How Will Disney World “Answer” Epic Universe’s Opening?
Two months from today, Epic Universe will open at Universal Orlando. It looks amazing and will be a huge hit due to Nintendo, Harry Potter, How to Train Your Dragon, and Monsters lands. Unsurprisingly, many fans are wondering how Walt Disney World will “answer” the opening of that new theme park on May 22, 2025 or over the Memorial Day weekend summer kickoff.
This addresses the titular question, with plausible possibilities as to what Walt Disney World will do–while also ruling out a few unrealistic ones. We already know what they won’t do. Walt Disney World has announced new lands and attractions, the earliest of which debut in 2027. While there are a few reimagined rides that’ll start debuting this summer with Test Track 3.0, that’s expected in late summer–meaning at least one full month after Epic Universe. No new or redone rides are coming before then.
Nevertheless, fans still want splashy announcements that steal the spotlight. I’ve heard from more than one WDW diehard in the last couple of weeks who, despite all evidence to the contrary, remains convinced that May 22 will be the perfect opportunity for Walt Disney World to announce its 5th gate. That’s not happening. Not on May 22 or any time this decade. Bluntly, it’s so far-fetched that we’re not even entertaining the idea. (Here’s Why a 5th Theme Park Will NOT Be Built at Walt Disney World in the Next Decade.)
As has been discussed to death at this point, Disney won’t have any official answer to Epic Universe. CEO Bob Iger has contended that Epic Universe is really Universal’s answer to Disney, playing catch-up on a decade of nonstop development at Walt Disney World and that the company doesn’t have anxiety about Universal’s third theme park.
Epic Universe did not come up at all during this week’s Walt Disney Company 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. It has been covered on the last few earnings calls, with CFO Hugh Johnston offering somewhat mixed signals. Generally speaking, Disney’s view is that Epic Universe is “Actually Positive” for Walt Disney World Attendance in 2025, but they’ve also built in some cautious and conservative negative guidance.
Disney indicates that it has modeled Epic Universe into its projections for Walt Disney World by looking at early bookings and the history of other attractions and other theme parks opening in Florida, all of which suggested Epic Universe will be beneficial for Walt Disney World. We’ve quibbled with this–and contended that Epic Universe will impact Walt Disney World unevenly, boosting Magic Kingdom but hitting Animal Kingdom hard.
Disney’s public position is that a “rising tide lifts all boats.” Even so, Walt Disney World will still need to do something as an attempt at counterprogramming to Epic Universe. They won’t benefit from the higher tide if their boat has holes in it. Obviously nothing Walt Disney World does will be on the same scale as Epic Universe, but there are things that could be done to peel days–or even hotel stays–away from Universal when visitors come to Orlando for Epic Universe.
This is the list of realistic smaller scale ways that Walt Disney World can “answer” the opening of Epic Universe on or around May 22, 2025…
Wild Card News
Around this time last year, Walt Disney World announced its summer plans. This included a few small scale temporary additions and characters to promote the summer movie releases, along with the expected opening of CommuniCore Hall and the surprise Disney Dreams That Soar drone show.
I’m not going to drone on about it yet again, but I still do not believe that superlative Disney Springs nighttime entertainment was the end game for drones at Walt Disney World. My hope and expectation is that there are plans for a follow-up act at Animal Kingdom in Summer 2025. And yet, we’ve heard absolutely nothing about it and there have been no leaks, suggesting that maybe it’s not happening this year.
Regardless, I’d expect another wild card like that for Summer 2025 that comes out of left field. And Memorial Day weekend is always a big time for new additions and summer offerings. For reference, Disney Dreams That Soar debuted the Friday before Memorial Day last year, whereas Epic Universe opens on Thursday and Disney has debuted many past additions on that Thursday or Friday.
Accordingly, Walt Disney World could “answer” Universal’s new theme park with surprise entertainment debuting that same weekend. If that happens, it’ll be coincidental–because Memorial Day weekend is the customary kickoff to summer for theme parks–not because Disney views that entertainment as “competing” with Epic Universe.
Starlight Parade Debut
It’s pretty much the same story here, but with a known quantity in Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away Parade.
If past precedent is any indication, Walt Disney World is going to announce the Starlight debut date soon. Our hope for a while has been that Disney would do the savvy thing and pull forward the Starlight date so it’s a week or more before Epic Universe, which kills two birds with one stone.
The first is that it offers a slight release valve on crowds, which is precisely why Disneyland is debuting Paint the Night and its 70th Anniversary on May 16 instead of Memorial Day weekend. Central Florida now has a huge local fanbase, and there are out-of-state Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members who will travel for Magic Kingdom’s first new night parade in decades. Getting some of that demand ‘out of the system’ before summer tourist crowds arrive makes sense.
Debuting Starlight earlier also gives it some breathing room from a marketing perspective, allowing it to not get lost in the Epic Universe grand opening news cycle. For this reason alone, it makes the most sense to put at least one week between that new park’s opening and Starlight–ideally with the parade first. Otherwise, it’ll still be overshadowed and fans will turn it into a punchline: “Universal opened a brand new park and Disney countered with a measly parade!” (Let’s be real: people are going to say stuff like that no matter what–even if there’s radio silence from Disney Parks on all channels on May 22.)
As is probably obvious, these first two entries are things that could form Disney’s substantive “answer” (air quotes, since timing would be coincidental) in debuting alongside Epic Universe. What follows is how Disney could try to steal the spotlight with splashy news of its own…
Animation Courtyard Announcement
What the company has announced thus far is essentially the 5-Year Plan for Walt Disney World, and leadership previously stated that spending would be “backloaded” into the second half of the decade. If you think about it, this makes sense. Tropical Americas is a reimagining plus one major new ride that’ll land somewhere between the Little Mermaid dark ride and Mystic Manor in terms of ambitiousness.
Monstropolis is a reimagining, plus dusting off the decades-old plans for the Monsters Doors Coaster. That looks fun and won’t be cheap, but not because it’s overly ambitious–because nothing Imagineering does is cost-effective. The jury is still out on Cars Land, which is more accurately a subsection of Frontierland and will feature a major (hopefully?) attraction along with a flat ride. Then there’s Villains Land, which should have a blockbuster budget…but might be part of the second half of the 10-year plan.
There are a ton of rumors swirling for what’s next, all with varying degrees of veracity. The only one I’ve heard credibly from multiple sources is that Animation Courtyard is on the chopping block. (Even without credible sources, you probably could’ve guessed that. Animation Courtyard is like the wing of a mall where Sears went out of business in 1998. It’s been prime for redevelopment for over a decade.)
Less reliably, I’ve also heard that its replacement is an ambitious concept and is already set. I’ve hinted at this in other posts, suggesting that it’s a land once floated for Animal Kingdom expansion that would also work (or rather, would only actually work) in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
All of this also makes sense. The reason Monstropolis went to Muppets Courtyard instead of Animation Courtyard is because there are bigger and better plans for the latter, and Monstropolis is comparatively smaller scale. While I disagree with the decision to remove MuppetVision, I can also see how replacing Animation Courtyard at this point would’ve been shortsighted. But in my view, the actual solution would be flipping the order of these projects and doing the more ambitious one first, as Animation Courtyard is a blighted ‘dead mall’ zone in the middle of DHS.
Regardless of all that, I have zero reason to believe this Animation Courtyard announcement is planned anytime soon. To the contrary, it’s my understanding that there aren’t any major announcements coming this year. That Disney shot its shot at the last D23 Expo, and the next major event will be the 2026 D23 Expo, more or less skipping Destination D23. And honestly, this might be premature even for 2026, as literally nothing from the last slate will have opened by then.
Kicking the can down the road for an Animation Courtyard announcement is also why I’ve been cryptic with clues about what’s rumored. Even if it were 100% reliable at this point, nothing is really 100% reliable that’s unofficial and won’t be announced for another few years. So much could change between now and then, from construction costs and the economy to box office and Disney+ streaming performances. Heck, I’m skeptical of projects that are officially announced but have a time horizon 3+ years into the future!
I give this announcement a less than 1% chance of happening as an “answer” to Epic Universe’s opening.
Villains Land Reveal
Speaking of skepticism about projects that are officially announced but have a time horizon 3+ years into the future, Villains Land is the one D23 announcement about which we know virtually nothing. It’s also the project that is, itself, an indirect answer to something at Epic Universe–the classic monsters land, Dark Universe.
Given that, it might make sense for Walt Disney World to attempt to steal the spotlight from Epic Universe by hyping up its own ‘dark’ universe within Magic Kingdom. After all, Disney executives and Imagineers will have been invited by Universal Orlando to experience Epic Universe by that point, so they’ll know whether their own concepts are up to par.
What I’d like to see happen is for Imagineers to make these visits to Dark Universe and be inspired by them when developing Villains Land. In a perfect world, Imagineering would even poach some of the creatives that developed Dark Universe, or scoop up some of the project-based hires who have already left Universal Creative. This would mean that Walt Disney World’s own “answer” to Dark Universe would be a bit more time incubating before it’s ready for a reveal.
Beyond all of that, there’s just nothing of value to be gained by Walt Disney World revealing Villains Land as an “answer” to Epic Universe’s opening. It captures some fan attention and hype. Okay, so what? It would also remind guests that Magic Kingdom’s expansion is ~5 years away, whereas they can experience Dark Universe today.
They Won’t.
This “to what end?” point is a segue into the most plausible outcome: Walt Disney World does absolutely nothing to attempt to steal the spotlight from Epic Universe. First and foremost, because it won’t be effective. One thing we’ve stressed for years–long before Disney spoke publicly about Epic Universe–is that the only thing that can truly “answer” a new theme park is…another new theme park. And since we knew Walt Disney World has no intentions to build a 5th gate, we could fairly surmise that their best strategy might be largely sitting out 2025.
The same sentiment should obviously apply to announcements. Again and again, we’ve seen this odd notion from jaded fans that Walt Disney World only made the D23 announcements to take attention away from Universal, and after Epic Universe opens, the plans would quietly be cancelled. That it was all a ruse, and Disney has no intentions of building it. Bluntly, this is stupid. Again, the question is: to what end? Is there a single solitary person who’s going to forgo an Epic Universe trip in 2025 because Walt Disney World might have exciting new stuff coming in 2029?
Maybe such a unicorn exists, but broadly speaking, that’s not how people plan family vacations. Disney would’ve spent way more money developing these concepts and making the announcement than whatever they theoretically gained from the attention. It’s not 4D chess, I assure you. It’s like playing checkers against my dog–and he’s not one of the smart, talking ones. Best case scenario is he doesn’t try to eat the pieces.
All of this is also why Walt Disney World probably won’t announce anything new on or around Epic Universe’s opening day. It will make zero difference whatsoever to Disney’s bottom line. It’s also why they should attempt to give Epic Universe wide berth with their own summer campaign.
If anything, all of this news would be buried under coverage of Universal Orlando’s third theme park. It would also just be a bad look that makes Disney look petty. About the only exception to this that I can think of is if Walt Disney World has negative news and it wants to “take out the trash” May 22, 2025. So perhaps that’s the day we get a closing date for the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island.
BONUS: Congratulatory Newspaper Ad
If I were in charge, the only thing Walt Disney World would “announce” on May 22, 2025 is “congratulations to Universal Orlando.” There’s a rich history of this collegiality among the “rival” theme parks, most notably with Knott’s Berry Farm (above) and Disneyland trading congratulatory newspaper ads in the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register for decades.
The most recent digital instance of this that I could track down came from a couple of years back when former Disneyland President and current Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro shared this on Instagram: “Congratulations to my friend Jon Storbeck and the entire team at Knott’s Berry Farm for their 100th Anniversary! I was very touched to be invited to the preview party for your celebration last night! It was great to see you!”
There’s likewise precedent for the same with Universal, albeit not as much that I could track down. There are plenty of instances of executives and Imagineers attending grand openings–from the recent Super Nintendo World in Hollywood to Eisner at Islands of Adventure. Unsurprisingly so, since many people within the two “competitors” have worked for both, and have Annual Passes for the parks where they don’t currently work.
I could see modern Disney being reluctant to publicly acknowledge Epic Universe, fearful of drawing attention to the new park or having analysis paralysis about how it would impact their bookings and perception. My advice would be: don’t overthink it.
Literally no one is going to learn about Epic Universe for the first time thanks to a post from @DisneyParks on social media or a newspaper ad in the Orlando Sentinel. It won’t cause anyone to change their vacation plans, or anything of the sort. The only thing it could conceivably do is show the Walt Disney World still has graciousness, and truly believes it when they claim that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” Disney has no cards they can play that would steal Universal’s thunder, but this could at least make them part of the conversation in a positive way. It won’t happen…but it should.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
How do you think Walt Disney World will “answer” the opening of Epic Universe over Memorial Day weekend? Or is “they won’t” the most likely possibility in your mind? Is it also the best move? Expect Starlight and other summer offerings to debut around May 22, or will Disney give Universal a week-plus buffer? Think Disney has cause for concern, or do you generally agree that a rising tide lifts all boats? Any other thoughts or commentary to add? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
It took me a minute based on your (admirably!) cryptic clues, but I’m fairly confident I’ve puzzled out the rumored Animation Courtyard replacement based on the DAK/DHS mention plus box office and streaming numbers …
And if it is what I think it is, I mean like sure yay, I’m sure it will be Pandora level amazing, hopefully … but I still want a Muppets mini-land to come to fruition. Ideally where Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Lightning McQueen/the Villains show are now, I guess. A Muppet fan can dream!
Tom, I may not always agree with all of your takes, but I’m definitely with you on this one. I’ve talked a lot about the myopia of the fan community, and I think this idea that Disney needs a huge announcement or anything at all to “respond” to Epic is firmly an example of that. Nothing short of a fifth gate would satisfy that crowd, and I’m sure they would even find fault in that. I’m selfishly hoping for news on the nighttime parade or the revamped Little Mermaid show, as I come up on the ADR day for our Memorial week trip. Mostly I am nervous about crowds. We typically take our annual 10 day trip over that period because it falls around my birthday, and crowds are usually very light, but this year is such an unknown with Epic.
But, as I was doing some spring cleaning around the house, I happened to find my last door tag for Magical Express (July 2021, from Gran Destino to MCO). I know it will never happen in a million years, but a return of DME would be a hilariously cool thing out of left field to announce.
Disney needs to lean more heavily into younger kids. They could offer a $75 3-9 year old ticket and restore Magical Express. One advantage Disney has is that Universal and Epic are not as kid friendly so Disney should lean into that and make it easier and more affordable for younger families
I do not believe for a moment Disney feels Universal is a threat to them. If they did, they would not have several key attractions down this year while unable to maintain what they do have open (speaking of maintenance) and continuing with the non-stop price-hikes.
Discounts do nothing for people staying DVC (I am even speaking out renters, not owners) and Universal’s Express Pass for staying in their hotels is a better deal than Disney asking for your first-born for Genie/Lightning Lane and HOPING you can get more than the 3 you pre-book.
Sorry for the typos. Your webpage keeps pausing while I am typing and I missed that one. 🙂
Not some grand announcement but as more of a low-key play one thing Disney could do in 2025 to “answer” Epic Universe is recommitting to the sort of guest experience that Disney World has been known for in the past, but seems to have been de-prioritized or simply lost as of late.
As this blog has pointed out many times, and is fairly obvious anyway, people will be visiting both companies’ parks. The comparisons will be made. There is maybe no better time to remind guests, and future guests, that Disney World is about more than rides, and even an exciting new theme park can’t compare to the exemplary guest experience that is the “Disney magic”. I could imagine a reasonable person starting off excited about Epic Universe and less so about what feels like an obligatory, “I can’t go to Orlando and not Disney World” visit, only to leave thrilled about Epic Universe but also reminded of what makes Disney World special, that even a new theme park doesn’t capture. This is the kind of comparison that Disney can “win”, and works well with their expansion plans.
Spend the next several years on expansion while renewing the relationships with guests and fans that have suffered over the past decade as Disney became increasingly fixated on pricing and maximizing profits in the short term. As Universal increasingly makes the case that its Florida resort can compete with WDW as a world class destination, it still lacks the history and character that has been responsible for WDW’s enduring appeal.
We’ve pointed out this type of thing before, but you’re 100% right—and you stated it so well. Thanks!
I think Animation Courtyard in DHS would be perfect for a Bluey walk through experience this summer…
I’ve been a diehard Disney fan since childhood. As an adult, my husband and I have been proud Disney Vacation Club members, holding contracts at two properties, and we’ve maintained WDW Annual Passes for the entire 17 years of our marriage.
However, last year marked a significant change—we chose not to renew our Annual Passes. While our love for Disney remains strong and we will return, the uncertainty surrounding the company’s investment in the parks has given us pause. We saw what happened with major park announcements post-pandemic that were never realized; perhaps we have some trepidation about what Disney will actually do to continue to improve the value for the continuous increases in cost. The ongoing speculation about future project timelines, combined with the inevitable disruption that large-scale construction brings—leading to longer wait times in the areas that remain open—has made us reconsider our frequent visits…. for now.
For nearly two decades, we visited Disney parks two to four times a year, but for now, we’re shifting our focus. Instead, we’ll be exploring Disney Cruises, heading out to Disneyland once or twice, and spending more time at Universal, at least until Disney completes some key projects and the initial rush of crowds eager to experience them dies down.
Animation Courtyard: Zootopia? Based on what they just opened in Hong Kong?
Zootopia opened at Shanghai Disneyland. Hong Kong Disneyland recently opened World of Frozen.
I did not fully understand the extent of WDW’s plan to throw Animal Kingdom under the bus. I did suspect that they might not package up a big entertainment package, though a Jammin’ Jungle Parade or cavalcade with some version of KiteTails at night should be a pretty cheap way to extend the day. Still, I figured by now they’d announce some Four Parks for the Price of Three by now (last week those tickets were over 20% off on many days, so it was already pretty close to that deal without calling it that).
On the other hand, *if* EPCOT saved its first summer festival for 2025, that *would* be a genius-level pull for locals. *If.*
It’s starting to almost seem like leadership is okay with DAK attendance tanking so the baseline is lower for a 2027-2028 recovery when the new stuff starts coming online?
It doesn’t really make sense to inflict near-term damage for that sake, but I’m struggling to figure out what the plan actually is.
I think there is one big factor that a lot of people are overlooking and that is the difference in cost between Lightning Lanes and Express Passes. A lot of people complain about Lightning Lanes, but I think it will become a significant competitive advantage for Disney.
Almost all theme parks or amusement parks have some equivalent to Express Passes, where you can skip the lines one or more times whenever you want. People like that they are simple to use, but that simplicity only works if a relatively small percentage of guests are utilizing the service. This works fine for short trips, especially one-day trips, where people will either endure the lines for a day or pay up with the cost being reasonable as it is only for one day. Lightning Lanes offer the only line skipping service that is designed for it to be utilized by a large percentage or even all guests as it was with Fast Pass. The longer you are hoping guests to stay, the more important this becomes.
Previously, people who spent multiple days at Universal could use the Premier Resort hack to get multiple days of line skipping at a reasonable cost. It does not appear that Epic will receive the Unlimited Express Passes included in a Premier Resort stay, nor does it appear that staying at Grand Helios will include any Express Passes at all. If people spend a weeklong vacation at Universal, they are going to want to spend at least two days at Epic, if not three. Buying Express Passes for even one of those days is going to eliminate the price advantage that Universal has.
People could say that the Premier Pass is even more expensive and that is what is comparable to the Express Passes, but with Universal, it’s all or nothing, there is no intermediate option like Disney has with the Lightning Lanes. I think it will illustrate that in a lot of ways Universal is still playing catch-up with Disney.
This is a great point.
Part of my mild cynicism surrounding Epic Universe stems from Universal Studios Japan (where we’ve been APs in the past), which is one of the most crowded theme parks on the planet. If Epic Universe ends up being anything like that in the long-term, complaints about crowds and long lines will start overshadowing the envelope-pushing nature of the park. Americans have a much lower tolerance for waiting than the Japanese.
You’re right, of course. Adding a fifth gate at this time makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. A thousand great reasons to NOT do it. And yet — I keep thinking back to 1989. I don’t know – maybe you have to be a really REALLY old fart like me to remember what happened back then. Disney World had two really great theme parks back then – Magic Kingdom and the still new EPCOT. But they didn’t have a movie studio and Universal was opening just down the street. So-oooo — IN RESPONSE Disney went ahead with MGM Studios. Yes, MGM Studios. A piddly-little half hearted attempt with one main street and a small hand full of mostly shows. And what happened? What turned out to be the biggest under-estimate in the theme park business. The park was overwhelmed! I actually saw a Disney executive go on TV and apologize for this half-baked effort and promise that Disney would immediately begin a process of doubling the size of MGM Studios! The process was starting that day!
So what? The “Fifth Gate”, if it were to be announced, should have been in 2019. But it wasn’t. We had a different team in charge back then, Probably the wrong team. With a wrong decision. The 2025 expansion plans should have been announced in 2019. But in reality, it should have been a fifth gate announcement in 2019.
So where does that leave us? With a “rising tide” explanation? That’s a hope and a prayer. A rising tide doesn’t help if it’s low tide and your boat is at the end of a short anchor chain! And the option of a fifth gate is definitely not dead. Not with all that unused Disney land in central Florida.
Disney has no answer besides another overpriced festival food item. Disney’s announcements were very disappointing. They know their parks lack rides and capacity, but they are merely doing land replacements instead of adding to their parks. I’m absolutely deflated from the Cars, Monsters Inc, and Indiana Jones replacements that should be additions. They aren’t wowing anyone when you see the spectacular additions at EPIC, which has new experiences and amazing new features and technologies.
Demographic fail. At 3pm WDW swells with local high schoolers and college kids getting out of class, they will go to Epic now, especially with Sunrail stopping at Epic, reminder those kids are the ones with money to spend. Families from southeast Florida will prefer going there instead of Disney. Anyone who has been at Disney in the last 7-10 years but also there 20 years ago knows the magic is dead and it is laughable for Iger to pretend it is Universal catching up to Disney. NOPE, Universal observed Disney sleeping at the wheel to cash bonus checks for yachts and blew past them. Please, it isn’t Disney Springs, no amount of rebranding will change that. We hear someone say Disney Springs, roll our eyes and say newbies. It is and always will be Downtown Disney. Universal will be capturing the local market that saved Disney’s bacon during the recession and covid…and they’re still asleep at the wheel.
I strongly suspect that both Disney and Universal have learned from their experience in California that they do not want to be high school hangouts. The respective companies’ behavior on the both coasts suggests as much.
I agree that both operators should attempt to cater to locals and diehard fans as a safety net, but I have a hard time seeing Epic Universe as evidence of that. If anything, this looks to me like Universal emulating Disney’s approach and chasing the same demos–building out its hotel inventory, pushing vacation packages, and targeting tourists.
What do you see Universal doing with Epic Universe that says otherwise?
Have you seen the 3pm weekday crowd? Universal has and it is soooo Harry Potter and Dragon group.
Now, I do agree if Disney is like nah, we’re good you can have that group Universal. Okay, but Disney at the same time lean back into the whole family Disney experience and maybe switch the concept from “magic” to customer service? I want a Gummi Bears Quick Car ride as well.
I think the real question is how is Disney to handle the reduction of international visitors, as more people avoid travel to the US because of the current administrations policies.
There are essentially three separate, but interconnected questions. This post covers one of those.
The following post covers another: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/canada-boycott-disney-world-deals-crowds-candian-cancellations/
I probably should do yet another on economic uncertainty, consumer confidence, etc. (I did do one of those a couple years ago, but the circumstances are different this go-round: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/what-does-disney-world-do-during-a-recession/)
As much as I hate bringing politics on to this forum, this is one of those elephant in the room things that need to be addressed. The policies of the current administration has serious messed things up with the economy and international relations. Both will unfortunately have an impact on both domestic and international tourism. Hopefully we can weather this storm without too much damage being done.
There are only TWO good reasons NOT to go to WDW.
1) You’re not a fan, you don’t enjoy it anymore, been there done that.
2) Cost.
That’s it.
Anything else is foolish and cutting your nose off to spite your face.
To all my Canadian bretheran, there isn’t a single American, including the President, who doesn’t like Canda and Canadians. You’ve nothing to fear about coming here unless you’re driving a Tesla and parking it on the street.
Today the Canadian dollar is worth 69 cents and Disney is constantly raising prices. Folks, that means a Canadian vacation to America costs almost 1/3 more than the same one for Americans.
I don’t know about you but if I had to pay a third more than I do now, I wouldn’t be going.
Truth is WE should be heading North, where everything costs 1/3 less for us. Only problem is Disney World is in Orlando not Montreal or Toronto.
In 2020 a value resort, rack rate, room cost 130 to 285 and the Canadian dollar hit 85 cents.
In 2025 a value resort, rack rate, room costs 157 to 350 and the Canadian dollar is currently at 69 cents.
You do the math.
What’s the problem?
In the last 3 years, American or Canadian, how much has your salary increased?
Disney gross profit for the quarter ending December 31, 2024 was $9.284B, a 16.6% increase year-over-year.
Disney gross profit for the twelve months ending December 31, 2024 was $33.985B, a 11.31% increase year-over-year.
Disney annual gross profit for 2024 was $32.663B, a 9.99% increase from 2023.
Disney annual gross profit for 2023 was $29.697B, a 4.86% increase from 2022.
Disney annual gross profit for 2022 was $28.321B, a 27.07% increase from 2021.
I love Canada, it’s part of my heritage. I love Walt Disney, he was a part of my life from 5 years old and for a long time after his passing. The new guard are killing Disney but I still enjoy the Parks and some of the entertainment but I can see the day when the value will no longer match the cost and I can no longer justify going.
I will always be part Canadian.
That’s a loaded question. Disney has more issues to worry about with the failure of Snow White and Captain America 4. Frankly, I’ll be afraid of going to warmongering Europe and UK who would want to drag the US into a new war with Russia. Canada’s true colors are showing how they think the US can be blackmailed with electricity.
Any visibility towards 2026?
My best guess is the formula will be similar: more entertainment, ride reimaginings, special offers, and other stopgap measures to entice people to visit/stay on-site.
I was wondering if you think bigger than normal discounts were gonna be offered? I saw you saying 30%-ish. But would bigger discounts be possible? even if tied to Disney plus or VISA? I’m thinking closer to 40%.
I think 40% off is highly unlikely for the general public. Maybe it gets to 35% off, but with a ‘stay longer & save more’ deal, but even that strikes me as unlikely.
If WDW does find itself needing to offer more aggressive deals, it’ll be because of economic uncertainty and a travel slowdown, not Epic Universe. In which case, all of Orlando is in trouble.
PersonaI think higher than 30% off general public is unlikely bc 1) they need it to be higher for APs and 2) they need it to be a pretty close call bt free dining vs room discount since I am guessing they profit more off ppl taking free dining. It it’s too obvious that room only discounts are the better deL ir if they become a better deal even for larger parties it won’t be as good for the company to offer it. I wonder about full price stays but the enticement of free LLMP and LLSP for certain room categories
The rising tide quote kind of is also why Universal picked Orlando to build their park. The area already had a booming tourist trade thanks to Disney and they capitalized on it. Obviously the additional people coming into the area for the Epic Universe will spill over to Disney. As you said, there’s a friendly rivalry between the parks because they do support each other.
100%.
The only risk is overbuilding what the market can sustain, such that it cannibalizes attendance from the existing gates. But obviously Universal would’ve done feasibility studies on that. My best guess there is that the businesses that will take the hardest hit are the second and third-tier off-site offerings. Other local theme and amusement parks, and maybe even some off-site hotels. (Why stay at third party budget accommodations when both Universal and Disney have compelling options with perks at reasonable prices?)
Agreed the BEST and ONLY thing Disney can do is a nice congratulations ad.
AND if Disney was opening a 5th gate the best thing to do is announce it a year later.
How awful would it look on the day Universal actually opens a new gate to say, “Yeah well we’re gonna open a new gate too and it’ll be way better than your stupid gate. Just wait and see.”
OMG how terrible.
Disney, put out giant Congrats Ads, keep your mouth shut about your own parks and for goodness sakes get that nighttime parade started a good two weeks before May 22nd so it doesn’t even appear to be some kind of attempt to step on Universals big day.
May 22nd and the weeks, maybe months, after are Universals.
Hey, when your plane crashes and somebody really famous is aboard you’re not getting noticed.
Quick aside TOM, I made adr’s for Mama Melroses last day. THe food’s never been anything more than good but I thought it would be nice, one last time but my wife said how good will the food be that day and how much will they have to offer? You think it’s a mistake? Should we eat somewhere better?
Mama Melrose actually got a new menu within the last year that looks pretty good!
I was actually planning on reviewing it late last year, but then the Monstropolis announcement happened. If I weren’t a blogger needing to do things “for research,” I’d book it! (Obviously, can’t promise it’ll be good–but it at least looks intriguing to me.)
I only ask because it’s MAMA’s last day of operation (not our last day) and Carolyn’s thinking that maybe they will not be replacing food they run out of as they near closing or care how well the food is prepared on the last day.
I wouldn’t be concerned about that. I also think it’d be fun to be there on the last day. I would if I could!
Any word yet on sorcerer pass and DVC being able to buy on a payment plan? Can you quote where this was announced? We still cannot access it. No effective date has been reported to my knowledge. I have to presume it is true as you announced it as a Disney thing. Getting worried here.
I’m not sure what you’re referencing, but I assume it’s this? https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-world-lowers-up-front-ap-price-increases-payments/
That only applies to Florida residents.
The statement you have did not imply that. No mention is made that it is new but only for Florida DVC members. That is not in our contracts is it? Cannot DVC memberships have new rules based on different residences?
As with all Membership Extras, DVC is careful to caveat that these “are incidental benefits subject to availability, change or termination and may require a fee.” Meaning that these are not part of the ownership interest (or your contract) and are subject to change or termination without notice.
It also means DVC Members are not paying annual dues for Membership Extras, which is precisely how DVC can “discriminate” between resale and direct buyers–because neither are footing the bill for these things.
They will react by taking more perks away and raising prices- what could go wrong?
Lol
Off topic – do you think the 30 percent off room deal will be extended till September for Disney World?
I expect new discounts to be released within 1-2 weeks, and it’s safe to assume those will include travel dates through late September and a room-only discount that’s probably around 30% off on the high end (or 35-40% for APs/FL).