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Disney's spent 70 years funneling IP into its theme parks. Here's why it works
CNBC· 2025-07-17 12:00
Core Viewpoint - Disneyland celebrates its 70th anniversary as a significant part of the Anaheim community and a showcase for Disney's diverse media portfolio [2][3] Group 1: Historical Context and Development - Disneyland opened in 1955, founded by Walt Disney as a place for family entertainment, integrating various aspects of Disney's media business [2] - Over the past 70 years, Disney has launched 12 theme parks globally and plans to open a new park in Abu Dhabi [5] - The initial attractions at Disneyland were based on Disney's theatrical films, with iconic rides like Mad Tea Party and Peter Pan's Flight [4][7] Group 2: Intellectual Property and Revenue Generation - Disney's experiences division, which includes theme parks and resorts, is a major profit driver, with operating income for fiscal 2024 exceeding that of the content-centric entertainment division [3] - The company has strategically focused on leveraging its intellectual property (IP) to create new attractions, especially after acquiring major studios like Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm [9][12] - In fiscal 2024, the experiences division achieved record revenue of $34.15 billion, marking a 5% increase, with operating income rising 4% to $9.27 billion [15] Group 3: Future Plans and Investments - Disney anticipates a profit growth of 6% to 8% for its experiences division in fiscal 2025, supported by upcoming expansions and new attractions [16] - The company has committed to investing $60 billion in experiences over the next decade, with plans for new themed areas and rides, including a villains land and an "Encanto" ride [17][18] - Recent changes in the parks, such as the re-theming of Splash Mountain to Tiana's Bayou Adventure, reflect a strategy to broaden the audience and enhance revenue [20][21]
Can Disney's Experiences Segment Truly Bring The Magic Back For Investors?
Benzinga· 2025-06-27 17:34
Core Viewpoint - Bank of America Securities analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich maintains a Buy rating on Walt Disney with a price forecast of $140, indicating confidence in the company's recovery, particularly in the Experiences segment [1] Group 1: Experiences Segment Performance - The Experiences segment, a key driver of Disney's overall operating income, is expected to show sequential improvement in operating income for the fiscal third quarter, with further acceleration anticipated in the fiscal fourth quarter due to easier year-over-year comparisons [1][4] - Recent challenges for the Experiences segment included tough comparables, wage inflation, and significant pre-opening costs related to new cruise ships [2] - Despite broader macroeconomic concerns and competition from Universal's Epic Universe, the Experiences segment is now performing in line with fiscal 2025 expectations, supported by a strong pipeline of new cruise ships [3][4] Group 2: Advertising and Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Insights - The Sports category remains a strong performer for Disney in the advertising landscape, showing sustained strength compared to other categories [5] - DTC net subscriber additions are expected to be modestly positive in the fiscal third quarter, aligning with the company's guidance [5] Group 3: Financial Guidance and Adjustments - Following a strong earnings beat, Disney raised its fiscal 2025 EPS guidance to $5.75, which is considered highly achievable due to improved visibility post-earnings report [6] - Adjustments for the fiscal third quarter include a slight decrease in revenue to $24.0 billion, operating income to $4.33 billion, and EPS to $1.39, primarily due to the disappointing box office performance of Pixar's Elio [7][8] - Despite these near-term adjustments, the full fiscal 2025 operating income estimate remains at $17.6 billion and EPS at $5.75, consistent with company guidance [8]