DIS Shareholders and Stock Info ONLY

[DeeBee3]

Just came on to post about the memo - you all beat me to it!

Makes me wonder how they didn't allot for this earlier in the year. The writing has been on the wall about the economy for quite some time.

I just hope they don't cut employees at the parks as they just got staffed and we are waltzing into super busy time.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.boxofficepro.com/early-weekend-estimates-black-panther-wakanda-forever-scores-84m-domestic-first-day-pacing-for-175-180m-weekend-climbs-to-149m-globally-through-friday/

Early Weekend Estimates: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Scores $84M Domestic First Day, Paces for $175-180M+ Frame; Climbs to $149M Globally through Friday
News & Analysis • Shawn Robbins • November 12 2022

Saturday Morning: Disney reports Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earned $84 million for its full opening day domestically, including Thursday previews ($28 million) and the true Friday gross.
That bests a 13-year-old record held by 2009’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon for the best “first day” gross by any November release in history. New Moon held the previous standard at $72.7 million, followed by its 2011 and 2012 Breaking Dawn follow-ups ($71.6 million for Part 1 and $71.2 million for Part 2) and 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ($70.95 million).

The latter remains notable on another front as Wakanda Forever is chasing that film’s all-time November record of $158.1 million for opening weekend, which it looks to easily surpass. Disney now expects an opening weekend between $174 million and $184 million in North America, which would align with final forecasts and prior tracking.

As recent Marvel comparisons go, Wakanda came in 20.8 percent ahead of Thor: Love and Thunder‘s $69.55 million opening day (which included $29 million previews) and 7.4 percent behind Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($90.7 million, including $36 million previews) for the second largest opening day of 2022 and the third best of the pandemic recovery era (Spider-Man: No Way Home holds that benchmark with $121.96 million last December).

The first Black Panther opened to a $76 million opening day in February 2018. Wakanda Forever‘s mark is the tenth best first day in history, passing Jurassic World‘s $82 million.

Following a very positive 84 critics’ score, early moviegoer reactions are strong with a resounding 95 percent audience score as of Saturday morning. Reception should carry the film to a healthy internal weekend and long play multiplier in the weeks ahead as the holiday season begins.

Internationally, Disney reports the sequel opened in another seven markets on Friday and has now amassed $64.7 million outside North America. The global total through Friday is $148.7 million.

Major Friday openers overseas included the Spain, the U.K., and Japan

 

[wabbott]

Some pertinent Jim Cramer info.

https://www.yahoo.com/video/jim-cramer-said-meta-shares-222445608.html

Jim Cramer said Meta shares had ‘nowhere else to go but up’ in June and now he’s really sorry
Steve Mollman
October 27, 2022·3 min read

Jim Cramer suggested earlier this year that shares in Facebook parent Meta would go up. Today, he said he’s sorry.

Very sorry.

In early June, the colorful host of CNBC’s Mad Money told investors that Meta shares had “nowhere else to go but up.”

Today, he apologized for his bad call following Meta’s quarterly earnings announcement Wednesday evening, which entailed a disappointing quarterly revenue outlook. On Thursday, Meta shares fell 25%, their biggest one-day drop since February. Investors have pushed the stock down more than 70% this year.

“I made a mistake here. I was wrong. I trusted this management team. That was ill-advised,” Cramer said in a somber tone on CNBC. “The hubris here is extraordinary, and I apologize.”

Morgan Stanley downgraded Meta’s shares for the first time on Thursday, as did Cowen and KeyBanc Capital Markets. Morgan Stanley analysts said they expect the company’s free cash flow to slump by 60% in 2023 and slashed their price target by nearly half.

As the owner of Facebook and Instagram, Meta remains a juggernaut in social media. But under the direction of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the company is investing enormous amounts of time, energy, and money into the metaverse, a virtual reality universe that it’s warned could take years to pay off, assuming it ever does.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/m...wakanda-forever-box-office-sequel-1235260713/

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Commands Huge $180M U.S. Opening, $330M Globally
The Marvel Studios sequel hunted down the biggest November launch of all time domestically. Elsewhere, Steven Spielberg's Oscar contender 'The Fabelmans' opened to strong numbers in New York and Los Angeles.

November 13, 2022 8:20am

Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is on the prowl.

The superhero sequel opened to a huge $180 million at the domestic box office to hunt down the biggest November opening of all time and the second-biggest launch of 2022 so far behind fellow Marvel Studios’ pic Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($187.4 million). And it easily wrested the weekend crown from DC superhero pic Black Adam, now in its fourth weekend.

Overseas, the Marvel and Disney tentpole debuted to $150 million for a global start of $330 million (that’s as much as DC’s Black Adam earned in its first three weeks). Europe was strong overall, led by the U.K. ($15 million) and followed by France ($13.7 million). Among all markets, Mexico placed third with $12.8 million, followed by South Korea ($8.9 million) and Brazil ($7.1 million). Wakanda Forever also opened scored the highest opening in history In Nigeria, where the film’s African premiere was held.

While Wakanda Forever didn’t match the $202 million domestic debut of Coogler’s Black Panther in 2018, it is still doing formidable business and ranks No. 13 on the all-time list of domestic launches (releases from Disney and Marvel now account for all but one of the 13), according to Comscore. The sequel’s arrival on the marquee couldn’t have been more welcome after a tough fall for theater owners.

Heading into the weekend, Wakanda Forever was tracking to debut in the $175 million range. Until now, the biggest November opening belonged to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ($158 million).

Black Panther 2, playing in 4,396 theaters domestically, earned $84 million on Friday alone, one of the biggest opening days of all time and all but tying with fellow Marvel Studios title Avengers: Age of Ultron for No. 9 on the list, not adjusted for inflation. Friday’s haul included $28 million in Thursday evening previews (Friday was Veteran’s Day).

Coogler’s film received an A CinemaScore from audiences and strong exits on PostTrak. (One difference: the first Black Panther earned a coveted A+). It played to an ethnically diverse audience, led by Black moviegoers (34 percent) and followed by Caucasians (31 percent), Latinos (21 percent) and Asian/Other (14 percent), according to PostTrak. It also played more evenly gender-wise than most superhero films, with females making up 45 percent of the audience.

The sequel endured tragedy when Chadwick Boseman, who played the titular role of T’Challa/Black Panther in the 2018 film, died of colon cancer in August 2020. Wakanda Forever’s cast includes Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba and Martin Freeman, as well as Marvel newcomer Tenoch Huerta as Namor and Dominique Thorne as the hero Riri Williams.

Wakanda Forever opened less than 11 percent behind the 2018 film.

“It’s an outstanding result. The first film represented such a major cultural milestone that its performance would have been challenging to follow even under normal circumstances,” says box office analyst Shawn Robbins. “This performance from a sequel almost five years later speaks to the trust audiences have in Ryan Coogler, Marvel, and the entire creative team to continue the story in a respectful way after Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing. It’s an opportunity for everyone to say goodbye to him together as the franchise moves forward with his legacy at the heart of it.”

Among superhero movies released in the pandemic era, Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home opened to $260.1 million in December 2021. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness followed in May with $187.4 million, while Thor: Love and Thunder scored $144.2 million in July. In March 2022, DC and Warner Bros.’ The Batman flew to $134 million in its launch. More recently, DC’s Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson in his first live-action superhero role, opened to a more subdued $67 million domestically.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.businessinsider.com/hol...es-learning-hard-trying-to-be-netflix-2022-11

Hollywood is learning it's hard trying to be Netflix
Travis Clark - 11/13/22

• Streaming services like Disney+ and Paramount+ have seen subscriber growth this year.
• But amid a changing streaming landscape and economic uncertainty, Wall Street isn't satisfied.
• It raises questions about which companies can meaningfully compete in the space.

In some respects, Disney beat Wall Street expectations on Tuesday.

The company reported that its Disney+ streaming service added 12.1 million subscribers in its most recent quarter, bringing the total subscribers to 164 million globally. In total, Disney has 235 million subscribers across its streaming services, which also include Hulu and ESPN+. Netflix, by comparison, has 223 million subscribers.

Two years ago, at the height of the pandemic, Disney's subscriber growth might have satisfied investors. Disney's streaming business was a bright spot for a company whose other sectors, such as theatrical movies and theme parks, were in distress.

But a lot has changed about the streaming space since 2020. More companies, from Paramount to NBCUniversal, have launched their own services, crowding the market. Now, in an uncertain economic climate, consumers are tightening their budgets. And Wall Street now isn't so much interested in subscriber growth as it is revenue.

Netflix is partly to blame. The streaming giant spooked Wall Street after it lost subscribers for the first two quarters of the year. It rebounded in Q3, but essentially told investors to start considering revenue more than sub growth. Netflix also said it wouldn't offer a subscriber addition forecast in future earnings reports.

Disney, meanwhile, said its streaming business lost $1.5 billion in its most recent quarter, and its 2023 losses could be higher than expected. It still expects Disney+ to be profitable by 2024 — barring any "meaningful shift in the economic climate," CEO Bob Chapek said on an earnings call on Wednesday.

Disney's stock was down 13% on Wednesday, the biggest dip in two years. It appears Disney+'s growth wasn't enough to satisfy Wall Street.

Disney can undoubtedly compete in the streaming space against Netflix and tech giants like Amazon and Apple. But its earnings miss, and Wall Street's reaction, reflects a larger issue across the entertainment industry — raising questions about whether others can, or should, adequately compete, as well.

"Cut back on streaming too much and you risk being left in the exhaust fumes of the better-funded competitors," Puck's Matt Belloni wrote in a recent edition of his What I'm Hearing newsletter. "Go all in and you risk spending yourself out of business."

Recent earnings for other media companies also show that Wall Street isn't all that impressed by subscriber growth:

• Paramount Global's Paramount+ added 4.6 million subscribers in the most recent quarter. The stock dipped 12% after earnings.
• Warner Bros. Discovery added nearly 3 million total subscribers across HBO Max and Discovery+. The stock dipped 5% in after-hours trading.

Both companies launched their streaming service during the pandemic, at a time when streaming was seeing a surge with people staying home, and they've had various degrees of success.

Max saw impressive growth last year as Warner Bros. movies hit the service the same time as theaters. Since rebranding from CBS All Access to Paramount+, the service has grown in favorability across age demographics, particularly with millennials and Gen X, according to Morning Consult Brand Intelligence.

And then there's NBCUniversal's Peacock, which gained subscribers in Q3 after remaining flat in Q2. But at only 15 million paid members in over two years, the service is lagging rivals.

None of them have made the kind of gains Disney has, however. And each streaming business is losing money. The narrative around the space has shifted rapidly because of this.

Lightshed analysts Richard Greenfield and Brandon Ross predicted in a report this week that the companies will sell more and more content to third parties, while still trying to prop up their streaming businesses, essentially becoming "arms dealers."

"The only question is who raises the white flag first, meaning abandoning streaming," they wrote.

 

[AvidDisReader]

And then we have this: CFO McCarthy said Tuesday that Disney is looking for “meaningful efficiencies” and actively examining the company’s cost base. Look out Parks, there is going to be more short staffing. I am beginning to believe that the parks are short staffed NOT because the cannot hire more people, but they do not want to hire more people to keep staffing lower. So if I am going to be a Debbie Downer, how are expenses going to look when the new Union contract is signed with an increase in hourly wages to a projected $20 an hour in 4 years. Do not forget, once the contract is approved, Disney is going to have to go back and pay all its employees at the new payrate from the date the current contract expired to when the new one is signed--- millions of dollars in back pay. This will cause even more cuts.

Delete post, already covered. Next time I need to read all the posts before I jump in.

 

[Jwaire]

I have yet to see a real deep dive into the Q4 results from any source. Most of the articles talk about Disney+, but seem to show very little concern about Shanghai or the international parks continuing to lose money.

 

[wabbott]

I have yet to see a real deep dive into the Q4 results from any source. Most of the articles talk about Disney+, but seem to show very little concern about Shanghai or the international parks continuing to lose money.

It's all here, or at least everything that DIS has released. For the quarter ended 10/1/22, the international parks had operating income of $74 million on revenue of $1.074 billion, compared to a $222 million loss on revenues of $693 million for the quarter ended 10/1/21. See page 8. The reason, imo, that little in-depth financial writing is done is because math is not a requirement to get a journalism degree.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2022/11/q4-fy22-earnings.pdf

"Improved results at our international parks and resorts were due to growth at Disneyland Paris, partially offset by a decrease at Shanghai Disney Resort. Higher operating results at Disneyland Paris were due to an increase in volumes and higher average ticket prices, partially offset by higher operations support costs. Higher volumes were due to increases in attendance and occupied room nights. The decrease at Shanghai Disney Resort was due to lower average ticket prices driven by a higher mix of annual passholder attendees in the current quarter as a result of COVID-19-related travel restrictions."

 

[wabbott]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-15/disney-to-air-episodes-of-its-star-wars-tv-series-on-abc-hulu?sref=TBDibEcD

Disney to Air Episodes of Star Wars Series Andor on ABC, Hulu
By Christopher Palmeri
November 14, 2022 at 9:29 PM CST

Walt Disney Co. will air the first two episodes of its Star Wars TV series Andor on several of its broadcast and cable TV outlets over the Thanksgiving weekend, as a way of promoting its Disney+ streaming service.

Beginning Nov. 23, non-Disney+ subscribers will be able to watch the two episodes on ABC, the FX and Freeform cable channels, and the company’s Hulu streaming service.

The entire 12-episode series will be available on Disney+, including the season finale. Andor is a new series set five years before the events in the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Disney has been putting more programs from its traditional broadcast and cable channels on its streaming platforms. It’s rare for shows to go the other way, however. The company reported disappointing sales and earnings in its fourth fiscal quarter, in part due to losses from its streaming businesses. Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek has stood by projections that Disney+ would be profitable by 2024.

 

[wabbott]

Saw this on another thread. Good to see that DIS is employing capital into an area with a good history of returns.

https://www.cruisehive.com/disney-c...9000-passenger-global-dream-cruise-ship/83954

Disney Could Be Interested in 9,000-Passenger Global Dream Cruise Ship​

Reports that the 9,000-passenger Global Dream cruise ship from bankrupt Genting may have been purchased by Disney Cruise Line.
By Robert McGillivray
Modified Date: Oct 7, 2022

After much uncertainty over the last months about what would happen with the largest cruise ship by passenger volume in history, there seems to be a buyer for Global Dream after all.
The ship, which the now-bankrupt Genting Hong Kong built for Dream Cruises, could be sailing for Disney Cruise Line in the future, according to a German news outlet.

The news was announced by the insolvency administrator for the shipyard where the vessel is under construction, Christoph Morgen. Global Dream would be completed at the MV Werften, where the ship could be under the direction of Meyer Werft in Papenburg, where Disney Cruise Line already has another ship on order.

Disney Cruise Line Takes a Huge Step​

That someone would be stepping up and buying the 208,000 gross ton Global Dream seemed to be an unlikely affair as time passed since Genting Hong Kong went bankrupt earlier this year.
The 9,000- passenger cruise ship, by far the largest cruise ship to ever be constructed by passenger volume, has sat untouched in the shipyard in Germany since January of this year.
As the vessel was intended for the Asian market and specifically built to sail in Asia, the likelihood of an American or European cruise company coming forward and purchasing the ship seemed slim at best.

However, in an astonishing move, it seems that Disney Cruise Line could be willing to put up the money for the vessel and complete the construction. German news outlet NDR, a respected and well-known broadcaster in Germany, broke the news yesterday.

According to a statement by the insolvency administrator Christoph Morgen, Global Dream will be completed under the direction of the world-famous Meyer Werft from Papenburg, Germany.

Workers will complete the vessel at the Wismar-based MV Werften, where construction has been ongoing for several years now. Meyer Werft has already built ships for the Walt Disney Group’s Disney Cruise Line.

Purchase Price Not Known​

Global Dream had an initial construction price tag of 1.6 billion euros. However, it is unlikely that Disney Cruise Line would be paying that amount for the vessel. The amount is expected to be just a fraction of the initial cost.
While Christoph Morgen has confirmed the purchase by Disney Cruise Line, neither the cruise line nor local Economic Minster Reinhard Meyer have made concrete comments on the news. When asked, the Minister spoke merely of confidential discussions with Disney Cruise Line.

The news is positive for the 950 employees of the former Genting shipyard where the vessel was being constructed, and who now would be able to go back to work in the construction yard. It also means that rumors the ship would be sold as scrap metal can possibly be put to rest.

A Meyer Werft employee was quoted by NDR, saying: “It is a very different picture psychologically if this large ship is finished in Wismar than if it were towed out there and scrapped somewhere in the world.”

Global Dream, which was scheduled to commence sailing this year, is only 75% completed. Cooperation between Disney and Meyer Werft to complete the vessel is more than likely. The shipyard already built three cruise ships for the company in 2010, 2012, and in 2022, Disney Wish. Three more LNG-powered cruise ships are on order.
The former owner of Global Dream, Genting Hong Kong, went bankrupt in January of this year. The direct result of the global pandemic. The demise of the largest Asian cruise operator meant the end of operations for Dream Cruises, Star Cruises, and Crystal Cruises.

Since that time, Crystal Cruises has restarted under Abercrombie & Kent, and Dream Cruises made a restart under resorts World Cruises, a subsidiary of Genting in Singapore & Malaysia.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2022/11/15/florida-disney-cost-cuts-jobs-freeze.html?utm_source=sy&utm_medium=nsyp&utm_campaign=y

What do Disney’s cost cuts mean for Orlando theme parks?
By Richard Bilbao – Digital Producer/Senior Staff Writer, Orlando Business Journal
Nov 15, 2022

The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) surprised some on Nov. 11 when it announced plans to cost cuts via measures that include a hiring freeze and possible job cuts.
The company owns and operates one of the region's largest assets in Walt Disney World — Central Florida's largest single-site employer, with nearly 70,000 Orlando workers — that has four local theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Disney also owns two area water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, as well as several themed hotels, golf courses, a camping resort, timeshare properties, ESPN Wide World of Sports and the Disney Springs dining/shopping/entertainment district.

Walt Disney World alone is the top generator for visitation to Orlando, with more than 36 million people going through its turnstiles in 2021, according to the 2021 Aecom and Themed Entertainment Association Theme Index and Museum Index Report. Thus, any major changes could have ripple effects to the local region.

---

Why this matters: Disney is a huge economic driver in Orlando via construction, supply-chain needs and tourism. Cost-structure plans can have local effects on the workforce.

---

What do we know so far about Disney's cuts?​

Disney CEO Bob Chapek, via a memo obtained by CNBC, said the company would limit head counts with a hiring freeze and expects some staff reductions.
“We are limiting headcount additions through a targeted hiring freeze,” Chapek said in a memo, said CNBC's report. “As we work through this evaluation process, we will look at every avenue of operations and labor to find savings, and we do anticipate some staff reductions as part of this review," said another part of the Disney (NYSE: DIS) memo obtained by CNBC.
No other details were shared, and Walt Disney World executives were not available to provide further comment.
Still, the uncertainty on where Disney may focus cost reductions brings up the possibility of what affect it will have on the theme parks segment. That segment has been a highlight of the company, earning $7.425 billion in revenue in its fourth quarter ending Oct. 1, up 36% from $5.45 billion for the same quarter last year, according to the report.

Will Disney's cost cuts include theme park workers?​

John Gerner, managing director with Leisure Business Advisors LLC, a Virginia-based theme park consulting firm, said the theme parks likely aren't much on the radar when it comes to cuts. He said the plan is an acknowledgment that Disney has segments that can use better cost management to improve certain situations.
"This freeze should help preserve current jobs within the theme park division, but could involve transferring some cast members from less important positions to more important ones when other cast members quit," Gerner told OBJ.

As of now, Disney has not informed local Walt Disney World workers of possible cuts, said Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here Local 362, a local Disney workers union. Clinton does not expect the company's cost cuts to affect local theme park operations workers or recent hires. "In addition, our contract calls for schedules and hours to be worked by seniority as well as any reductions in the workforce to be done the same," Clinton said.

How may Disney's cost cuts affect theme park additions?​

In fact, the theme parks may be on the lighter side of any ill effects of the cost cuts, David Heger, an analyst with Edward Jones who follows Disney, told Orlando Business Journal. Heger expects Disney's cuts to fall on the shoulders of its media segment.

"[The] cost-cutting efforts might impact the Disney media and entertainment distribution segment more than the parks and experiences segment because that side of the business faces risks to ad spending in a slower economic environment, the box office has not returned to pre-pandemic revenue levels, and it faces very high content costs to continue growing the Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu streaming services," he said.

He said the parks and experiences segment's revenue has recovered well and is performing better than before the pandemic. Thus, he said he doubts Disney would look at projects such as new attractions or expansions as a way to pinch a few pennies.

"A majority of Disney's capital spending is targeted at the parks and the company typically sees a good return on investment from adding new attractions," Heger said.

Meanwhile, Disney continues to invest in its local theme parks to keep tourists coming back. For example, the Tron Lightcycle/Run coaster at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom theme park will debut in spring 2023. That Disney attraction has riders on the iconic Lightcycles from the Tron film and racing through the computerized world. The Tron coaster is inspired by the Tron Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disneyland.

Disney also is transforming its Epcot theme park that will develop new attractions, such as "Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana" attraction, and will revamp other areas of that park.

 

[wabbott]

Walt Disney World Selects Developer for 80-Acre Affordable and Attainable Housing Initiative in Central Florida

---

News provided by
Walt Disney World
Nov 16, 2022, 09:10 ET

The Michaels Organization, a prominent developer with community housing properties in more than 35 states, set to build, own and operate more than 1,300 units on Disney's land in southwest Orange County, Florida.​

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Nov. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Walt Disney World has selected The Michaels Organization, a prominent and visionary developer known for creating high-quality homes in communities across the country and here in Central Florida, to build, own and operate a new attainable housing development, offering affordable options for qualifying applicants within certain income levels. Walt Disney World will contribute approximately 80 acres of land in southwest Orange County, Florida, for the development, located west of State Road 429 and just a couple of miles from Flamingo Crossings Town Center.



This initiative will help offer a viable solution to one of the nation's greatest challenges. The development is expected to include more than 1,300 units.

After a thorough search, Walt Disney World chose The Michaels Organization for its long-standing track record in building and managing attainable housing communities. Negotiations between Walt Disney World and The Michael's Organization on a definitive agreement for the project are underway. With over 425 communities in more than 35 states, The Michaels Organization has provided comprehensive solutions to affordable housing for many years and is the largest privately held owner of affordable housing in the country. The development will be open for qualifying applicants, including Disney cast members.

"For more than 50 years, Walt Disney World has cared for and invested in our community, and we're committed to being a part of this solution which will bring more attainable housing to Central Florida," said Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort. "We will continue to find ways to use our resources to make a difference in the community we call home, and we're excited to take this step with a nationally recognized developer."

The initiative will create new jobs in the Central Florida community through The Michael's Organization's construction and ongoing operation of the property. Disney will collaborate with The Michaels Organization throughout its design and construction.

"We are excited to work with an iconic brand like Disney to deliver attainable housing for the Central Florida community," said Michaels CEO John J. O'Donnell. "Our goal is to create a repeatable model that we hope will inspire other companies and municipalities to create high quality, attainable housing in their own communities."

The development – which is planned to be privately financed – will be limited to applicants within a certain income range. This initiative will support and build upon Orange County's Housing for All action plan to address housing affordability for local residents, an action plan brought about by the passion and leadership of Mayor Jerry Demings.

The initiative is one of many ways Disney engages with local leaders to help the community find lasting solutions to this issue, from making monetary donations, to contributing supplies to local organizations in need, to providing assistance through the Disney VoluntEARS program and more. Earlier this year, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort donated $300K to local food banks to support people in the community facing food insecurity. That donation was just part of the $5.5M Walt Disney World has contributed to important community causes during the ongoing 50th Anniversary celebration, including organizations on the frontline of addressing the need for affordable housing, like Hope Partnership.

Additional details, including a construction timeline, will be shared in the future.

About The Michaels Organization

The Michaels Organization is a national leader in residential real estate offering full-service capabilities in development, property management, construction, and investment. Serving 175,000 residents in more than 440 communities nationwide, Michaels is committed to crafting housing solutions that jumpstart education, civic engagement and neighborhood prosperity, and to creating Communities That Lift Lives.
SOURCE Walt Disney World

 

[BostonEd]

Beginning Nov. 23, non-Disney+ subscribers will be able to watch the two episodes on ABC, the FX and Freeform cable channels, and the company’s Hulu streaming service.

The problem is, the first two episodes of Andor were a big snooze fest. I only stuck with it (and am glad I did) because I already had D+ and said, "let's give it one more shot". If I weren't already a subscriber to D+, and saw the first two eps, I'd be like, "I'm not going to run and subscribe for that."

 

[Jwaire]

The problem is, the first two episodes of Andor were a big snooze fest. I only stuck with it (and am glad I did) because I already had D+ and said, "let's give it one more shot". If I weren't already a subscriber to D+, and saw the first two eps, I'd be like, "I'm not going to run and subscribe for that."

I completely disagree. I've found the several of the episodes after the first few episodes boring. Some of them, I've struggled to even finish having to start and stop them. I like the series overall, but the problem with some of these series are how long they are.

More episodes = more money

"A New Hope" and "Empire" were around 120 minutes long. That's what three, maybe four Disney+ episodes?

Does Andor Season 1 really deserve to be longer than "Empire"? I'm not so sure.

There's a lot of money being wasted on these series in order to make them fit a typical season of "premium" television when they're more like films (for the most part).

 

[wabbott]

https://www.wfla.com/disney/disney-announces-purchase-of-new-cruise-ship-to-be-based-outside-of-us/

Disney announces purchase of new cruise ship to be based outside of US
by: Daisy Ruth
Posted: Nov 16, 2022 / 04:46 PM EST

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Disney announced the purchase of a partially completed ship on Wednesday that will bring Disney Cruise Line vacations to new global destinations.
According to Disney, the ship was previously known as the “Global Dream” in Wismar, Germany.

The ship will be renamed and certain features will be reimagined by Disney Imagineers.


The 208,000-gross-ton ship will be based outside of the United States. It is expected to be among the first in the cruise industry to be fueled by green methanol, one of the lowest emission fuels available, according to Disney.

“Our cruise ships give us the unique opportunity to bring Disney magic to fans no matter where they are, and the addition of this ship will make a Disney Cruise Line vacation accessible to more families than ever before,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

The new ship is expected to set sail in 2025 and Disney Cruise Line expects the passenger capacity to be approximately 6,000 with around 2,300 crew members.

Construction on the ship will be completed in Wismar, Germany under the Meyer Werft company, the company that built the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish.
More details on the ship’s maiden voyage, itineraries and onboard experiences will be announced at a later date.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...e-stoppages-59-2018-wait-times-rocketing.html

Disney ride stoppages are up 59% since 2018 and wait times are rocketing - while tickets to its flagship park Magic Kingdom set to rise by $23 to a whopping $189 in December

• Unplanned stoppages are up at Disney's theme parks with the company's Star Wars ride regularly closed for two hours per day due to various issues
• Wait times are also up on average of ten minutes from the same time last year on each ride and attraction inside of the parks
• These new numbers come as the company prepares to hike up ticket prices in Orlando with a single ticket for the Magic Kingdom costing $189

By Paul Farrell For Dailymail.Com
Published: 14:14 EST, 19 November 2022

Unplanned ride stoppages have soared at Disneyland and Walt Disney World - as ticket prices are planned to rise at nearly every Disney theme park, according to recently published numbers.
On Tuesday, the company announced that there would be a 12 percent increase on tickets for Disney's flagship park in Orlando, the Magic Kingdom.

Prices will go from $166 to $189 for the most expensive tickets at peak times beginning on December 8.

Customers will have to pay more as new numbers show that unplanned stoppages on attractions are up 59 percent between 2018 and 2022 at Disneyland in California and 42 percent at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Popular ride, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, has been down for an average of nearly two hours every single day in 2022, according to the Wall Street Journal who crunched data from WDWstats.com, a website which monitors the parks pricing, wait times and ride statuses.

On top of that, the wait time for the ride has increased from 61 minutes to 71 minutes during that time period.

The ride lasts for around 20 minutes and has intricate displays and storylines. It cost Disney nearly $1 billion to build the two versions of the ride in California and Florida.

• Over the last five years, single-day ticket prices have increased by 44 percent

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, a Disney spokesperson denied, without providing data, that there has been an increase in wait times

In 2022, the Indiana Jones themed attraction was the most disrupted ride in Disney's California park while in Florida that honor went to Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

The graphic showing the amount of ride stoppages per year

On top of stoppages and price increases, wait times are also up across the parks
The entertainment giant has said that over the last 10 years, they have invested $31 billion in their parks.

Across the park generally, average wait times are up from 39 minutes to 49 minutes in 2022.

Two other popular attractions, Web Slingers: A Spiderman Adventure and the Indiana Jones ride, have also suffered above average unplanned stoppages.

The most common reasons for stoppages are maintenance, health issues involving visitors and weather.

The new ticket prices means that a family of four would spend more than $750 on tickets, up from $665, not including meals, hotels, travel or souvenirs.

On Tuesday, the company announced the new increase in their Orlando-parks. Back in October, the Disney revealed similar price increases in their California-parks.

Disney introduced a new 'Tier 0' ticket, which is valid during the park's least-visited days, in October at the company's California parks

Walt Disney World's Star Wars attraction is closed for an average of two hours per day due to various issues

In a statement the company said: 'Magic Kingdom Park will be priced at or above our other theme parks due to the incredible demand as it remains the most-visited theme park in the world.'

Fares are unchanged at Animal Kingdom, but will increase at the Magic Kingdom, as well as at Hollywood Studios where prices will range from $109-$159, and Epcot, where tickets will cost between $124 and $179. The increase only impacts the Disney parks in Florida.

The cheapest single-day options, which include one-day tickets, a single meal and drink and the cheapest parking availability, are ranked: 1. Six Flags, $103.98; 2. Disney World, $148; 3. SeaWorld, $174.98 and; 4. Universal Studios, $208.99

A former Disney theme park designer, Jim Shull, told the Journal that a 'hundred things' could go wrong in the Star Wars ride. He said: 'Is it a power shortage? A software update? They didn’t put enough lube on the actuator? Some problems are easy, you flip a switch and it’s fixed, but others are major fixes.'

Across town, Disney's main competitor, Universal Studios also saw above average stoppage time on one of their most popular attractions, Jurassic World VelociCoaster. That ride is also down for nearly two hours per day.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, a Disney spokesperson denied, without providing data, that there has been an increase in wait times.

The spokesperson said: 'Our source data shows that Disney's ride reliability remains strong and is consistent with prior years.'

The founder of consulting firm International Theme Park Services Dennis Speigel told the Journal that most visitors want to experience 1.5 attractions per hour, which is difficult if people have to stand on line for over an hour.

Three of Disney's four Florida parks will increase their ticket prices beginning on December 8 for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.

A company spokesperson told CNN: 'We continue to focus on providing guests with the best, most memorable Disney experience, and we’re doing that by growing our theme parks with incredible new attractions and offerings.'

'We are also making planning easier with new one-day tickets that automatically include a guest’s theme park reservation and continue to provide a wide range of options to visit throughout the year, including our lowest priced ticket of $109, which has not changed in more than four years.'


A company spokesperson told CNN about the increase: 'We continue to focus on providing guests with the best, most memorable Disney experience, and we’re doing that by growing our theme parks with incredible new attractions and offerings

Disney's $15-a-day Genie+ app has been credited with helping drive a surge in profits. It helps guests skip lines
In 2017, when the park's 'Tier 5' ticket was priced at $124, the most expensive single-day ticket - representing a new 'Tier 6' - has since increased by 44 percent to $179.

Despite the price hike, a new 'Tier 0' ticket was introduced at $104 which is valid during the park's least crowded days of the year.

'Disneyland Resort is always planning the next new idea, attraction, and story,' a Disneyland official said in a statement.

'Our tiered ticketing structure offers guests different options to experience that magic throughout the year, including our lowest price point – which hasn't changed since 2019.'



Since reopening in April of last year, Disney has made a host of changes to its preeminent parks, nixing free perks and ramping up prices, causing the cost of a visit to a Disney resort to rise dramatically.

Visitor numbers at the park have plunged by 17 per cent - but the profit Disney makes on each guest has increased by 17 per cent in a year, helping turbocharge the firm's profits.

The firm's share price has plunged by more than a third in the last 12 months, due in large part to controversies over Disney opposing Florida's so-called Don't Say Gay bill, and woke movies such as Lightyear that have turned-off viewers.

But takings at its theme parks - traditionally the most profitable part of Disney's business - remain in very rude health.

Disney made a whopping $7.4 billion from its parks for the most recent quarter of the 2022 financial year - up 70 per cent from a year earlier, when it was recovering from COVID shutdowns.

Profits also surged to an impressive $2.2 billion for that quarter - a huge leap from the $356 million recorded for the same quarter 12 months previously.

One of the most profitable changes is the implementation of a $15-a-day Genie+ pass, which was previously free. It serves as an app on guests' phones, and lets them skip some lines on rides.

Genie+ also flags up promotions on merchandise, helping shift the parks' famously pricey souvenirs. It is used by half of all guests - with 70 per cent who downloaded it saying they'd do the same on a future visit.

But the Genie+ pass does not grant all guest's wishes, with visitors required to fork over an extra $10 to $17 to get access to some of the parks' most popular attractions - despite having already paid around $100 per admission ticket.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney...lgvi2qpi4mt&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

How Data on Ride Stoppages and Wait Times Were Tallied​

• The three data providers used in this WSJ analysis, WDW Stats, Thrill Data and Touring Plans, rely on data feeds from Disney’s smartphone apps. Visitors to Disney theme parks use those apps to monitor how long they would have to wait at various times throughout the day to get on attractions at the parks. The app shows these wait times on an interactive map so that visitors can plan their days and avoid long lines.
• WDW Stats uses an algorithm that scrapes data from the apps and records every time a ride changes status from “operating” to “interrupted,” then logs the change and notes how long it remains interrupted. WDW Stats enters this data into a database that allows it to analyze trends at the theme parks.
• Thrill Data has a similar approach, but records only stoppages that last 10 minutes or longer. Touring Plans uses data gleaned from the apps and tracks stoppages of seven minutes or longer, but also has personnel inside Walt Disney World who provide in-person updates on ride status. Both Thrill Data and Touring Plans also scrape data from apps to track wait times for every ride at Disney’s Florida resort, while Touring Plans looks at both the “posted” wait time that Disney provides to visitors and the “actual” wait time, based on data it collects from its own app, using a stopwatch feature that allows visitors to measure how long they stand in a queue.

 

[DeeBee3]

Prince Charming Carousel? Now that's interesting

 

[Carol_]

Sold all my DIS at a loss and not because I think the price is going down but because of other REASONS. I just don’t want to hold a company that <<REASONS>>
Keeping my DVC because I still enjoy it.

 

[clarker99]

Iger is back Did not see this coming.

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/bob-iger-replace-bob-chapek-disney-ceo-1235438423/