The House of Mouse celebrated its centennial in 2023 through monumental film and television releases and Disney Parks experiences, while dealing with real-world repercussions during historic writers and actors’ strikes. And then, of course, there was the whole ongoing skirmish with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Disney100 was one for the books with incredible peaks and challenging valleys for the Walt Disney Company as Bob Iger returned to lead the studio into the waters of 2023. This year, Star Wars took over streaming, Marvel adjusted to a new phase, Frozen-inspired lands opened overseas, and Walt Disney Animation unveiled a feature-length homage to its 2D and storytelling roots with Wish.
Leadership saw a change in public perception as the year went on. The head of the studio charged the company through its centennial anniversary with aplomb that was met with varying reactions online; Iger helped keep DeSantis on his toes, but he stuck his own foot in his mouth while speaking about the strikes. Thankfully, creatives are now returning to being the lifeblood of the company with their better deals—but it’s safe to say nobody at Disney will soon forget the events of 2023.
