For nearly four years following his abrupt termination in November 2022, former The Walt Disney Company Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek remained largely silent while Hollywood observers, theme park fans, and Wall Street analysts continued to scrutinize his tenure. That silence has officially been shattered. In a detailed preview reported by The New York Times, Chapek settles corporate scores in his forthcoming memoir, Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place on Earth.Credit: DisneyWritten with bestselling co-author Don Yaeger and published by Gallery Books, Chapek’s memoir presents his account of one of the most consequential periods in Disney history. Rather than expressing remorse for the controversial pricing strategies that drew criticism from some theme park visitors, Chapek openly defends his approach to driving profits at Disney Parks. At the same time, he rejects personal responsibility for his dismissal, pointing the finger directly at his predecessor and successor, Robert A. Iger, whom he accuses of an intentional campaign of corporate sabotage.Chapek Stands by Disney Parks Price HikesDuring his time overseeing Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products—and later as CEO—Chapek became the lightning rod for public criticism over rising vacation costs. Under his leadership, Disney eliminated long-cherished complimentary perks like Disney’s Magical Express airport shuttles and free FastPass reservations, replacing them with paid products including Genie+ and Lightning Lane access. Ticket prices, food prices, and Annual Pass costs increased across Walt Disney World and Disneyland.Credit: Inside The MagicYet in Behind the Castle Walls, Chapek offers no mea culpa to disgruntled parkgoers. Instead, he proudly defends his commercial strategy, describing his efforts to introduce airline-style dynamic pricing to the Disney theme park empire.According to Chapek, aggressive price hikes were a necessary mechanism to manage skyrocketing consumer demand, curb overcrowding, and optimize guest satisfaction. He argues that prior leadership had been far too timid when monetizing Disney’s assets. “We’d been, at a minimum, leaving revenue opportunities on the table to avoid stirring the hornet’s nest,” Chapek writes, pointing to the 18 percent compound annual profit growth achieved during his tenure as Parks Chairman as evidence he believes supports his strategy’s success.Credit: DisneyFurthermore, Chapek takes credit for promoting Josh D’Amaro. He explicitly claims responsibility for elevating D’Amaro to the spotlight, noting that D’Amaro “had been a relative unknown in the corporate hierarchy before I singled him out” and for championing his promotion. D’Amaro is now Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, a position he assumed in March 2026.“It Pisses Me Off”: Rejecting Personal Responsibility for His OusterWhen Disney’s Board of Directors terminated Chapek’s employment just before Thanksgiving in 2022, public and media scrutiny focused heavily on his strained relationships with employees, executives, and investors. Disney’s formal corporate filing stated that the Board had determined Chapek was no longer the right person to serve as CEO. Chapek completely rejects this framing.Credit: Inside the MagicIn the memoir, Chapek insists he did nothing wrong to warrant his sudden termination. Reflecting on the damage done to his reputation, Chapek writes: “My abrupt dismissal hurt my reputation, leaving those close to me, outsiders, and some within the kingdom trying to figure out what I did wrong. The answer, again, is nothing.”Far from taking ownership of communication missteps or financial stumbles—such as the Direct-to-Consumer operating loss, which rose to $1.5 billion shortly before his exit—Chapek expresses deep bitterness over his shortened tenure. “I didn’t get a chance to finish what I started,” he writes. “In truth, it pisses me off.”Claims of Sabotage in the C-Suite: Blaming Bob Iger for His DownfallIf Chapek refuses to blame himself, whom does he hold responsible? The answer is unequivocal: Bob Iger.Credit: Inside the MagicChapek portrays his relationship with Iger not as a mentorship, but as a trap. Although Disney’s Board of Directors named Chapek CEO in February 2020 and Iger publicly endorsed the succession while remaining Executive Chairman, Chapek alleges that Iger never truly intended to surrender power. Instead, Chapek claims Iger engaged in an active, deliberate campaign to undermine his authority from day one.In the book, Chapek accuses Iger of playing “an intentional and preconceived role in abruptly ending [his] ride as Disney C.E.O.” He alleges that Iger privately disparaged him to Hollywood power brokers and people inside Disney, constantly raising doubts about Chapek’s decision-making—particularly regarding pandemic-era movie releases.Credit: DisneyChapek describes the transitional period—during which Iger remained Executive Chairman—as suffocating. He recounts instances where Iger overstepped his boundaries, including Chapek’s recollections of Iger coordinating theme park closures directly with California Governor Gavin Newsom without including Chapek, and of emailing senior executives to remind them that division heads still reported to Iger.The COVID Resignation Theory: Chapek’s ClaimOne of the most discussed claims in Chapek’s memoir surrounds Bob Iger’s decision to step down as CEO in February 2020—just weeks before global COVID-19 lockdowns crippled Disney’s operations.Credit: DisneyAt the time, Iger maintained that he was stepping back to focus on Disney’s creative output. However, Chapek challenges this narrative, claiming that high-ranking contacts in government and corporate sectors suggested a different motivation.“I have been told by several high-ranking people both in government and private business that in their opinions, the real reason he left the company so abruptly was his anticipation of the arrival of Covid,” Chapek writes.As The New York Times notes, Chapek provides no concrete evidence to substantiate this claim, and Disney has previously denied that the COVID-19 pandemic was related to Iger’s decision. Nevertheless, the allegation highlights the intense distrust that defined the relationship between the two executives.The Legacy of the Chapek-Iger DisputeBob Chapek’s Behind the Castle Walls arrives as Disney continues its leadership transition. Josh D’Amaro became Disney’s CEO in March 2026, while Bob Iger remains with the company as Senior Advisor and a Board member ahead of his scheduled retirement at the end of 2026. Chapek’s memoir reopens the dispute surrounding a consequential period in Disney’s corporate history.Credit: DisneyBy defending his park pricing strategy, Chapek emphasizes the business rationale he says guided his approach. By accusing Iger of deliberately undermining him, he presents a counter-narrative to Iger’s public legacy at Disney.Whether readers view Chapek as a scapegoat who guided Disney through an unprecedented crisis or an executive whose decisions drew substantial criticism, Behind the Castle Walls ensures that the battle between Bob Iger and Bob Chapek will remain a closely watched leadership dispute in Disney’s recent history.The post War Behind the Castle Walls: Bob Chapek Accuses Bob Iger of Corporate Sabotage, While Defending His Parks’ Price Hikes appeared first on Inside the Magic.