Josh D'Amaro stepped into his first earnings call as Walt Disney Company CEO on May 6, 2026, and used the opportunity to do more than report quarterly numbers.
He set out a clear picture of where he intends to take the company, and for theme park fans, there is plenty to pay attention to.
Gratitude, Then Business
D'Amaro opened with a direct acknowledgment of his predecessor before turning to his own agenda.
"I want to express my gratitude to Bob Iger," he said. "Bob led Disney with extraordinary vision. He led it with discipline and ambition, and because of that leadership, this company stands on a strong foundation with real momentum."
He described stepping into the role with "genuine appreciation, a strong sense of responsibility and real optimism about what lies ahead."
"I'm fortunate to be leading a company with exceptional assets, talented leaders and a well-defined strategic direction," he said.
Four Priorities, Right Now
D'Amaro outlined four priorities he intends to execute against.
"First, we're focused on creating best-in-class content. We're doing really well there. Second, we're strengthening our streaming businesses and driving top-line growth and profitability. Third, we're continuing to take advantage of the growing power of live sports and build ESPN direct-to-consumer business — and then, of course, we're turbocharging Disney Experiences all across the globe."
A More Connected Disney
Beyond the immediate priorities, D'Amaro laid out three pillars for what he described as Disney's "next phase of growth." At the center of all three is the idea of connection — between the company's businesses, its IP, and its fans.
The first pillar is IP. D'Amaro wants Disney to go further than it has in extracting value from its franchises across every part of the business.
"We're going to continue to build and fully leverage all of our IP," he said. "This starts with great storytelling, but the opportunity is going to be much broader than that. We'll invest in both existing franchises and new IP — building on brands like Toy Story while also creating new stories that connect with generations of fans across the globe."
The key, he said, is making sure that success in one part of the business compounds into value elsewhere.
"The key here is fully harnessing that IP across the whole company — in film and in streaming, across our experiences and products and in games — so that each of our successes compounds in value over time."
D'Amaro sees the parks not as a standalone business, but as a critical layer in a broader system where a hit film, a streaming series, or a game feeds directly into what guests experience at Disney destinations around the world.
Disney+ at the Center
The second pillar is the fan relationship — and D'Amaro was specific about how he plans to deepen it.
"I think we have a real opportunity to deepen our direct relationships with our fans by creating a much more connected Disney experience across streaming and sports and games and experiences, with Disney Plus right at the middle, playing an increasingly central role."
This is a significant statement. D'Amaro is positioning Disney+ not just as a streaming service, but as the connective tissue between every part of how fans experience Disney — whether that's watching a film at home, following a sports event on ESPN, playing a game, or visiting a theme park.
"No other company reaches consumers to the same degree across both digital and physical environments," he said. "Our goal is to leverage that position to extend our reach, deepen engagement and generate greater value from our world-class intellectual property."
What that looks like in practice for parks guests remains to be seen, but the direction is clear: Disney wants a more direct, more personal relationship with fans — and it plans to use Disney+ to build it.
Technology as an Accelerant
The third pillar is technology, and D'Amaro's language here was notably ambitious.
"Technology can be a real powerful accelerant for Disney. It can improve the consumer experience across our businesses, drive operational efficiency and unlock brand-new possibilities for creativity, growth and returns."
He was careful not to position technology as a replacement for creativity. The company's earnings letter noted that AI investment would be pursued "in a way that keeps human creativity at the center of everything we do." But D'Amaro clearly sees technology — including AI — as a meaningful tool for improving how guests experience Disney, both at home and in the parks.
Experiences: Still His Heartbeat
While D'Amaro was careful to present a vision for the whole company, his background in Experiences came through throughout the call. He spoke about the segment's record Q2 results — revenue and operating income both hitting fiscal second-quarter highs — with evident pride, and he was direct about where the business is headed.
"The strong demand that we're seeing for these attractions reinforces our confidence in the long-term opportunity across our portfolio of experiential assets — parks, cruise line and immersive experiences alike," he said.
He pointed to the launch of the Disney Adventure cruise ship in Singapore and the opening of World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris as examples of the kind of expansion he intends to keep driving.
"These are meaningful milestones that extend the reach of our brands to new markets and new fans around the world."
On domestic park attendance — which dipped 1% in Q2 — D'Amaro acknowledged headwinds while projecting confidence in the trend reversing.
"We are now starting to lap these headwinds and expect attendance trends at our domestic parks to improve in Q3," he said.
Disciplined, Not Cautious
One of the clearest threads running through D'Amaro's remarks was the balance between near-term discipline and longer-term ambition. He repeatedly returned to the idea of executing on existing commitments before expanding on them — a message aimed squarely at investors, but one that also signals a steady hand at the top.
"Our immediate priority is disciplined execution, but I'm equally energized about the opportunities ahead," he said. "Our job is to execute with rigor, to invest with confidence, and connect those strengths in ways that create lasting value for consumers and shareholders alike."
D'Amaro summed up his vision plainly: "Our next phase of growth will be centered on creative excellence, a more connected fan experience, and we'll use technology as an accelerant."
It's early days. But the direction is set.
Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox