CEO & Director, Walt Disney Co
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger On What China Has Meant For The Company
Bob Iger, former chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, sits down with CNBC’s Eunice Yoon on the 10th anniversary of Shanghai Disneyland to share his thoughts on China, AI, the theme park which he calls a career highlight as well as his own future post-Disney.
Reporter: Eunice Yoon
Editing by: Jeff Huang
Additional Editing by: Devan Burris
Managing Producer: Anuz Thapa
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About Robert Iger
In a June 2026 interview with CNBC’s Eunice Yoon, former Disney CEO Bob Iger reflected on the 10th anniversary of Shanghai Disneyland, which he described as a career highlight. Iger said the park was a "big risk" because Disney had never operated or designed a park for mainland China, and he stated that the company aimed to build something "authentically Disney but distinctly Chinese" so that Chinese visitors would feel a "sense of ownership." He noted that over 100 million people visited the park in its first decade and said he felt "great" about its economic success. Iger recalled that competitors in China had predicted the park would not work, adding, "I always felt they were wrong, and I could not wait to prove that they were wrong." Regarding US-China relations, Iger said he tries to be "a realist" and acknowledged there will be "ups and downs" and "times of strain." He stated that Disney has succeeded by "putting politics aside" and focusing on its mission to entertain people globally, asserting that if the company does that well, "pretty much no matter what happens, Disney does just fine." Iger also mentioned that Disney is building a Spider-Man land and two new hotels at the Shanghai resort. On his own future, Iger said he is looking forward to "truly enjoying life after Disney" and expressed confidence in his successor, Josh D’Amaro. He advised the company to "create a balance between legacy and innovation."
Transcript (23 segments)
✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
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Robert Iger0:00
I'm feeling filled with pride. Really, I've been involved in this project from its very beginning in the late 90s, and to be here today celebrating 10 years, knowing not only how successful it's been, but really how important it is in many respects, not just to the Walt Disney Company, but to the people of China.
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Interviewer0:21
How do you want investors to think about this park, your role, the contribution to Disney?
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Robert Iger0:28
Well, in many respects, this was a big risk because we had never operated or designed a park for the mainland, and we knew we needed to do so with great care and great respect.
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Interviewer0:38
Thank you. And good evening, everyone.
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Robert Iger0:41
And I'd say we nailed it, meaning this is really pitch perfect in many different respects, including the fact that we set out to build something, as you know, that was authentically Disney but distinctly Chinese, and we did that for a reason, because we wanted the Chinese to have a sense of ownership that this was theirs, so I feel great about that from an investor perspective. Not only with over 100 million people visiting before the 10-year anniversary, but the success of this economically has been wonderful, and also the potential, as you look ahead, given the size of the property, for this to be able to grow.
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Interviewer1:05
How has the Chinese consumer changed over the years in terms of the way they interact with the park, in terms of their spending habits?
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Robert Iger1:25
When they first came, there was a sense of anticipation and excitement, but there was a lot that they didn't know. Most people who had visited had never been to a Disney theme park, and they didn't quite know what to expect or how to behave. And over time, what we've seen is they have adopted this as their own. They come dressed in costume, many of them. They come willing to be, in a way, part of the show, even though they're not hired to do so. That says a lot, actually. I think, by the way, it increases their enjoyment.
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Interviewer1:58
I remember 10 years ago we were talking about the competition from other theme parks, at that point you had said that the price would be reflected in the experience, and I was wondering what you're seeing today?
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Robert Iger2:09
Well, I remember back when we were getting ready to open, there was a lot of speculation that it would be too expensive for the Chinese consumer, that it wasn't competitive from a price perspective, and I really never worried about that, because I knew the quality of what was going to be delivered to people would more than offset the cost of it. I think if you look at it now, the price-to-value relationship, which was good at the beginning, has never been better, because over time Disney has managed to add so much to this park. I remember competitors in China saying, 'Well, this will never work, either they're too expensive or the Chinese people won't appreciate it.' I always felt they were wrong, and I could not wait to prove that they were wrong. And, in fact, now we've done that.
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Interviewer2:59
Where are you right now in terms of your level of optimism for US-China relations?
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Robert Iger3:04
Well, I try not to be an optimist or a pessimist when it comes to such things. I try to be a realist, and being a realist, I understand that there are going to be ups and downs, there are going to be highs and lows, there are going to be times of strain and times of great detente. And so I don't dismiss that, but I discount it a bit, because I don't think about it in terms of where is Disney and all of that. And Disney has, I think, succeeded over the years in putting politics aside and making sure that it sticks to its essence, which is to entertain people all over the world. And if you do that and you do it well, then pretty much no matter what happens, Disney does just fine.
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Interviewer3:51
You mentioned the potential of this place, and given what you've been talking about in terms of the geopolitics, what is the investment outlook?
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Robert Iger4:01
Right here, as we sit today, we're building Spider-Man Land, we're building two new hotels, we're expanding Soarin', which is one of the most popular attractions here. There's so much going on, and because of the available property and because of the intellectual property that Disney has, the opportunities to expand are limitless. And as long as the business is successful, which it has been, there's no reason why it won't continue to expand over time.
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Interviewer4:28
Do you foresee another theme park here in China?
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Robert Iger4:31
I just foresee continued expansion.
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Interviewer4:33
What do you think right now are the risks of AI? How do you manage the risks? Where do you see the opportunities?
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Robert Iger4:40
Disney has a long history dating back to Walt's day of using technology to improve the quality of its storytelling, and artists have always resorted to great technology to do just that. And that's how I believe Disney should look at AI: that in the hands of a creator, the ability to not only create more compelling entertainment, but to do so perhaps under more efficient circumstances, I think, is very positive.
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Interviewer5:06
You still have to manage all those risks?
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Robert Iger5:08
The world is full of risks, and I think if you approach the world in a risk-averse way, then you achieve very little. And I think anyone who is charged with running the Walt Disney Company should learn from its founder, Walt Disney, who was one of the ultimate great risk takers in a world that was really complicated. I mean, he founded the company in 1923. There was a Great Depression soon after that, then there was a World War, and you look all the way through the mid-60s and all the disruptive forces that Walt had to deal with, and yet he endured, and he continued to take big risks. And I think the only way Disney actually thrives in a changing world is to avoid being risk averse, and to continue to step forward wisely, but with great courage and with great confidence.
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Interviewer6:04
What's next for Bob Iger?
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Robert Iger6:07
What's next for me is truly enjoying life after Disney. I had this extraordinary life experience to have the opportunity not just to work for Disney, but to be the CEO of Disney for almost two decades. It's something that I will forever be grateful for, and I'm now grateful to be able to look back on what was just a great life experience. But I'm also feeling really good about handing the company over to Josh tomorrow and to a group of people that I know will do extremely well and take the company to higher heights, well beyond where I took it.
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Interviewer6:45
What advice would you share with people who are wondering what's going to happen next with Disney?
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Robert Iger6:50
The biggest advice I would have is to create a balance between legacy and innovation. That's extremely important. The world is not a place that is standing still, it's forever changing, and Disney can't stand still. It must continue to change as long as it sticks to what I believe is its core and its core values and what its mission is, which is really to make the world happy. When you think about it, I think it'll do just fine.