Disney's theme parks and cruises continue to defy expectations, defying doubts about consumers' willingness to spend on entertainment during a challenging economic climate. The company's fourth-quarter earnings were bolstered by its booming experiences division, which includes theme parks, resorts, and cruises.
Revenue from these divisions jumped 6 percent year-over-year to $8.7 billion, driven by strong demand for Disney Cruise Line and increased attendance and spending at Disneyland Paris. This growth was enough to offset losses in the company's TV and films business, resulting in a net income of $1.4 billion for the quarter.
Disney's theme parks are incredibly popular, attracting 145 million visitors worldwide in 2024 alone. The Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in Orlando remains the most-visited theme park of the year, with 17.8 million attendees, while Disneyland Park in Los Angeles ranks second with 17.3 million visitors.
Despite concerns that the opening of Universal's Epic Universe could impact Disney's business, the company has seen no significant effect. In fact, Disney's chief financial officer, Hugh Johnston, believes the new park may be hurting its competitors more than itself.
The trend is supported by a Forbes analysis showing strong visitor demand at major destination parks like Disney and Universal. Meanwhile, attendance at less expensive regional parks operated by companies such as Six Flags and United Parks & Resorts has declined.
Disney is riding this momentum with expansion projects underway at all of its existing theme parks, plus a seventh resort planned for Abu Dhabi set to open in the coming years. The company is also investing in new cruise ships and bolstering its experiences division through AI personalization.
According to CEO Bob Iger, these strategic investments will help ensure Disney's offerings remain best-in-class and appeal to audiences worldwide. "The strategic investments we are making now will help ensure our offerings remain best-in-class and appeal to audiences worldwide well into the future," he said during an earnings call.
Iger also highlighted the potential of Disney+ as a platform for personalization, describing it as an "engagement engine" that could drive user engagement and increase interest in visiting Disney's parks, resorts, and cruises. As such, Disney is poised to continue its winning streak in the theme park and cruise industry.
Revenue from these divisions jumped 6 percent year-over-year to $8.7 billion, driven by strong demand for Disney Cruise Line and increased attendance and spending at Disneyland Paris. This growth was enough to offset losses in the company's TV and films business, resulting in a net income of $1.4 billion for the quarter.
Disney's theme parks are incredibly popular, attracting 145 million visitors worldwide in 2024 alone. The Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in Orlando remains the most-visited theme park of the year, with 17.8 million attendees, while Disneyland Park in Los Angeles ranks second with 17.3 million visitors.
Despite concerns that the opening of Universal's Epic Universe could impact Disney's business, the company has seen no significant effect. In fact, Disney's chief financial officer, Hugh Johnston, believes the new park may be hurting its competitors more than itself.
The trend is supported by a Forbes analysis showing strong visitor demand at major destination parks like Disney and Universal. Meanwhile, attendance at less expensive regional parks operated by companies such as Six Flags and United Parks & Resorts has declined.
Disney is riding this momentum with expansion projects underway at all of its existing theme parks, plus a seventh resort planned for Abu Dhabi set to open in the coming years. The company is also investing in new cruise ships and bolstering its experiences division through AI personalization.
According to CEO Bob Iger, these strategic investments will help ensure Disney's offerings remain best-in-class and appeal to audiences worldwide. "The strategic investments we are making now will help ensure our offerings remain best-in-class and appeal to audiences worldwide well into the future," he said during an earnings call.
Iger also highlighted the potential of Disney+ as a platform for personalization, describing it as an "engagement engine" that could drive user engagement and increase interest in visiting Disney's parks, resorts, and cruises. As such, Disney is poised to continue its winning streak in the theme park and cruise industry.
. Sure, their theme parks are still attracting a ton of visitors, but what's driving that demand? Is it really people lining up around the block for a magical experience or is it just cheaper alternatives dying off elsewhere? 
And have you seen the prices at those parks lately?! It's highway robbery! 
I mean, they're basically cashing in on nostalgia and charging parents an arm and a leg to let their kids ride Space Mountain. 
Meanwhile, Universal's new Epic Universe is still open for business and not hurting Disney's sales... that's just not adding up to me 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to escape into a magical world for a day (or two, or three...)? The fact that their experiences division is booming is no surprise, tbh - who doesn't love theme parks and cruises?! 
But what's really interesting is how they're using AI personalization to tailor the experience to each guest. It's like having your own personalized dream come true! 
It's no wonder they're riding this momentum and looking forward to an even brighter future.
. And if Disney can make people feel like they're part of something special, who am I to judge? 
. so yeah, i'm cautiously optimistic about disney's future prospects 
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with new cruise ships, ai personalization, and expansion projects underway at all their parks, disney is just getting better and better. i mean, who needs universal when u have disney+? 
it's like the ultimate entertainment platform for all ur fave disney characters and shows! 
can't wait to see what they got planned for abu dhabi next! 
. Those theme parks are like a never-ending magic show, drawing people in with wonder and excitement. It's not just about the rides and attractions – it's about creating memories that last a lifetime 
. And it looks like Disney is on top of its game, innovating and investing to stay ahead of the curve 
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! And it looks like no one else is touching Disney in terms of popularity, which makes me wonder if Universal's new park is really hurting them as much as they think 
. I mean, the data from Forbes shows that people are still flocking to Disney and Universal, while those smaller regional parks are losing visitors 
.
. Iger's got a good thing going, and it's gonna be hard for anyone else to catch up 
! And can we talk about how smart Disney+ is? It's like, the future of entertainment, right? They're using AI to make personalized experiences for users... that's just genius 
. I mean, who doesn't want to feel like they're part of something special just because it's personalized to them? Anyway, I think Disney's strategy is on point and we can all learn from their success 
and we were all talking about how much we love theme park food – I mean, who needs fancy restaurants when you have turkey legs and churros? 
. And let's be real, who doesn't love a good excuse to splurge and spend some money? It's like the old saying goes: "You can't put a price on magic" 
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Disney's on fire 
!
! Disney's winning streak ain't going nowhere 
And it looks like Universal's new park hasn't even cracked the surface of hurting them - it might actually be helping other competitors out more than Disney 
.
. I'm not surprised tho, people love their magic 
but for real tho, $8.7 billion from just their experiences division is insane 
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