News Josh D’Amaro Named Next CEO of The Walt Disney Company

[Touchdown]

It can’t handle people and is egregious on how you have to do it. Just to summarize: you basically have to pay a $300 a person line skip to have a good time…even if it doesn’t rain.

Now spending my fourth day at Epic and I strongly disagree. It’s 2:00 and I’m in line for Cirque Arcanue. So my day will be halfway done when I get out. So far today I’ve done 6 rides, 1 interactive experience and had lunch. I’ve done Ministry twice (first elevator, then walk on in SRL for lap 2,) Mariokart (walk on SRL,) DK (40 min SRL,) did the three challenges and Bowser Jr battle, Monsters (20 min,) and Stardust (30 min) plus a show. I’m confident that I will do everything else left I want to do (Wand Stuff, Butterbeer Crepes, Hiccup, Untrainable Dragon, Fountain Show) plus do rerides, just like every other trip I’ve done here. Early Entry obviously helped me greatly, but without it I still think I could do everything in this park once.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

. The Disney/ Universal model was built on repeat visitors not once in a lifetime visitor.

It’s amazing how many people on forums who identify as “big fans” have no idea about this…and then repeat it on their lame podcasts
Luckily no one ever listened

 

[monothingie]

8.4% this most recent report -> 10% forward guidance by April-June’s quarter.

This is not an anything to be proud of.

Margins are just the latest current vogue excuse that suddenly everyone will stop talking about in 6-8 quarters when it continues the transition. Though no one will own accountability.

D+ has been around how long? With every reimagining of the service model and pricing structure it doesn't move the needle. The costs are way too high and the organization far to bloated to ever be competitive with the market leaders.

Also worth mentioning that experiences ran a 4B deficit in 2020 after capital spending that entertainment covered up. Entertainment has never been negative, linear was largely footing the streaming bill intra-segment.

Was there something that happened in FY2020? Think hard.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Now spending my fourth day at Epic and I strongly disagree. It’s 2:00 and I’m in line for Cirque Arcanue. So my day will be halfway done when I get out. So far today I’ve done 6 rides, 1 interactive experience and had lunch. I’ve done Ministry twice (first elevator, then walk on in SRL for lap 2,) Mariokart (walk on SRL,) DK (40 min SRL,) did the three challenges and Bowser Jr battle, Monsters (20 min,) and Stardust (30 min) plus a show. I’m confident that I will do everything else left I want to do (Wand Stuff, Butterbeer Crepes, Hiccup, Untrainable Dragon, Fountain Show) plus do rerides, just like every other trip I’ve done here. Early Entry obviously helped me greatly, but without it I still think I could do everything in this park once.

You’re there when it’s been like 50 degrees for weeks and it’s your 4th time. That park as constructed doesn’t support 4 trips…maybe someday?

Tell me your hanging in Orlando without telling me

 

[Touchdown]

You’re there when it’s been like 50 degrees for weeks and it’s your 4th time. That park as constructed doesn’t support 4 trips…maybe someday?

Tell me your hanging in Orlando without telling me

4 trips since it opened. 2 days in October, One in December, One now.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Was there something that happening FY2020? Think hard.

He’ll blow his O-ring on the launch pad…bad juju

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

4 trips since it opened. 2 days in October, One in December, One now.

Yeah I may go back…once. Not enough “there” there. Someday

 

[Dranth]

I don't disagree the shift is happening. It makes sense in theory but in reality a lot of the top 10% either have no interest in the product or will visit once. Most aren't repeat visitors. The Disney/ Universal model was built on repeat visitors not once in a lifetime visitor.

Sure, narrowing your base isn't great, but why do you assume they have no interest?

Most of that top 10% doesn't make nearly as much as people think with it starting around 200k a year for a household, at least in the US. To me that seems like prime DVC/Annual pass territory making that group likely amongst the highest repeat visitors.

 

[Touchdown]

Yeah I may go back…once. Not enough “there” there. Someday

Universal AP year for me, I’ll spend a day this summer and fall too. Monsters and Stardust never get old. I can at least spend an entire day here, can’t say that about AK, or frankly DHS in its current state.

 

[JD80]

Reality has shown the opposite. Florida has been booming with tourists the last year yet Disney and Universal are seeing lower attendance. Cruises say bring it on.

Disney has seen attendance growth since 2021 coming out of the pandemic. 36M > 47M > 48.7M > 49.1M. You can match that with hotel occupancy of 42% >82 > 85 > 85% (I don't have 2025 numbers, but last quarter was 88%)

Those are all TEA numbers and SEC filings through 2024.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Sure, narrowing your base isn't great, but why do you assume they have no interest?

Most of that top 10% doesn't make nearly as much as people think with it starting around 200k a year for a household, at least in the US. To me that seems like prime DVC/Annual pass territory making that group likely amongst the highest repeat visitors.

I think the bigger risk is the end of the boom and that loyalty going away. We can’t depend on X? I wouldn’t and I strongly resemble this remark.

We don’t know for sure…but given changes in tech and society and reports of Disney struggling with key demographics of late…the loss of those that operate under 20th century norms could be a problem

A huge one

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Disney has seen attendance growth since 2021 coming out of the pandemic. 36M > 47M > 48.7M > 49.1M. You can match that with hotel occupancy of 42% >82 > 85 > 85% (I don't have 2025 numbers, but last quarter was 88%)

Those are all TEA numbers and SEC filings through 2024.

Did you hit your head?

Attendance was 44 mil in 2000. And it was like 20 in 1985!!!


Booming!!! We all gonna be RICH

 

[Disney Irish]

I don't disagree the shift is happening. It makes sense in theory but in reality a lot of the top 10% either have no interest in the product or will visit once. Most aren't repeat visitors. The Disney/ Universal model was built on repeat visitors not once in a lifetime visitor.

And that might be, but if the middle or lower class isn't spending on travel for whatever reasons you can't just stick your head in the sand and pretend its not happening. So yeah while it might have been built on repeat visits, primarily on the backs of the middle class, its not likely to be maintained on the same in the future. And now the immediate argument will be "but they've priced out the lower and middle class", and the rebuttal to that is that was already happening before Disney ever increased prices. The middle class has been shrinking for decades, and the lower class was never really spending on Disney vacations anyways beyond a once in a lifetime trip (the same you claim the Disney model wasn't built for). So its a consumer base that was never going to be maintained long term anyways. So what do you do, try to maintain a shrinking consumer base or go after the ones who are actually spending money on travel? As a business owner you have to go where the money is with the consumers actually spending not try to maintain a shrinking consumer base.

 

[Dranth]

I think the bigger risk is the end of the boom and that loyalty going away. We can’t depend on X? I wouldn’t and I strongly resemble this remark.

We don’t know for sure…but given changes in tech and society and reports of Disney struggling with key demographics of late…the loss of those that operate under 20th century could be a problem

A huge one

Also an X and I agree.

The real danger they are in here is one of good will of which pricing is certainly a part. That good will is where I want Josh to focus as I think his hands will be tied on the pricing side. Just give us some good across the board wins, even if it is small stuff.

 

[coffeefan]

Why are they insisting on shoving IP into everything at the parks? IMHO, it's not because they think the IP draws people to the parks. I think it's because they want to use the parks to draw people to the IP.

If that were the case, Tron Ares wouldn't have bombed at the box office since it's one of the most popular attractions.

Since so many of us are park fans our perception is skewed and probably overestimated. But it's safe to assume far more people enjoy Disney movies than visit the parks regularly.

 

[Andrew C]

The middle class has been shrinking for decades

The primary driver for that is people moving up, rather than down. So that really isn't a rebuttal for them pricing out the middle class.

 

[Disney Irish]

This is not an anything to be proud of.

D+ has been around how long? With every reimagining of the service model and pricing structure it doesn't move the needle. The costs are way too high and the organization far to bloated to ever be competitive with the market leaders.

Was there something that happening FY2020? Think hard.

And where was Netflix's margin at the same point in its life cycle? For the first 6 years of the streaming service's life it was under 10% margins. That's right about the same as Disney DTC today. So again there is no reason to think that Disney DTC can't produce the same margins as Netflix in the near future.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Was there something that happening FY2020? Think hard.

 

[Andrew C]

We all drank a lot...

 

[monothingie]

And where was Netflix's margin at the same point in its life cycle? For the first 6 years of the streaming service's life it was under 10% margins. That's right about the same as Disney DTC today. So again there is no reason to think that Disney DTC can't produce the same margins as Netflix in the near future.

So that's the excuse of the day? It's not mature enough.

Hold on let me check...has Disney been involved in the entertainment business for a while? 100 years? Really? You don't say...

Maybe the fact that Disney can't control their out of control spending and has a terrible organizational structure which breeds inefficiency and poor decision making has something to do with it.