Bob Chapek’s memoir “Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place on Earth” is being released Tuesday from Gallery Books. A copy obtained by The New York Times lays out his account of his 2022 firing as Disney CEO. Chapek rejects any personal responsibility for his ouster and places the blame on a “relentless” campaign by his predecessor and successor, Bob Iger. The book also questions why Iger stepped down so abruptly in 2020, defends Chapek’s parks pricing strategy, and has him taking credit for elevating current Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro.
Bob Chapek’s New Memoir Puts the Blame for His Firing on Bob Iger
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Chapek’s memoir accuses Iger of sabotaging his tenure as CEO
- The book questions why Iger stepped down so abruptly in 2020
- Chapek defends his parks pricing strategy and says he pushed for Josh D’Amaro’s rise
Chapek Calls Iger’s Campaign Against Him “Relentless”
Disney’s board fired Chapek as CEO in 2022 after less than three years in the job. A succession plan had turned into what The New York Times describes as a corporate civil war. Part of it was outside Chapek’s control, such as the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down Disney’s theme parks. Other parts, including friction with Wall Street and the company’s handling of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, were widely seen by fans as major missteps and unforced errors by Chapek.
Chapek’s memoir rejects that framing entirely. He writes that his dismissal left “those close to me, outsiders and some within the kingdom” trying to figure out what he did wrong. The answer, Chapek said is: he did nothing wrong. Instead, Chapek describes Iger as playing “an intentional and preconceived role in abruptly ending my ride as Disney C.E.O.” Chapek claims Iger disparaged him privately to Hollywood power brokers and to loyalists inside Disney, questioning his judgment over pandemic-era movie releases. Chapek said that he wishes he was able to finish what he started. “In truth, it pisses me off,” Chapek wrote.
The friction between the two Bobs isn’t new. Reporters have previously covered Iger’s private criticism of Chapek and Chapek’s belief that Iger undermined him. What’s new is Chapek making the case in his own words.
Chapek Questions Why Iger Stepped Down So Suddenly in 2020
Iger’s decision to step down as CEO in February 2020 after 15 years shocked Hollywood at the time. The speed and abruptness of it has remained a lingering question since. Iger has said he was tired of parts of the job, singling out earnings calls. That said, Iger stayed on as executive chairman for two years, overseeing creative matters rather than leaving outright.
Chapek’s book offers a more conspiratorial theory instead. He writes that unnamed “high-ranking people both in government and private business” told him they believed the real reason Iger left so abruptly was his anticipation of the pandemic’s arrival. This is something that the Disney fan community has said for some time. Chapek backs up the claim with no evidence. He also suggests Iger believed he could reclaim the CEO job whenever he wanted to.
Chapek Stands By Parks Pricing Record and Takes Credit for D’Amaro
Chapek faced sustained criticism, both while running Disney’s parks division and later as CEO, for pushing park revenue too aggressively. Under his leadership, Disney raised prices on annual passes and food. The company also began charging for previously free perks like FastPass+ (now called Lightning Lane) and parking at Disney’s Florida hotels (which has been reversed). The memoir offers no apology for any of it, and Chapek instead frames the previous approach as leaving money on the table.
“We’d been, at a minimum, leaving revenue opportunities on the table to avoid stirring the hornet’s nest,” he writes. He points to 18 percent compound annual profit growth during his tenure as parks chairman as validation of the dynamic pricing model he brought to the parks. The higher prices, he argues, reduced crowding and improved guest satisfaction rather than just padding margins.
Disney named Josh D’Amaro, a company veteran who worked under Chapek in the parks division, as its new CEO in February 2026. In the memoir, Chapek claimed credit for D’Amaro’s rise. Chapek’s book describes D’Amaro as his protégé, calling him “the tip of my spear” in driving change across the parks business. “I consistently suggested the idea of promoting him,” Chapek writes. He describes D’Amaro as “a relative unknown in the corporate hierarchy” before he singled him out.
We’ll continue following the story as the book’s release approaches and as more details surface.
Story So Far
- Chapek announced the memoir in August, with Amazon listing a September 29th release from Gallery Books.
- The book’s Amazon listing framed the story around whether Chapek was given a fair shot at the job or was set up to fail, and what drove the decision to bring Iger back.
- We covered Chapek’s claim that he’s responsible for Josh D’Amaro’s rise to Disney CEO as its own story, drawn from this same memoir.
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