Chapter Fifteen - The Empire Wobbles

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The Empire Wobbles

BY THE 2020S, Disney wasn’t just everywhere.
It was too big to avoid.

And for the first time in decades it started to feel a little too big to love.

Because the more it bought, branded, streamed, and recycled, the more people started asking:

Is this still magic… or just monopoly?

In 2020, Bob Iger stepped down as CEO at the top of his game.

His replacement?
Bob Chapek, former head of parks and consumer products.

Where Iger was smooth, strategic, and brand-savvy…
Chapek was a numbers guy.

And it showed.

He raised park prices aggressively.
He cut back perks for loyal customers.
He focused on margins, not magic.
He clashed with creative departments.
He mishandled public controversies. (cough Florida cough)

Internally, Disney staff started calling it "The Chapek Era of Vibes and Fear."

He lasted less than 3 years.

In 2022, Disney did something wild:

They brought Bob Iger back.

In quick succession, Disney faced…

Financial Headwinds:

Disney+ lost billions in early streaming years.
Park attendance slumped post-COVID.
Movie box office returns fell off.

Brand Burnout:

Too many Marvel shows.
Star Wars fatigue.
Live-action remakes (The Little Mermaid, Pinocchio, Mulan) were seen as hollow.
Pixar started missing (Lightyear, Elemental).

Critics and fans both started asking:
What’s the point of this one?

Cultural Blowback:

Conservatives attacked Disney for being “too woke.”
Progressives criticized Disney for not being woke enough.
International markets pushed back on content inclusion.
U.S. lawsuits, state-level political fights, and employee protests broke the illusion of “family-friendly unity.”

For decades, Disney weaponized nostalgia.
But now, it felt trapped in it.

Sequels to sequels.
Prequels to spin-offs.
Reboots of remakes.
An endless swirl of familiar faces doing slightly different things with the same music in the background.

You could feel it.

The sparkle was still there… but the soul was flickering.

Which brings the question, could Disney ever truly fall?

The answer?

Probably not.

It owns too much.
It controls too much.
Its brand is fused into too many childhoods, homes, and economies.

But the idea of Disney?
That myth of magic and wonder and story and dreams?

That’s more fragile than it looks.

Because when every story is controlled, merchandised, streamed, and reskinned…

What’s left to believe in?

Disney didn’t sell movies.

It sold the feeling of childhood.

But childhood ends.
And even fairy tales can lose their spell.