How Disney plans to grow its fandom, according to CEO Josh D’Amaro
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine STAR was among roughly 200 members of the press who recently attended “D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event” in Anaheim, California, where one highlight was getting up close and personal with Disney’s new leader, Josh D’Amaro.
Among this writer’s takeaways from the conversation hosted by “Zootopia” voice star Ginnifer Goodwin was The Walt Disney Company chief executive officer’s emphasis on “staying in direct touch” with the fans. Not just listening to what they love, but also what they don’t.
During his years on the parks side of the business, for one, D’Amaro recalled regularly walking around Disney parks by himself and talking directly to guests and cast members.
“I was out in those parks walking around. Not with a posse of people with me, but just myself,” he said.
He would hear their “stories and hopes,” but also complaints or what they thought the company could do better.
“If somebody wanted something done better or they didn’t like something we were going to do, they would express that to me,” he added.
Now that D’Amaro’s running the entire company, he said he doesn’t want to lose that kind of connection.
“For any leader, quite frankly, there’s nothing more important than staying in direct touch with who your consumer is, who your fan is, and what they want,” he said.
There’s also a personal reason he keeps seeking out fans.
“Standing in front of a fan and hearing their personal story, your tank just gets filled right back up,” he said.
D’Amaro’s own connection to Disney predates his career with the company.
He grew up visiting its parks with his family and joined Disneyland in 1998 in an entry-level position. Nearly three decades later, he would still describe himself as a fan first and foremost.
“I’ve been a fan first for my entire life,” he stressed.
He could still recall details from a childhood visit to Walt Disney World in the early ‘80s, from the colors, where his family was standing to even his father getting aggravated because he wanted popcorn.
He also remembered the first movie he ever saw in a cinema with his father in 1977: “Star Wars.”
D’Amaro likewise shared how he was reminded of those earlier experiences at this year’s D23, his first since assuming CEO last March. While staying at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, he could hear the sounds of the theme park outside his room while getting ready for bed.
He said it took him momentarily away from thinking as “the executive at Disney” or “the CEO” and back to his own memories of experiencing Disney as a kid.
“It means something to me, to the fans, to the world. It’s pretty special,” he said.
For Filipino fans, the relationship with Disney may have been formed through generations of animated films, Disney Princesses, Pixar stories, Marvel superheroes, or later through Disney+ and, for some, trips to Disneyland parks abroad.
D23 held on Aug. 14 to 17 also showed how much people are invested in Disney characters and franchises. Pinoy audiences are no exception. When The STAR shared announcements about upcoming Disney titles on its social media pages, some of our posts racked up at least two million views within a day, as readers expressed interest in titles whose releases are even some time away.
During the conversation, D’Amaro pointed out how Disney is still looking to grow this fandom outside the US. The company presently reaches audiences around the world via theme parks, streaming, stage productions, cruises, among other businesses. “D23 Asia: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event,” a first in Southeast Asia, is happening in Singapore on June 25 to 27, 2027.
Nevertheless, the exec said there’s more ground to cover internationally, adding that Disney also wants to create content that speaks directly to individual markets.
“One of the things that’s going to be important for me is to continue to invest in international markets,” he said.
“We’re focused on developing content that is specific to these markets so that we can draw more people in.”
Meanwhile, the conversation touched on how Disney balances franchises with established fan bases and new, original stories. “There’s a place for both. There’s always been a place for both,” D’Amaro said.
He cited “Zootopia” and “Toy Story,” while saying the company would continue developing new franchises and stories for another generation. This year, Disney has two original properties – Pixar’s comedy “Hoppers” (March 2026) and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ coming-of-age “Hexed” (November 2026).
“We’ll always have this balance between making sure that we’re giving fans what they want for these franchises they love so much, and then stepping out and introducing brand-new franchises, brand-new stories that are relevant to another generation,” he said.
“We’ll make sure that we respect legacy and what is so meaningful to people around the world. And at the same time, take some really big, audacious steps into the future.”
Addressing a question about Disney’s practice of resetting projects when something isn’t working or can still be improved, D’Amaro recalled one of his first meetings at Disneyland in 1998, when construction on Main Street led to a discussion about where the trash cans should go.
“I can remember sitting in the room thinking, are you kidding me? I just showed up at the Disney Company and we’re talking about trash cans,” he said. “What struck me, as I think about it now, is the level of detail, the level of excellence, the level of concern for that fan experience.”
D’Amaro said the same process happens with bigger projects.
“A lot of things, actually most things, are scrapped. They’re just put on the floor. And we say it’s just not good enough. And we’re going to start over and do it again,” he said.
“But it has to be perfect. It’s got to be right for our fans. And we take that very, very seriously… When you do that, what do you get? Trust. You get connection. You get belief.”
The 102-year-old company is also trying to reach a younger generation through gaming and platforms such as TikTok.
“We want to make sure that these stories carry into new generations, where they’re discovering characters and storytelling in ways that make complete sense to them,” he said.
He added that audiences whose first exposure to Disney is gaming could later want to visit Disneyland, while those encountering its stories through other platforms could eventually go to Disney+, theme parks or theaters.
The way people are introduced to Disney may be changing. But when asked what he hopes will remain true a generation from now, D’Amaro said, “I hope that whoever’s sitting here or whoever’s sitting out there feels the same in their heart about the company the way they feel about the company today.
“It’s pure, it’s joy, it’s happiness, it’s optimism, it’s innovative, it’s forward looking, it’s legacy. I hope that it will still be…
“Everybody can come on in. You can kind of escape from everything else that’s going on and feel really good. So, I never, never want that to change.”
D’Amaro looked to Walt Disney as a guide for how the company moves forward. “Walt was exceptional about throwing everything, not everything out, but being willing to take a next step into something that the world had never seen before,” he said.
“And I think the possibility of holding on to who you are and what you are, but still stepping into the unknown, that’s what Disney is.
“So, that’s what I hope for. I hope that in 10 years we’ll be having a conversation like this, and there’ll be a whole new generation out there, but they feel exactly the same.”
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