Josh D’Amaro’s Disney journey takes him from Disneyland president to CEO

04.02.2026 00:30

DailyNews.com

Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro’s 28-year Disney career started at Disneyland in 1998 and in six weeks will culminate in his ascent to the helm of the Burbank-based entertainment giant built by Walt Disney.

D’Amaro will succeed Disney CEO Bob Iger on March 18 during the company’s annual meeting.

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Since 2020, D’Amaro has overseen 185,000 employees at Disney’s 12 theme parks around the globe along with the Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney, Storyliving by Disney and Walt Disney Imagineering.

D’Amaro has an extensive history with Disney parks — overseeing Disneyland, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the Walt Disney World resort before rising to run the company’s largest business division with $36 billion in annual revenue.

Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products during the opening ceremony for Avengers Campus inside Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

During that time, D’Amaro was instrumental in the creation of Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure and Disney Adventure World, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland and World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea.

Disney plans to invest $30 billion in theme park expansion projects around the globe over the next decade.

Josh D’Amaro, Chairperson of Walt Disney Parks and Resort, during a window dedication ceremony along Main Street, U.S.A. inside Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, April 28, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Upcoming projects shepherded by D’Amaro during the largest global expansion in Disney Experiences history include an Avatar themed land at Disney California Adventure, Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a Cars-themed Piston Peak and Disney Villains Land at the Magic Kingdom, Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and a new park in Abu Dhabi.

D’Amaro, 54, joined the company as a sales and marketing executive at the Disneyland resort in 1998 after beginning his career at Gillette.

Josh D’Amaro, president of the Disneyland Resort, poses for group picture with children from local non-profits during their visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Thursday, May 30, 2019. Disney invited more than 600 youngsters from local nonprofits to a sneak peek of the new land. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

During his Disney career, D’Amaro has held leadership roles in finance, business strategy, creative development and operations.

D’Amaro succeeded Bob Chapek as Disney parks boss in May 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic that eventually closed every Disney theme park around the globe.

Cynthia Randez takes a picture of her son, Apollo Leisz, 7, with Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Josh D’Amaro on Main Street U.S.A. just after the gates opened in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, April 30, 2021. The resort’s parks have been closed for 412 days due to the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Chapek’s reign as Disney CEO would be brief and contentious — with the company bringing back Iger in 2022 to right the ship and help select a new leader.

The Disney board of directors kicked off the search in January 2023 and eventually narrowed the field to D’Amaro and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden.

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Walden will become Disney’s first Chief Creative Officer and help D’Amaro navigate one of his blind spots — Disney’s TV and film business.

Iger will stick around until the end of 2026 as a Disney board member and a senior advisor where he will continue to mentor D’Amaro during the transition.