybody objects to their wanting to diversify their appeal. The problem comes when they obliterate past IP to do it.
I also think you’re right about the thrill rides. They build a ride like Tron which is fine but the parks need more rides that can put a lot of people on them at one time. More storytelling rides.
No, there a lot of Disney families who enjoy Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and highly looking forward to the new Villains land.
Many fans have older members in their early twenties or teens. They like the thrill rides and the more grown up themes.
Disney needs something for everyone.
That was what Walt was doing with making more lands to expand the parks for a wider audience. It’s all still about families, but not every family looks the same!
I totally agree Joale – Disney needs something for everyone. However, Disney is not focusing on Walt’s dream but rather trying to compete with Universal. Disney’s recent rides no longer focus on a movie or take you on a journey into a movie set. Now the new rides are fast track rides with little or no story.
There are a lot of families that enjoy Tom Sawyer’s Island and the river boat but that didn’t stop Disney from destroying that area for a car racing ride. There were also a lot of families that enjoyed Splash Mountain – but they changed that ride. They didn’t even relate the ride to the Tiana movie. They came up with a ride that starts where the movie ended.
I am not against rides for families with older children nor guests in their 20’s or older, without children. My message clearly stated that Disney Corp now focuses ONLY on the older crowds pushing out the young families. The new villain section is a perfect example. No longer is there “Toon Town” – a special section for the younger crowd. But now there will be a section for villains – where young children will be afraid to go. And let us not forget the addition to lounges in Magic Kingdom. How many young families will be going to them?
Now in Animal Kingdom there’s: Avatar for the older crowds while Dino Land is being replaced with an Indiana Jones theme. Hollywood Studios has an elaborate Star Wars section with a lounge while the Muppet section is being eliminated with a new land featuring a suspended coaster. Then there is Epcot with all character meets ending by 3pm and very few rides for the younger families. Meanwhile with all the many bars and restaurants that Epcot has – Disney is adding a lounge.
With four parks – I would think Disney Corp could keep the Magic Kingdom more focused on the fairytale aspect with the “magic and dreams” of Walt.
Tom how much does a poll like this reflect or drive talent acquisition and retention? I highly doubt imagineers are leaving Disney to work for AriZona, or writers and directors are going to Patagonia, but does this become a factor when it comes to management and the business class within companies? Also, how does Disney compare to their immediate competitors in both the theme park and studio fields?
Wow, Tom’s magnum opus on ratings! Tom, seriously, once Megatron is in school, you might think of writing some kind of a book on some Disney topic.
There’s no need to wait.
The whole story Walt built about Disney, is being completely disregarded. He wanted a place where families could go and enjoy themselves with their kids. And now it’s just this money grabbing place. It’s all they care about, which sounds suspiciously like the way politics are. They say anything they want , they’re not part of Republicans but they are.
I have loved Disney my entire life. I grew up in California and went there many times school trips, with friends and family. We moved back east and I went to Disneyworld once or twice a year. It was always the best time. Why would a company want to do that to people who love them?
“The whole story Walt built about Disney, is being completely disregarded. He wanted a place where families could go and enjoy themselves with their kids. And now it’s just this money grabbing place.”
You might want to read a little more about the company’s history and the parks in particular. The Disney company, by which I meant Roy and Walt, was constantly worried about having enough money to build the parks, which is why they partnered with so many other companies to make that happen: corporate sponsorships, sub-leases, anything to bring in money.
Yes, it was about a place where families could go, but it also had to make a profit to simply exist.
Like you mentioned Tom, there are multiple factors at play. One is that Disney has tried to move upmarket while simultaneously nickel and diming AND removing features – contrary to what many upmarket companies provide. While some luxury carmakers do nickel and dime for features that come standard on mainline automakers, their performance, service, design and brand cachet mitigate that. In tech, Apple commands a premium but uses premium materials and offers long term viability for its products, aside from upgrade FOMO. They even have a gay CEO. Yet many people only seem to care about how tariffs will affect the price of their next iPhone.
Additionally, your listing of companies that lean more D or R in terms of perception show that sticking with your values, no matter where you fall, reaps benefits. Costco and Ben and Jerry remain strong, but Target, seen as more progressive and nicer than Walmart, wavered on its DEI policies and their sales have slipped. On the other end, randomly, I’ve seen Black Rifle Coffee’s profile rising and reach growing.
Creatively, spending major money on unnecessary live action remakes and relying on sequels are perceived by some as overly safe and wholly uninspired. The lackluster writing, editing, directing, and pricey but bad CG of the live action remakes on top of diverse casting choices has made it easy to blame the latter for the former.
In the end, service, value, and quality can override a lot. Disney has not been providing that. So it’s fitting to see their profile slide.
I watch a movie to have a good time. Be entertained. Have fun. Not to watch a recent reboot or watch #2,#3,#4, of a same show. I would like Disney to make new, ambitious movies. They did it in the 90’s. They had to do it in the 90’s. Have kids want to see the movies. Make some fun live movies. Multiple generations in my family loved the live action movies from the 60’s and 70’s. Who doesn’t love “The absent minded professor”, “That Darn Cat”, “The Computer Wears Tennis Shoes?” Disney just needs to make things fun and interesting and imaginative like they originally did. Make us laugh and have fun watching a movie. They rely so much on past successful (and not so successful) movies and reboot them. There is so much more competition now and not just movies and cartoons. Competition also from computer games. Possibly, Disney just can’t compete anymore and this is the best they can do. When you let go of great imagineers and don’t have a successful, early mentoring program to capture that enthusiasm and knowledge, it’s possible this is the result. It’s also possible that Disney puts too many restrictions on what they develop. Putting creativity in box doesn’t work well. Maybe Disney should just be satisfied as a “theme park” company and work harder to make the parks the best they can be.
IMO the current Disney leadership is failing on all three points of Walt’s quote. Yet revenues keep increasing, so what’s to worry?
Sorry, disregard last post..my fault
It’s not your fault, FWIW. The website uses a cache to decrease resource use, so sometimes comments “disappear” for you due to that. Refreshing or browsing in private mode should solve that.
Other times, comments get flagged for moderation by the system and I have to manually approve them. (Not what happened in your case.)
Tom, just wondering why posts have been taken down
I have gone to WDW every year for quite a few years, and I have never had a bad experience with a cast member.
The problem with Disney trying to “stay out of politics” is that some people see media including any kind of diversity representation as political and get mad about it. Other people see the company backing down from showing meaningful representation (or especially hearing stories about creators trying to include diverse characters and storylines and being slapped down by studio execs) and get mad about it. It’s like Disney is managing to thread the worst needle and making everyone kind of mad in their quest to make no one mad.
I honestly think they would do better if they were to pick a lane and stick to it with conviction instead of trying to appease everyone… If they were to pick a side I didn’t like, i would have to deal with it, but I think the wish-washiness is hurting a lot of companies.
Victoria has it right. I’m chronically online, and there are so many bad-faith actors on social media who rage-bait and know they can grift for views and interactions by decrying anything with a female, POC, or queer major character as “bad” and “woke” instead of a simple reflection of reality. Current Disney+ hit target: “Ironheart,” which they’re calling “terrible” and “boring” without seeing a single episode (it comes out June 24) and despite good reviews from people given preview screeners of the first two episodes. I expect review bombing a la “The Acolyte” as soon as RT and IMDB accept reviews
How does one “avoid politics” in such an environment where certain parties earn money and attention by making *everything* political?
Both of you hitting the nail on the head. These projects, whether the character is “race swapped” or original, regardless of whether the project is a reboot or remake or original story — if there’s any diversity, they’ll review bomb it from the second it’s announced before anything has even been shot nevermind seen.
Picking a lane wouldn’t be enough for me. Either they pick the lane of diversity and decency or they deserve to fail. As a big Disney fan who is queer, I hear Iger talk about politics and then see studio decisions to cut queer characters and storylines from projects and am left with nothing else but to think Disney, who is already one of the worst major studios at queer representation, is just gonna choose to go back 20 years and pretend we don’t exist again. I will be genuinely shocked if Disneyland has a Pride Nite again in 2026, but who knows. Maybe the only thing Disney likes about LGBTQIA+ people is our money.
Its really hard for Disney to say their media isn’t political when you have your talent and employees saying the opposite (whether it is true or not).
That’s because the employees are being honest. Stories ARE political. If you don’t have a message, your story is empty. If that message isn’t challenging anyone or anything, it’s pointless. Disney has always told political stories. You literally cannot make a Marvel or Star Wars story without it being political. Those franchises were founded to be political. The problem is that the culture of this country has shifted so far that seeing a minority character is deemed as hyper-political. The vast majority of Americans have never heard a Disney employee say something political. They just see black, brown, and queer people getting more rep and apply politicization to it because of internal prejudices.
My family has visited Disney, at significant expense since we don’t live nearby, every few years for the past 30 years. Over time, we’ve watched prices steadily rise, while the overall value has declined.
Planning has become overwhelming. Disney’s 6:00 A.M dining window means 3 a.m. on the west coast and 4:00 for the Midwest. Not everyone is proficient with the skills needed to quickly navigate the computer to secure sought after dining reservations. Using Lightning Lane may seem efficient for some, but not everyone finds it intuitive to constantly check their phone and search for the next ride immediately after scanning in. Newcomers pay for the multi-pass and struggle to get worthwhile reservations beyond your initial three picks. It’s frustrating to pay extra for Lightning Lane, only to wait in a line that feels like a regular standby.
The parks are packed, many rides are showing their age, and the Cast Member experience has changed which could possibly reflect guest frustration and internal morale. Even staying at a Value Resort now comes with a premium price tag, but the experience no longer matches the value for many families.
Our National Parks are also overcrowded compared to what they were 30 years ago. The world population over the last 30 years has increased by about 2.75 billion people. Every place is more crowded.
We have been to WDW at least a dozen times in the last 30 years. When my husband and I went in August 2024 we so were disappointed we decided not to go back to WDW. Then we gave in and went and stayed in a cabin at Fort Wilderness this May. No parks, just relaxing in Fort Wilderness, going to Disney Springs, and to cirque du soleil, Drawn to Life. That was best week we have ever spent at WDW. Drawn to Life was beautiful. We are anxious to go again. It was expensive but worth every penny. And as you and many others have said, that is the difference. In the past we have had such a good time that the cost was acceptable. We are planning another trip next year although we may not go into the parks with the crowds and expense. Relaxing on a golf cart around the campground was definitely the way to go for us on vacation. The cabins, although expensive, were beautiful. Everyone should consider staying at Fort Wilderness to have a relaxing vacation instead of the stress in the parks.
Everybody has a choice to see a movie or go to a park. I would say that COVID changed a lot of things on how PEOPLE interact. I see more stories of fights and brawls that I never thought would happen at a Disney Park. And after reading some of these comments I can fully understand why that is happening. I will also say that Disney has gone way overboard with the pricing. When visiting the parks after COVID service was not what you would expect for the price. But I have noticed a distinct change in my last few visits. Cast members were polite and accommodating, but that was because I also treated them with respect. Not DEMANDING and not REQUESTING. You paid the money and you should do the research. Is it expensive YES. Should it be NO! Remember that was your choice to spend the money and then COMPLAIN that you did not have a good time that on you. Its you and your family that make it a good time NO MATTER what the service.
I agree with most of your sentiment. I am willing to pay whatever they want to charge to make my visit more convenient, because I CAN. Does everyone need that? No, but everyone WANTS it. That’s the problem around ‘pricing out America’ IMO. I have employees who make minimum wage and go annually to Disney with a family of 4+. They’ve learned how to save and plan and it works for them. Are they staying in deluxe resorts with a dining plan, buying PP, or doing a VIP tour? No, but they’re having a magical time because it’s what you make of it.
I’m lucky that COVID made me more patient and grateful after losing family and friends. I slow down and enjoy all the small intricacies that make Disney special. And, as someone who’s company uses the Disney Institute to help train leaders and shape policies, I know that the culture there is one I respect. I’ve never had a poor experience at Disney, versus somewhere like Universal where I can count more than a dozen. Treat people with dignity and respect and you’ll get the same in return.
What did expect exactly with the gong show they have demonstrated since the pandemic? Whether it has been less value or continuous woke decisions, they decided to put their middle finger up and moved forward with it all. Now comes the boom.
We are embarrassed now to let family and friends know we are even thinking of a Disney vacation anymore and we are DVC owners.
As someone else mentioned, perhaps they need to hit rock bottom before they can recover. However, they should be careful as their IP will only last so long. Other entertainment companies currently do it better and there might be others in the wings ready to pounce. A complete overhaul of their corporate structure is required as the old guard looks like they have lost the plot.
I feel like Disney is dealing with negative repercussions still from the more right leaning people while not really ‘cashing in” on any benefit from the the left leaning side. As someone pretty far to the left I would say I see Disney as a neutral company. I am happy to have my kids watch a Disney film and am considering a trip to Disney but it is not something I seek out for them specifically because it aligns with our views or whatever.
If you contrast them with Sesame Workshop who has been dealing with it’s own negative perception that it has “gone woke” I feel like there is a stronger upswell of support from left leaning people to counteract that. Although my kids have more or less aged out of sesame street if asked I would rate that more as something I am enthusiastic about putting on for my kids. Although I think that has more to do with Sesame Street feeling like it is made with kids development in mind, whereas I don’t have the same perspective on Disney. (Although I wouldn’t say that Disney is developmentally inappropriate like Cocomelon for instance).
Also, when you look at some of the company’s that score highly on the left, like Patagonia or Ben and Jerry’s they have very much put their money where their mouth is whereas Disney seems more interested in increasing shareholder value and will release whatever political statement or lack of thereof that they think will help them in the short term. By its very nature to some degree I think a company that has such a strong perception of being incredibly profit driven is going to have a hard time becoming a darling of the left.
100%. I’ve been so confused by the level of “woke” allegations compared to what Disney has actually done, especially considering I’ve personally never heard other progressive-leaning people praising Disney or anything. Meanwhile you would think they’d given Elsa a girlfriend from the level of backlash! I had an Orlando uber driver seriously tell me that Disney had a program in schools to turn kids gay, so I do wonder if the reaction has been less spontaneous objections to specific content vs. the culture war outrage cycle (which I’ll say I personally find tiresome and unproductive no matter the side).
Wow Sam thanks for making it a right or left thing. That added some much more insight to the issues that affect Disney for ALL Disney fans.
“Disney seems more interested in increasing shareholder value and will release whatever political statement or lack of thereof that they think will help them in the short term.”
LOL That is exactly my perception of them.
Disney also gets heat from people who don’t know demographics. Namely, that the younger the demographic you go, the bigger the “no majority” stats, where people of color are more than 50% of Americans under age 18, and even moreso for people under 12. So Disney’s prime child demo is diverse, and it’s easy to see why they would want to appeal to every part of that group. They don’t do anything to be “woke,” just to maximize profits.