Disney's New CEO Says Theme Parks Were a 'Big Surprise' Last Quarter

Disney has a new boss, and he says the company is doing better than expected in some key areas.

Josh D'Amaro became CEO (the top leader of a company) of Disney in March 2026, taking over from longtime leader Bob Iger. Now, about six months in, he told CNBC that he's feeling good about how things are going — especially with Disney's theme parks.

Parks were the 'big surprise'

D'Amaro said the theme park division performed much better than expected in the last quarter (a three-month period companies use to report results). This matters because parks, cruises, and toys are the biggest money-makers for Disney.

Here are the key facts:

• Disney's recent earnings (the profit a company reports) showed strong growth in both parks and streaming.
• Wall Street (the U.S. financial and investing world) was pleased with the park results.
• Despite this, D'Amaro admitted he's "not happy" with Disney's stock price (the value of one share, or small piece, of the company).

Streaming plans

Disney+ is the company's streaming service (a platform for watching shows and movies online). D'Amaro is considering launching a free, ad-supported version — meaning viewers watch commercials instead of paying. He called it a "front porch" to attract people who might later become paying subscribers.

Not all smooth sailing

D'Amaro's early months haven't been drama-free:

• Disney cut nearly 1,000 jobs shortly after he took over, followed by more layoffs at ESPN, Pixar, and National Geographic.
• The company faces political pressure, including backlash from the Trump administration over ABC shows like "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and "The View."
• The FCC (the U.S. agency that regulates TV and radio) started an early review of Disney's broadcast licenses. Disney called the move "unlawful" and "unconstitutional."

The bottom line: D'Amaro says Disney has "clarity" and "stability" and is in a strong position in the entertainment industry — but he knows investors want to see the stock price improve.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/14/disney-ceo-josh-damaro-d23-expo.html