Josh D’Amaro wasted no time. He became Disney’s CEO in March 2026 and immediately showed which way the company is heading: less ideology, more classic brand and layoffs.
First, the cuts
In April around a thousand jobs were cut. Marketing, film, television, ESPN, IT, corporate. In July, hundreds more followed – Pixar, ESPN, National Geographic.
The official spin sounds familiar: “a more flexible organization”, “new technologies”, “better resource management”. The translation is always the same. People still walk out carrying boxes.
D’Amaro came from the parks. That is where Disney really makes money. The studio and streaming have for years dragged along costs and disputes. The new boss clearly decided that what needs trimming first is not what fails to deliver magic – just the budget and the image departments.
Then the language
Even louder than the layoffs was the return of old phrases.
A few years ago Disney was dropping “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” from its parks. It was meant to be inclusive: “dreamers of all ages”, with no reference to gender. Now the classic greetings are heard again in communications. The company didn’t make a big announcement about it. It just started coming back.
For some this is a trifle. For others it is a sign that the era in which the conglomerate preferred political correctness to guests with children is over.
D’Amaro talks about “stories, family experiences and an emotional bond with the brand”. In practice it sounds like: fewer sermons, more Mickey Mouse.
The end of the Iger era, the start of clean-up
Bob Iger left behind an empire that was bloated, fragmented and worn out by the culture war. One part of the audience wanted a “modern” Disney. The other wanted the Disney of their childhood. The company tried to please everyone and ended up irritating both.
The new CEO is going the other way. Staff cuts. Merging departments into “one Disney”. Fewer ideological disputes in communication. More of what people actually pay for: parks, characters, emotions.
Is this a “return to roots”, or just cleaning up after years when the brand sabotaged its own revenue? D’Amaro won’t say it outright. But the layoffs and “ladies and gentlemen” speak loudly enough: the old course is over.
