Bob Chapek is making his case about his turbulent Disney exit in “Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place on Earth,” a forthcoming memoir that revisits his three decades at the company and levels sharp allegations against Bob Iger.
Chapek became CEO in February 2020 as Iger’s hand-picked successor, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. Disney’s board removed him in November 2022 and brought Iger back. Iger stepped down in March and was succeeded by former parks chief Josh D’Amaro.
“This is the story of how I fought and scraped and bled and worked my way into the top position of the Magic Kingdom,” Chapek writes in the introduction. Here are 12 key revelations and claims from the book.
1. Chapek says Iger viewed himself as unique in Disney history
Iger is mentioned 121 times in the memoir. Chapek recalls once saying that no CEO was bigger than the company, prompting Iger to reply that he liked to think he was “a little different.” Chapek interpreted the conversation as Iger considering himself “the modern reincarnation of Walt Disney.”
2. He saw warning signs during their 2020 interview
Chapek remembers his Feb. 25, 2020, CNBC appearance with Iger as deeply uncomfortable. Both men wore similar black suits and white shirts, which Chapek compares to “Twins.” More significantly, he says Iger appeared angry rather than relieved to be handing over the CEO responsibilities.
3. Chapek blames Iger for his dismissal
Chapek alleges that Iger regretted choosing him and undertook a “relentless three-year campaign” to force him out. Iger remained executive chairman, directing creative operations and overseeing the transition until late 2021. Chapek maintains that he did “nothing” to warrant his abrupt firing and says Iger had an “incredibly difficult time” moving on.
4. He revisits Disney’s Florida political crisis
Chapek offers an extensive defense of Disney’s response to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, known as “Don’t Say Gay,” which was designed to restrict discussion of gender and sexual identity in state schools from kindergarten through third grade.
He says Disney initially sought to work privately with Gov. Ron DeSantis and lawmakers. Chapek argues that Iger complicated that effort by publicly warning that the bill would endanger vulnerable young LGBTQ people. As pressure mounted, Chapek apologized during a March 11, 2022, shareholder meeting for the pain caused by Disney’s silence.
Chapek claims outside political groups, rather than Disney employees, drove demonstrations over the company’s response. He also says Iger retreated publicly as the dispute produced a months-long legal fight costing Disney tens of millions of dollars in legal fees. DeSantis, meanwhile, labeled Disney a “woke corporation.”
5. He accuses Iger of reversing himself on park prices
After Chapek’s departure, Iger said Disney may have been too aggressive with pricing and needed to preserve accessibility. Chapek counters that Iger subsequently raised prices several times over the following two years.
6. Chapek credits a low profile for his rise
Chapek says he became CEO partly because he “kept my head down” instead of aggressively positioning himself as Iger’s successor. He writes that other executives who appeared too eager to become heir apparent were pushed out, adding that Iger would never view a successor as his equal.
7. He considers controversial park increases a success
After moving from consumer products to become chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in 2015, Chapek raised annual-pass prices and restricted access. Disneyland’s passholder count fell from 1.1 million to one million after the first increases, but higher ticket prices lifted revenue. Chapek calls the result “a huge win.”
8. He describes Iger’s approach as “management by pronouncement”
Chapek says Iger sometimes announced initiatives publicly before internal debate could occur. In October 2005, while leading Buena Vista Home Video, Chapek says he was caught off guard by Iger and Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ plan to distribute movies through platforms including Apple’s iTunes Store. Retail partners worried about DVD sales, leading to angry calls from the CEOs of Walmart and Target.
9. Their first meeting included an awkward marriage question
Chapek says he met Iger at a corporate dinner in the 1990s. When Chapek said he had been married for 20 years, Iger asked, “To the same woman?” The memoir also discusses Chapek prioritizing his wife Cindy during her leukemia diagnosis. She recovered following a bone-marrow transplant from her brother.
10. “The Return of Jafar” defied its critics
Chapek spearheaded the 1994 direct-to-video “Aladdin” sequel “The Return of Jafar.” It drew criticism inside and outside Disney, with Pixar executive producer John Lasseter calling it “terrible.” The film nevertheless reached nearly $300 million in sales. Chapek says it generated five times the profits of a typical theatrical release.
11. His connection to Disney began in childhood
Born Aug. 21, 1960, Chapek grew up in Hammond, Indiana, outside Chicago. His family made annual trips to Florida and visited Disney World when it opened in 1971. Pirates of the Caribbean was his favorite attraction, and he writes that those visits showed him how real Disney’s magic could feel.
12. His first day included a bizarre alleged hazing incident
Chapek joined Buena Vista Home Video’s marketing department in Burbank in 1993. He claims that on his first day, a six-and-a-half-foot male employee entered his office, closed the door and deliberately dropped his pants. Chapek says the staffer never explained himself, leaving him to interpret it as a test of the newcomer from the Midwest.
What Happens Next?
Representatives for Disney and Iger declined to comment on Chapek’s allegations, while Disney insiders are said to view the memoir as one-sided revisionist history.
Co-written with Don Yaeger, the 272-page book will be published Sept. 29 by Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books imprint. Chapek is currently involved in advisory, consulting and board positions and divides his time between Florida and Los Angeles with Cindy.