Commentary Archive
When it comes to planning for Walt Disney World or Disneyland, price increases on food, hotels, park tickets and more have become a fact of life. Adding insult to injury, free FastPass+ was replaced by paid the Genie+ service and other perks previously included with packages have been cut. (Updated February 16, 2024.) Accordingly, “lower
Over the last few years, we’ve heard more complaints from fans about Genie+ and Lightning Lanes than anything else at Walt Disney World–even the end of Magical Express. Lots of changes have already been made to address the problems and shortcomings of the system, with more on the horizon. This offers our list of predictions
One stunning staple has been missing from Walt Disney’s World’s holiday lineup for the last 4 years: Cinderella Castle’s Dream Lights, which transforms the icon into a shimmering ice palace. This post addresses whether Magic Kingdom might bring back the dazzling display this November. (Updated February 14, 2024.) The Cinderella Castle Dream Lights was one
Disney recently reiterated opening dates and timeframes in 2024 to 2026 for new rides, lands, restaurants, resorts, and more at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, the cruise ship expansion and parks in Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai. This details the official timeline, plus our predictions about what opening dates are actually realistic based upon on-the-ground
Blackwells has started yet another proxy fight with Disney, aiming for three nominees on the board supporting transformation efforts under the leadership of the current CEO Bob Iger. These activist investors also suggest a split into three companies, recommend “high alert” towards Trian, and criticize Nelson Peltz’s courtship of Elon Musk. Yeah, it’s a lot.
Walt Disney World has made steps in the right direction thus far in 2024, improving the guest experience in measurable ways with the return of all-day Park Hopping, Dining Plans, and end of park reservations for most tourists. There’s still stuff to fix, and this list covers little-but-big ways to accomplish that. What we mean
The Walt Disney Company has dropped from the top slot of media & entertainment companies on Fortune’s 2024 list of the World’s Most Admired Companies. This post takes a look at what changed, how Disney performed relative to the competition, along with our commentary about what this does–and does not–mean. For 2024, Disney ranked #12
Walt Disney World’s federal lawsuit against Governor Ron DeSantis, Secretary of Florida’s Department of Commerce, and all members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) has been dismissed. This post covers the order granting the motion to dismiss, plus a brief bit of commentary. For starters, it’s been a relatively quiet 6 months in
Disney and the City of Anaheim have released new details about DisneylandForward, specifically spending commitments over the course of the next decade at Disneyland Resort if the proposal for new theme park, retail, and parking expansion in California is approved. This quickly runs through the highlights of what Disney has promised as part of its
We’ve been saying for a while that video games are a blind spot for Disney. Now a former executive and potential CEO successor to Bob Iger agrees. This post discusses Disney’s big problem with gaming, how to fix it, and why Mario should be the ‘role model’ for Mickey Mouse. While speaking at the Yahoo!
When to visit Universal Orlando is a good question, with fans wondering whether it’s a smart idea to go now or delay a vacation due to the opening of the new Epic Universe theme park in Summer 2025. This addresses whether you should visit in 2024 to enjoy Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida